Oliver Tompsett
British actor and singer (born 1981)
title: "Oliver Tompsett" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "1983-births", "21st-century-british-male-singers", "21st-century-english-male-actors", "21st-century-english-singers", "english-male-musical-theatre-actors", "english-male-stage-actors", "male-actors-from-oxfordshire", "musicians-from-oxfordshire", "people-educated-at-the-arts-educational-schools", "people-from-abingdon-on-thames", "actors-from-vale-of-white-horse"] description: "British actor and singer (born 1981)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_Tompsett" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary British actor and singer (born 1981) ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Oliver Tompsett |
| image | Oliver Tompsett at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016.jpg |
| caption | Tompsett at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016 |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England |
| occupation | Actor, singer |
| yearsactive | 2002–current |
| :: |
| name = Oliver Tompsett | image = Oliver Tompsett at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016.jpg | caption = Tompsett at Wicked 10th Birthday 2016 | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England | occupation = Actor, singer | yearsactive = 2002–current
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Oliver_Tompsett_2007.jpg" caption="Tompsett in 2007"] ::
Oliver Tompsett (born 25 August 1981) is a British actor and singer. He is best known for his work in musical theatre. He originated leading roles in multiple West End productions, including Drew Boley in Rock of Ages and William Shakespeare in & Juliet. (He also later played Shakespeare on Broadway in 2024) In addition, Tompsett is known for his portrayal of Fiyero in Wicked and Galileo in We Will Rock You.
Early life and education
Tompsett was born on 25 August 1981 in Abingdon-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. His father, John, was an engineer and opera singer, and his mother, Judy, who ran a dance studio. He has an older brother, Ben, who is a musician, and a sister, Amy. Tompsett attended John Mason School. He was a member of the Oxfordshire Youth Music Theatre, which sparked his interest in musical theatre, where he performed in youth productions of Me and My Girl, Godspell and Anne of Green Gables. He is a graduate of Arts Educational School, where he played the lead role of "Tony" in West Side Story.
Career
Tompsett made his professional and West End debut in 2002 in the Madness/Tim Firth musical Our House, directed by Matthew Warchus, at London's Cambridge Theatre.
His subsequent London stage appearances include: Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus's musical Mamma Mia!, directed by Phyllida Lloyd, at the Prince of Wales Theatre; Caliph in Kismet, directed by Tiffany Watt-Smith, at the Arcola Theatre, and "Harry Lytton" in Richard Stirling's Over My Shoulder: The Story of Jessie Matthews, directed by Stewart Nicholls, at Wyndhams Theatre.
Immediately prior to joining the original cast of Wicked, in 2006, he appeared in Trevor Nunn's production of Peter Shaffer's The Royal Hunt of the Sun, at the National Theatre.
Tompsett next played the role of Fiyero in the West End musical Wicked, in 2006. He is a member of the original London cast, having previously performed in the ensemble and serving as the understudy for Fiyero, before replacing Adam Garcia in 2007. He played his final performance in 2010 after three and a half years with the production. He was succeeded by Lewis Bradley who played the role until May 2010, when Lee Mead took over.
In 2011, Tompsett originated the role of Drew in the West End production of Rock of Ages. For this role he was nominated for the whatsonstage.com Theatergoers Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
In 2012, Tompsett replaced Noel Sullivan as Galileo in We Will Rock You, and for this role he was nominated for the WhatsOnStage Theatergoers Choice Award for Best Take Over in a Role.
From November 2014 to 24 January 2015, Tompsett played the role of Phil Davis in the musical White Christmas alongside Darren Day in Leeds.
From 16 March to 14 August 2016, Tompsett played the role of Sky Masterson in the West End revival of Guys and Dolls following its transfer to the Phoenix Theatre in London. Tompsett reprised the role for the show's Israeli premiere at the Opera House in Tel Aviv for 10 performances.
In 2019, Tompsett joined the cast of & Juliet as Shakespeare. The world premiere production opened at the Manchester Opera House on 10 September 2019 and closed on 12 October 2019. He continued on in the role when the musical transferred to the West End, where it began performances at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 November 2019. At the 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards, he was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical. Tompsett continued in the role for the entire West End run of & Juliet, until the show closed on 25 March 2023, and reprised the role on Broadway, before Drew Gehling, after the original actor, Stark Sands, departed.
On 4 April 2023, Tompsett took over the role of Edward Lewis in the West End production of Pretty Woman. He will continue to play the role until the show's closing on 18 June 2023.
On 18 May 2023, it was announced that Tompsett will star in the musical * In Dreams*, which will begin performances at Leeds Playhouse on 3 July 2023.
On 11 February 2025, it was announced that Tompsett would star as Count Adhemar in A Knight's Tale, a musical adaptation of the 2001 cult classic film of the same name at Manchester Opera House. Tompsett is expected to reprise his role when the show transfers to London's West End at an as yet unconfirmed later date. He is also been announced to star as P.T. Barnum in the world premiere of The Greatest Showman, a musical based on the hit 2017 film at Bristol Hippodrome in 2026.
Personal life
Tompsett is married to actress Michelle Potter. They met in 2003 while performing in the West End production of Mamma Mia. Their first child, a son named George, born in 2013. Their second child, a daughter named Kaia, was born in February 2017.
Tompsett ran in the 2022 London charity marathon for Parkinson's disease.
Theatre credits
::data[format=table]
Filmography
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hard Way: The Action Musical | Jake | Short film |
| 2018 | Show Dogs | Chauncey | Voice role |
| 2021 | I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change | ||
| :: |
Awards and nominations
::data[format=table]
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Actor in a Musical | Rock of Ages | ||
| 2013 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Takeover in a Role | We Will Rock You | ||
| 2020 | WhatsOnStage Award | Best Actor in a Musical | & Juliet | ||
| :: |
Recordings
In 2008 he recorded a song for the CD Act One – Songs from the Musicals of Alexander S. Bermange, an album of 20 new recordings by 26 West End stars, released in October 2008 on Dress Circle Records. He can be heard on the recent Alexander S. Bermange CD singing "More than a Memory" and more.
In late 2008 he released his debut album entitled "Sentimental Heart", with all of the songs written, performed and produced by Tompsett.
Tompsett also recorded the song 'We Are Not Alone' on Terry Pratchett's 'Only You Can Save Mankind', which was released on 23 November 2009.
In May 2010, Tompsett announced on his Official Twitter account that due to the success of his début album, he had signed a record deal with Major Record Label Warner Brothers. His second album was released in 2011.
References
References
- (17 July 2013). "Abingdon's Oliver Tompsett on his star role in We Will Rock You".
- "Oliver Tompsett". westendtheatre.com.
- (31 January 2010). "Lee Mead to Join London's Wicked as Fiyero; Principals Confirmed".
- (15 June 2011). "Amy Pemberton, Oliver Tompsett, Simon Lipkin et al. Join Justin Lee Collins and Shayne Ward in the West End's Rock of Agea!".
- "Full List: 2012 Whatsonstage.com Award winners".
- "Full list: Winners announced of the 2013 Whatsonstage.com Awards".
- "Darren Day and Oliver Tompsett to star in White Christmas at WYP | News | the Stage".
- "Samantha Spiro and Oliver Tompsett join Guys and Dolls | News | the Stage".
- "West End Frame: Casting announced for Guys and Dolls Israeli transfer".
- (8 Feb 2019). "Further casting announced for & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre".
- (25 Jan 2019). "What if Juliet didn't die at the end of Romeo & Juliet? This new musical has the answers".
- (1 March 2020). "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six".
- (9 October 2022). "Juliet Musical sets West End closing date".
- (8 March 2023). "Pretty Woman sets West End closing date and announces new lead casting".
- (18 May 2023). "Cast announced for In Dreams musical including Oliver Tompsett, Lena Hall and Gabriela García".
- (11 Feb 2025). "Complete cast for A Knight’s Tale musical confirmed".
- Block, Logan-Culwell. [https://playbill.com/article/meet-the-cast-of-the-greatest-showman-stage-musical Meet the Cast of ''The Greatest Showman'' Stage Musical] Playbill, 15 October 2025
- (26 June 2018). "West End Star Oliver Tompsett on How Starring in Kinky Boots Affects His Footwear Choices, Meeting Cyndi Lauper and More".
- (22 June 2014). "Mamma Mia! Stars of hit stage show find their own love stories...with each other!".
- "It's a Girl!! I am THE luckiest person alive! Meet my daughter Kaia".
- (27 February 2023). "Running for Charity: A Billion-Dollar Enterprise".
- (14 June 2023). "Cast Complete for World Premiere of In Dreams Musical, Starring Lena Hall and Oliver Tompsett".
- [https://www.playbill.com/article/west-end-star-oliver-tompsett-will-make-his-broadway-debut-in-juliet West End Star Oliver Tompsett Will Make His Broadway Debut in & Juliet]
- (16 February 2012). "Full List: 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards Nominees".
- (17 February 2013). "Full list: Winners announced of the 2013 Whatsonstage.com Awards".
- [https://twitter.com/Ozziology/status/14889472274 Oliver Tompsett – Official Twitter]
- Oliver Tompsett. (18 September 2010). "Album is shaping up to be EPIC! going to L.A to record with some very Talented people cant wait to release it next year YEAH!".
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