Jocasta Almgill is a British actress, singer and dancer. She is best known for playing Diana in A Chorus Line at London's Sadler's Wells and Lady Capulet in the original West End cast of & Juliet.
Early life and education
Almgill attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and graduated in 2009.
Career
Musical Theatre
Almgill joined the original London production of In the Heights in 2015, as part of the ensemble and cover of some of the main characters.
In 2016, Almgill was part of the ensemble of Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre. The show starred Amber Riley as Effie White, with Tyrone Huntley as C.C. and Joe Aaron Reid as Curtis and was directed and choreographed by award winner Casey Nicholaw.
Almgill played the role of Yvonne in the 2018 musical version of The Proclaimers' Sunshine on Leith, joining Steven Miller and Paul-James Corrigan.
In 2019, Almgill joined the Royal Exchange production of West Side Story in the role of Anita, with Maria played by Gabriela Garcia and Tony by Andy Coxon.
After opening in Manchester, & Juliet opened at the Shaftesbury Theatre in the West End in November 2019. The cast included Miriam Teak-Lee as Juliet, Jordan Luke Gage as Romeo, David Bedella as Lance, Cassidy Janson as Anne Hathaway, Oliver Tompsett as Shakespeare, Melanie La Barrie as the Nurse, Arun Blair-Mangat as May, Tim Mahendran as Francois and Almgill as Lady Capulet.
In 2020, Almgill was part of the Hope Mill Theatre production of Rent, directed by Luke Sheppard, in the role of Joanne. Also in the cast Tom Francis as Roger, Millie O'Connell as Maureen and Maiya Quansah-Breed as Mimi. The show was due to open in November 2020, but, after a few performances, it had to close due to a new COVID-19 lockdown in the UK. Hope Mill confirmed that a digital stream of the show, recorded during the first performances, would be made available for purchase.
Almgill joined the cast of Grease as Rizzo in 2022. The show was directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Dame Arlene Phillips. Cast included Dan Partridge as Danny, Olivia Moore as Sandy with Peter Andre and Jason Donovan alternating in the role of Teen Angel.
In April 2024, casting for the Curve/Sadler's Wells production of A Chorus Line was announced, with Adam Cooper in the role of Zach, Carly Mercedes Dyer as Cassie and Almgill as Diana. The show played at both Curve and Sadler's Wells before embarking on a UK tour and it was directed by Nikolai Foster, Curve's Artistic Director.
Credits
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Theatre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Hairspray | Ensemble, Dynamite | UK tour |
| 2013 - 2014 | Chicago | Ensemble | Curve |
| 2015 | Ghost - the musical | Ensemble | Asian tour |
| 2015 - 2016 | In the Heights | Ensemble, u.s. Camila, Daniela and Vanessa | King's Cross Theatre |
| 2016 | Dreamgirls | Ensemble | Savoy Theatre |
| 2018 | Sunshine on Leith | Yvonne | Quarry Theatre |
| 2019 | West Side Story | Anita | Royal Exchange |
| 2019 | & Juliet | Lady Capulet / Nell | Shaftesbury Theatre |
| 2020 | Rent | Joanne | Hope Mill Theatre |
| 2022 | Grease | Rizzo | Dominion Theatre |
| 2024 | A Chorus Line | Diana Morales | Curve, Sadler's Wells and UK tour |
Film and TV
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince | movie | |
| 2020 | Hope Mill Theatre: Rent | Joanne | Live theatre streaming |
| 2021 | The Secret Society of Leading Ladies | Self | TV special |
| 2023 | Hullraisers | Meredith | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2024 | Wicked | movie |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Grease | Black British Theatre Awards | Best Supporting Female Actor in a Musical | Nominated |
References
- "Jocasta Almgill | West End Performers | London Theatre Direct". www.londontheatredirect.com. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- O'Hanlon, Dom (2016-06-10). "Lead cast announced for Dreamgirls at the Savoy". London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Sunshine on Leith at West Yorkshire Playhouse casting announced". 2018-03-02. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- Fisher, Mark (2019-04-12). "West Side Story review – exhilarating show sidesteps Broadway blueprint". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre: in rehearsals with the cast of the new revival". 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Rent revival online stream to go ahead – live show to halt performances after 3 November". 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Grease review – West End revival revs its way into the Dominion". 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Grease in the West End – first look production images released". 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- Sheldon, Izzy (2024-04-18). "CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR A CHORUS LINE". Curve Theatre, Leicester. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- "Dave Stewart's Ghost The Musical opens in Asia for a 4 month tour - Ultimate Eurythmics". Ultimate Eurythmics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- BBTA (2023-05-22). "Our 2022 Shortlisted Nominees". Black British Theatre Awards. Retrieved 2024-10-01.