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Rob Houchen (born 10 February 1991) is a British stage actor and producer. He is best known for playing Marius in Les Misérables in both its 30th Anniversary international production as well as at the Queen's Theatre and Fabrizio in The Light in the Piazza at the Royal Festival Hall.

Early life and education

Houchen trained at the Guildford School of Acting in London, graduating with a BA hons in musical theatre.

Career

Stage

Houchen started his career onstage in 2013 in the musical Les Misérables as Marius Pomercy.

In 2019 Houchen was part of the London premiere of the musical The Light in the Piazza in the role of Fabrizio. The show starred Dove Cameron as Clara and Renée Fleming as Margaret. The show transferred to the LA Opera in October of the same year with the same principal cast, including Houchen.

He then reprised the role of Marius in the staged concert version of Les Misérables at the Gielgud Theatre in August 2019.

In 2020 Houchen joined the cast of the Donmar Warehouse production of City of Angels, after its transfer to the Garrick Theatre. The show, starring Vanessa Williams, opened in early March 2020 and closed shortly after due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2022 Houchen was part of the cast of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends: A Celebration. The gala concert was a celebration of the famous composer, who passed the year before, and was staged by Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman. The show was recorded live on 3 May 2022 and included stage stars like Michael Ball, Judy Dench, Bernadette Peters and Jenna Russell.

Houchen played Lieutenant Joseph Cable in the 2022 production of South Pacific, at the Manchester Opera House, Sadler's Wells and UK tour. The cast also included Julian Ovenden as Emile de Becque, Gina Beck as Ensign Nellie Forbush and Joanna Ampil as Bloody Mary.

Houchen joined the cast of the musical Titanique in December 2024 for its West End premiere as Jack. The show played at the Criterion Theatre with a cast including Lauren Drew as Celine Dion, Darren Bennett as Victor Garber/Luigi, Jordan Luke Gage as Cal, Stephen Guarino as Ruth and Kat Ronney as Rose.

Producer

Houchen is also known as a theatre producer and is the founder of Chorus Productions. In October 2024 he supported a charity concert of the musical I Am Harvey Milk at Cadogan Hall, based on the life of the queer politician, with profits going to Stonewall.

References

1. Limited, London Theatre Direct. "Rob Houchen | West End Performers". London Theatre Direct. Retrieved 2024-12-30. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
2. "The Light In The Piazza Tickets | Starring Dove Cameron | London, UK". London Theatre. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
3. Omaweng, Chris (2019-06-18). "The Light in the Piazza at the Royal Festival Hall | Review". LondonTheatre1. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
4. "Review: Renée Fleming brings radiant star power to a flickering 'Light in the Piazza'". Los Angeles Times. 2019-10-14. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
5. "City of Angels in the West End: first look at Nicola Roberts, Hadley Fraser, Theo James, Rosalie Craig, Vanessa Williams and more". 2020-02-07. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
6. "Live Recording of Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends, With Bernadette Peters and More, Sets Release Date". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2024-09-11. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
7. Bamigboye, Baz (2022-05-02). "Exclusive Curtain-Raiser: Cameron Mackintosh, Judi Dench & 'Old Friends' Prepare To Celebrate Musical Genius Stephen Sondheim". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
8. "South Pacific announces complete casting". 2022-06-16. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
9. "Titanique in the West End – first look at rehearsals". 2024-11-25. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
10. Houchen, Rob (2024-09-28). "I Am Harvey Milk: Producer Rob Houchen on new London production". Attitude. Retrieved 2024-12-30.

• Living people
• 1991 births
• Musical theatre actors
• British actors
• Alumni of the Guildford School of Acting