Rachel Tucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rachel Tucker
Tucker performing at Hampton Court Palace in 2009
Born	Rachel Kelly Tucker (1981-05-29) 29 May 1981 (age 44) Belfast, Northern Ireland
Occupation	Actress, singer
Years active	2000–present
Spouse(s)	Guy Retallack
Children	1
Awards	Nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Olivier Awards 2019

Rachel Kelly Tucker (born 29 May 1981) is a talented actress and singer from Northern Ireland. She is famous for playing the role of Elphaba in the musical Wicked. Rachel also starred in Come from Away on Broadway, after first playing the role in London's West End. She has appeared in many other musicals and plays, including The Last Ship with the musician Sting.

Rachel's Early Life and Start in Music

Rachel Tucker was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She started singing on stage when she was just nine years old! She performed with her dad, Tommy Kelly, and her sister, Margaret Kelly, in a group called Tucker Kelly and the Kelstar.

In the late 1990s, Rachel was part of the Arts Youth Theatre. She appeared in shows like Ecstasy and Our Day Out. Later, in 2001, she took part in the Irish TV show Popstars. She also sang on Michael Barrymore's My Kind of Music with her sister, performing "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!". Rachel also made it to the final of the talent show Star for a Night.

Rachel trained to be a professional performer at the Royal Academy of Music. In 2005, she toured the United Kingdom in the musical Tommy, playing Sally Simpson. In 2007, she played Dorothy Gale in The Wizard of Oz in Belfast. Her performance was so good that she was nominated for an award!

Becoming a Star on I'd Do Anything

In March 2008, Rachel was chosen as one of the twelve finalists on the TV show I'd Do Anything. This show was looking for a new star to play Nancy in the musical Oliver!. Rachel performed every week in the live shows.

She reached the semi-finals but was eliminated on 25 May. During the show, Rachel was in the bottom two contestants three times. This meant she had to sing again to try and stay in the competition. The judges, including Andrew Lloyd Webber, decided who would stay. Andrew Lloyd Webber saved Rachel twice, saying she was "rock solid." However, in the semi-final, he chose to save another contestant, Samantha Barks, and Rachel was eliminated.

Rachel's Performances on I'd Do Anything

West End and Broadway Success

After I'd Do Anything, Rachel continued her career in theatre. In 2008, she performed at the Gay Pride Festival in Belfast and at Andrew Lloyd Webber's Birthday in the Park show in Hyde Park. She also appeared on a special West End episode of The Weakest Link.

Starring in We Will Rock You

From September 2008, Rachel played the role of Meat in the musical We Will Rock You in London. This show features songs by the famous band Queen. Critics praised her powerful voice, especially her performance of "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)".

Becoming Elphaba in Wicked

Rachel Tucker is best known for playing Elphaba, the green-skinned witch, in the musical Wicked. She started playing the role in London's West End in March 2010. She performed over 900 times in London! In June 2012, she became the longest-running Elphaba in the West End.

For her amazing performance, Rachel won a WhatsOnStage.com Award for Best Takeover in a Role in 2011. She sang "The Wizard and I" at West End Live and the Laurence Olivier Awards and "Defying Gravity" at Pride London. She even sang "Defying Gravity" on the TV show Dancing on Ice.

In 2011, Rachel sang "For Good" with Stacey Solomon on stage to help raise money for BBC Children in Need. In 2012, she won the West End Frame Award for Best Performance of a Song in a Musical for "Defying Gravity".

Rachel left the London production of Wicked in October 2012 for maternity leave. But she returned to the role of Elphaba on Broadway in New York City in September 2015! She played the role there until July 2016. For her Broadway performance, she won the 2016 Best Female Replacement Award at the Broadway.com Audience Awards.

In September 2016, Rachel returned to the London production of Wicked for a special limited run, leading the show's 10th Anniversary Cast. With over 1,000 performances in both London and Broadway, Rachel Tucker is one of the longest-running Elphabas ever!

Other Theatre Roles

In 2013, Rachel starred in the play Farragut North in London. In 2014, she made her Broadway debut in Sting's musical The Last Ship. The show was about shipbuilders and featured music from Sting's album.

In 2015, Rachel performed two sold-out concerts in London called Rachel Tucker: Back from Broadway. She sang her favorite songs and shared stories about her time on Broadway. She also appeared in the play Communicating Doors.

In 2017, Rachel went on a UK tour with her concert series, which was directed by her husband, Guy Retallack. They also released an album called 'On the Road' with songs from the tour.

Come From Away and Recent Roles

In 2018, it was announced that Rachel would join the London production of Come from Away. She played the roles of Beverley and others, starting in February 2019. For this role, she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award!

Rachel left the London show in February 2020 and then joined the Broadway production of Come From Away in March 2020. She also performed in a concert version of The Pirate Queen in London.

In 2021, Rachel starred in a new production of the musical John & Jen, which was directed by her husband, Guy Retallack. Critics loved her performance, calling her "unsurprisingly, incredible."

In August 2023, Rachel was announced as an alternate for Norma Desmond in the West End revival of Sunset Boulevard. This means she performs the role on certain nights.

Most recently, in October 2024, Rachel joined the West End production of Hadestown, taking over the role of Persephone.

Rachel's TV and Theatre Appearances

Television Shows

Theatre Roles

Rachel's Music Recordings

Rachel has recorded several songs and albums throughout her career:

• "Rain On Me" on the album More with Every Line - The Music of Tim Prottey-Jones (2010)
• Featured in the song ”Stones” on The Violent Language of Portraits album by Tonic Fold (2014)
• On The Last Ship (musical) Original Broadway cast recording (2015)
• Sang “Chasing Cars” with Eamonn McCrystal on the album The Music of Northern Ireland (2015)
• "As Long as You're Mine" on Lee Mead's 10 Year Anniversary Album (2018)
• Featured on the single ”Oh Holy Night” on West End Does: Christmas (2018)
• "Shallow" with Jon Robyns on his album Musical Direction (2019)
• Featured in a new version of "Defying Gravity (song)" for the Schwartz Songs album, alongside Kerry Ellis, Alice Fearn, and Lucie Jones. She also recorded a solo version of "The Wizard and I" for this album, celebrating the work of Stephen Schwartz (2024).

In 2013, Rachel signed with Big Hand Recordings to release her first solo album.

Her Debut Album: The Reason

Rachel's first solo album, The Reason, was released digitally and physically on 11 August 2013.

On the Road Album

On 16 November 2017, Rachel's album On the Road was released digitally.

Lessons Album

On 21 May 2021, Rachel released her album Lessons digitally and on CD.

You’re Already Home Album

Rachel's album, You’re Already Home, was released digitally and on CD on 3 November 2023.

Rachel's Family Life

Rachel Tucker is married to theatre director Guy Retallack. They got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2008 and married in 2009. They have one son, who was born in February 2013.