Olly Dobson is an English singer and actor, best known for his work in musical theatre. He originated the role of Marty McFly in the musical adaptation of Back to the Future, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Dobson has also appeared in the original productions of Bat Out of Hell and Just for One Day.
Olly Dobson | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | English |
| Education | Arts Educational Schools (BA) |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, singer |
Personal life
editDobson graduated from Arts Educational Schools in 2014, where he received an honours Bachelor's degree in musical theatre.[1]
Career
editDobson's first professional stage role was in a production of Carrie, where he played Freddy. The musical played at the Southwark Playhouse between 1 May and 30 May 2015.[2] Later that year, Dobson made his West End debut when he began playing Michael Wormwood in Matilda the Musical.[3]
In 2017, Dobson appeared in Bat Out of Hell, where he was part of the ensemble and understudied the roles of Jagwire and Ledoux. The musical premiered at the Manchester Opera House, where it played between 17 February and 8 April 2017.[4] He continued with the role when it played on the West End at the London Coliseum for a limited engagement between 20 June 2017 and 22 July 2017.[4] Dobson also reprised his roles in theToronto production of Bat out of Hell, which played at the Ed Mirvish Theatre between 25 October 2017 and 7 January 2018.[5]
Dobson then played the dual role of Ben/Hail in The Selfish Giant.[6] The musical premiered at the Royal Theatre in Northampton in April 2018, before playing a limited engagement at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End between 10 and 13 April 2018.[citation needed]
Dobson starred as Marty McFly in the original production of Back to the Future,[7] which premiered at the Manchester Opera House; it began performances on 20 February 2020 before closing on 16 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8] Dobson also played the role in the original West End production, when it began performances at the Adelphi Theatre on 13 September 2021.[9] At the 2022 Laurence Olivier Awards, Dobson was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.[10] He left the show in August 2022.[11]
In 2024, Dobson played John and others in Just for One Day.[12] The original production played at The Old Vic between 26 January 2024 and 30 March 2024. He is currently playing Mel Miller in the original production of A Face in the Crowd at the Young Vic.
Theatre credits
edit| Year | Production | Role | Location | Category | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Carrie | Freddy | Southwark Playhouse | [2] | |
| 2015–2016 | Matilda the Musical | Michael Wormwood | Cambridge Theatre | West End | [3] |
| 2017 | Bat Out of Hell | Ensemble, u/s Jagwire, Ledoux | Manchester Opera House | Original | [4] |
| London Coliseum | West End | ||||
| 2017–2018 | Ed Mirvish Theatre | Toronto | [5] | ||
| 2018 | The Selfish Giant | Ben/Hail | Royal Theatre | Original | [6] |
| Vaudeville Theatre | West End | ||||
| 2020 | Back to the Future | Marty McFly | Manchester Opera House | Original | [8] |
| 2021–2022 | Adelphi Theatre | West End | [9] | ||
| 2022 | Emojiland | Skull | Garrick Theatre | West End: Concert staging | |
| 2024 | Just for One Day | John and others | The Old Vic | Original | [12] |
| A Face in the Crowd | Mel Miller | The Old Vic | Original | [13] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | BroadwayWorld UK Awards | Best Leading Performer in a Musical | Back to the Future | Won | [14] |
| 2022 | Olivier Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Nominated | [10] | |
| WhatsOnStage Awards | Best Actor in a Musical | Nominated | [15] |
References
edit- ^ Klastorin, Michael (3 July 2023). Creating Back to the Future The Musical. Abrams Books. ISBN 978-1419756528. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Shenton, Mark (7 May 2015). "Full Casting Announced for London Premiere of Carrie". Playbill. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Mitford, Oliver (27 July 2015). "Cast change for Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre". Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b c "Bat Out of Hell Musical Announces Full Creative Team and Cast". Playbill. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Mirvish Productions Release: Mega-hit Musical Bat Out Of Hell Musical Extends its Toronto Run by Two Weeks". Bell Media. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Bowie-Sell, Daisy (6 March 2018). "Jeff Nicholson, Izuka Hoyle, Rose Shalloo and more cast in The Selfish Giant". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ McPhee, Ryan (10 June 2019). "Check Out a Number From the Upcoming Back to the Future Musical". Playbill. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Franklin, Marc (12 March 2020). "Inside Opening Night of the World Premiere of Back to the Future". Playbill. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Ali, Jade (20 October 2020). "Interview with Back to the Future's Olly Dobson". London Theatre Direct. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Olivier Awards: Eddie Redmayne's Cabaret leads nominations". BBC. 9 March 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (10 July 2022). "'Back To The Future' Musical's DeLorean Star Car Revs Up For Broadway Opening In 2023". Deadline. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ a b Gale, Daz (14 February 2024). "Review: Just For One Day - The Live Aid Musical (Old Vic)". All That Dazzles. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Full casting announced for Elvis Costello and Sarah Ruhl's new musical A FACE IN THE CROWD". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ Swain, Marianka (30 March 2022). "Winners Announced For The 2021 BroadwayWorld UK Awards!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
- ^ "Nominees for 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced". Whatsonstage.com.