| Aruhan Galieva | |
| Birth Name: | Aruhan Maratovna Bisengalieva |
| Birth Place: | Leeds, England |
| Genre: | Classical |
| Years Active: | 2003–present |
| Label: | Sony BMG |
Aruhan Galieva (born August 1991) is a British-Kazakh actress, musician, comedian, and environmentalist.
Galieva was born in Leeds, Yorkshire to Kazakh violinist Marat Bisengaliev and British flutist Stina Wilson. She began singing as a child and worked with Karl Jenkins, performing from the age of 11.[1] She attended the King's School, Canterbury from 2005 to 2010.[1] She was a music scholar and chorister at school.[2] Galieva joined the National Youth Theatre's REP Company.[3]
She performed her singing debut aged 11 at the Abai Opera Theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan.[1] This was followed by her British debut at the Royal Albert Hall, London when she was 13.[1] Galieva gained prominence through her work as a solo soprano on Karl Jenkins' Tlep under Sony BMG and her work on the follow-up album Shakarim which was premiered at the Royal Festival Hall.[4]
In 2012, Galieva appeared in Joe Wright's film adaptation of Anna Karenina.[5] In 2014, she was one of the leads in the BBC Three film Glasgow Girls,[1] a true story about the titular activists.[1] In 2015, she made her professional theatre debut at Shakespeare's Globe as Blanche of Castile in James Dacre's production of King John.[5]
In 2016, Galieva appeared in "Men Against Fire", an episode of the anthology series Black Mirror.[5] From 2017 to 2018, she played Besa Kotti in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors.[5] In 2020, she appeared in "Can You Hear Me", the seventh episode for the twelfth series of Doctor Who.[1] [5]
Galieva brought her first solo comedy show Eco Maniac to the 2022 Brighton Fringe Festival,[6] for which she was awarded a Luke Rollason bursary. She was nominated for an Off West End Award for her supporting performance as Lauren in Kinky Boots at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch.[7] She has writing credits on the web series Nasty Neighbours and The B@it, as well as the SeanceCast.[5]
In the 2022 local elections, Galieva unsuccessfully stood to represent Abbey Wood for the Green Party on Greenwich Council.[8] At the 2024 General Election, Galieva was the Green Party candidate for South Derbyshire. She became an ambassador for the Bat Conservation Trust.[9]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Whitechapel | Ana | 1 episode |
| 2012 | Anna Karenina | Aruhan | |
| 2014 | Coalition Fangirls | Jenny | Short film |
| 2014 | Glasgow Girls | Roza Salih | Television film |
| 2016 | Black Mirror | Village Mother | Episode: "Men Against Fire" |
| 2018 | Doctors | Besa Kotti | 9 episodes |
| 2019 | We Have Always Lived in the Castle | Merricat | Short film |
| 2020 | Doctor Who | Tahira | Episode: "Can You Hear Me?" |
| 2022 | The Emily Atack Show | 4 episodes | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | King John | Blanche of Castile | Globe Theatre, London / Royal & Derngate, Northampton |
| Bakkhai | Bakkhai | Almeida Theatre, London | |
| 2016 | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Silvia | Globe Theatre, London / Everyman Theatre, Liverpool / Europe tour |
| 2017 | Twelfth Night | Olivia | Watermill Theatre, Bagnor |
| Romeo and Juliet | Juliet | Watermill Theatre, Bagnor | |
| 2018 | Much Ado About Nothing | Hero | Globe Theatre, London |
| The Comedy of Errors | Luciana | Royal Shakespeare Company (First Encounters Tour) | |
| 2019 | Twelfth Night | Feste | Southwark Playhouse, London |
| 2020 | My Cousin Rachel | Louise | Theatre Royal, Bath / UK tour |
| 2021 | Gin Craze! | Mary | Royal & Derngate, Northampton |
| 2022 | Kinky Boots | Lauren | New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich / Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch |
| 2023 | The Fair Maid of the West | Roughman | Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon |