| Rob Madge | |
| Birth Name: | Robert Dennis Madge |
| Birth Date: | 2 August 1996 |
| Birth Place: | Coventry, England |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 2005–present |
Robert Dennis Madge (born 2 August 1996) is an English actor, writer and musical theatre performer.
Madge first rose to prominence as a child actor, appearing in the West End musicals Mary Poppins and Oliver! before appearing as Gavroche in Les Misérables in the 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2.[1]
As an adult, they are best known for writing and starring in the WhatsOnStage Award winning and Laurence Olivier Award nominate autobiographical solo show My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?), which has been performed in the West End, as well as appearing in the world premiere UK and Ireland tour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and the London Palladium pantomimes.
Madge discovered their love for performing at a young age and made their professional debut at the age of 9, when they starred as Michael Banks in the original West End production of Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre from 2005 to 2007.[2] In autumn 2007, they played Fleance in Macbeth at the Gielgud Theatre starring Patrick Stewart and Kate Fleetwood, directed by Rupert Goold. They then appeared in the role of the Artful Dodger in the West End revival of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, also directed by Goold[3] shortly followed by their acclaimed performance as Gavroche in Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre as well as getting the opportunity to perform the role in the 25th Anniversary Concert at The O2 in October 2010.[4] Madge also played Reginald in the world premiere of Matilda at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon from November 2010 to January 2011.
Madge had their first adult role in the Les Misérables UK and Ireland tour beginning October 2019, playing the role of student Jean Prouvaire before being cut short due in March 2020 to the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
In August 2021, Madge began touring as Norton the Fish in Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which premiered at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle upon Tyne.[6] [7] They followed this with a month's run at The Other Palace, starring in a new musical, Millenials: A Pop Song Cycle, in July 2022.[8]
In December 2022, Madge appeared in pantomime as Pat The Cow in Jack and the Beanstalk at the London Palladium. In December 2023, they returned to the Palladium pantomime as Tink in Peter Pan and will return in December 2024 as The Spirit of Sherwood in Robin Hood.
In October 2023, Madge won The Theatre Award in the 2023 Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards.[9]
In September 2024, Madge will play Alex in Buyer & Cellar at the King's Head Theatre, Off-West End before transferring to The Drum at Theatre Royal, Plymouth.
See main article: My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?).
My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) is a one-person play written and performed by Madge (with songs by Madge and Pippa Cleary), directed by Luke Sheppard, which is a coming of age, autobiographical story of Madge when they were a child attempting to stage a full-blown one-person Disney show in their home; it also explores Madge's uplifting and inspiring discovery that they are non-binary.
They first performed the show at the Turbine Theatre in June 2021,[10] then a revival at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2022. The show transferred to the West End at the Garrick Theatre in October 2022 and the Ambassadors Theatre in January 2023 for limited runs.[11] The show won the 2022 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off-West End show in 2022 and was nominated for the 2023 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play.
My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) was scheduled to open at the Lyceum Theatre on Broadway on 27th February 2024 for 16 week limited engagement.[12] The show has since rescheduled to next season, with an unconfirmed theatre and dates.[13] Madge wrote and performed a new show in response to the postponement called Rob Madge's Regards to Broadway which played at the Garrick Theatre on 26 May 2024.
In July and August 2024, My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) will begin a UK tour before returning to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Madge identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.[14]
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–07 | Mary Poppins | Michael Banks | Prince Edward Theatre | West End | December 2005 – August 2007 | |
| 2007 | Macbeth | Fleance | Gielgud Theatre | West End | September – December 2007 | |
| 2008–09 | Oliver! | Artful Dodger | Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, West End | West End | December 2008 – December 2009 | |
| 2010 | Les Misérables | Gavroche | Barbican Theatre | West End | September – October 2010 | |
| The O2 | London | 3 October 2010 25th Anniversary Concert | ||||
| 2010–11 | Matilda | Reginald | Courtyard Theatre | Stratford Upon Avon | November 2010 – January 2011 | |
| 2019–20 | Les Misérables | Jean Prouvaire | UK & Ireland Tour | October 2019 – March 2020 | ||
| 2021 | My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) | Themself (also writer) | Turbine Theatre | Off-West End | 17 June – 17 July 2021 | |
| 2021–22 | Bedknobs and Broomsticks | Norton the Fish | UK & Ireland Tour | August 2021 – May 2022 | ||
| 2022 | Millenials: A Pop Song Cycle | Multi-role | The Other Palace | Off-West End | 8 July – 7 August 2022 | |
| 2022 | My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) | Themself (also writer) | Edinburgh Fringe Festival | Edinburgh | 4 – 29 August 2022 | |
| 2022 | Norwich Playhouse | Norwich | 2 – 3 September 2022 | |||
| 2022 | Garrick Theatre | West End | 21 October – 6 November 2022 | |||
| 2022–23 | Jack & The Beanstalk | Pat The Cow | London Palladium | West End | 10 December 2022 – 15 January 2023 | |
| 2023 | My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) | Themself (also writer) | Ambassadors Theatre | West End | 25 January – 1 April 2023 | |
| 2023–24 | Peter Pan | Tink | London Palladium | West End | 9 December 2023 – 14 January 2024 | |
| 2024 | Rob Madge's Regards to Broadway | Themself (also writer) | Garrick Theatre | West End | 26 May 2024 | |
| 2024 | My Son's a Queer (But What Can You Do?) | UK & Ireland Tour | 8 July – 25 August 2024 | |||
| 2024 | Buyer & Cellar | Alex | King's Head Theatre | Off West End | 18 September – 19 October 2024 | |
| The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth | Plymouth | 29 October – 3 November 2024 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Robin Hood | The Spirit of Sherwood | London Palladium | West End | 7 December 2024 – 12 January 2025 |