Alexia Khadime
Alexia Khadime (born 9 June 1983)[1] is a British actress and mezzo-soprano,[2] known for her roles in musical theatre and television.
Alexia Khadime
Career[edit]
Theatre[edit]
Khadime made her first appearance on the stage in 1999, when she appeared in "Cinderella" at the Hackney Empire,[3] and the following year, she took part in the UK Tour Leader of the Pack.
She made her West End debut aged 17, appearing as part of the ensemble in The Lion King in 2001, additionally providing cover for the role of "Nala". In 2003, she appeared in the UK Tour of Whistle Down the Wind, playing the role of "Candy". In 2004, she returned to The Lion King – this time playing "Nala" as the lead, and she remained in the role until 2008.[4]
In early 2008, she successfully auditioned for the lead role of "Elphaba" in the musical Wicked. She began performances on her 25th birthday, and played the role for six months (temporarily replacing Kerry Ellis who was playing a limited engagement with the Broadway Company).[5] Khadime left Wicked in November 2008, but returned in May 2009 when Ellis left the company.[6] Throughout both of her spells in Wicked, Khadime played alongside Dianne Pilkington as "Glinda". In 2009, the pair were honoured at the "Woman of the Future Awards" in the Arts & Culture category.[7] Khadime's run in Wicked came to an end in March 2010 when she was succeeded by Rachel Tucker.[8] As of 2023, Khadime is the only black woman to play the role of Elphaba full-time in any production of Wicked.
After concluding her time in Wicked, she next appeared in the straight play Welcome to Thebes at the Royal National Theatre through the Summer of 2010,[9][10] before returning to musical theatre, playing "Deb" in Ordinary Days at London's Trafalgar Studios in February and March 2011.[11]
In June 2011, she took over from Samantha Barks in the iconic role of "Éponine" in the London production of Les Misérables. She played the role for just short of a year, before being passed over to Danielle Hope.[12]
In late 2012, Khadime joined the original West End company of The Book of Mormon, playing the role of "Nabulungi", with performances starting in February 2013.[13] She won the fan voted 2014 WhatsOnStage.com Award for "Best Supporting Actress in a Musical" for her portrayal of Nabulungi,[14] as well as the West End Wilma award for "Best Supporting Cast Member".[15] Her last performance in The Book of Mormon was on 30 January 2016.[16]
Khadime played the role of Miriam in The Prince of Egypt on the stage of the Dominion Theatre, London's West End.[17]
On 7 March 2023, Khadime returned to Wicked opposite Lucy St. Louis as Glinda, marking the first time in history that both roles are being played by black actresses simultaneously.[18]