Riot Women star Rosalie Craig: From her family life with Holby City actor to award-winning stage career
Everything you need to know about Riot Women star, Rosalie Craig
Riot Women star Rosalie Craig has exploded onto our screens as Kitty Eckersley in the BBC One’s hit drama. But, while her character is struggling to get her life on track, Rosalie’s world couldn’t be more different.
In the six-part series, written by Happy Valley creator Sally Wainwright, Kitty is one of five middle-aged women who join forces to form a punk band.
But what starts out as a joke for a school talent contest, soon turns out to be the lifeline they never knew they needed. Especially for Kitty.
Struggling after escaping an abusive relationship and haunted by her past, Kitty is a woman on the edge. However, a deep-rooted secret between Kitty and her bandmate, Beth, soon throws everything into chaos.
But, it’s not just troubled characters Rosalie plays so well. She has also enjoyed a dazzling career on the stage and screen over the years. And away from work she is a loving mum and wife.
Here’s everything you need to know about Riot Women star Rosalie Craig…
Who does Rosalie Craig play in Riot Women?
Rosalie plays troubled Kitty Eckersley in Riot Women. Kitty has dragged herself through life after being abused as a child and has got the battle scars to prove it.
When we meet Kitty at the beginning of Riot Women, she is well and truly off the wagon, necking vodka and paracetamol in the pharmacy aisle of the supermarket. But then she meets Beth, and their bond helps Kitty turn her life around.
Speaking of her role, Rosalie told the BBC: “As you might expect from Sally’s writing, Kitty’s life is a rollercoaster.
“But the inspiring thing about her is that she’ll always get back up after being knocked down (or out!). She’s also funny and gifted musically, even though she may not see it.”
Joining Rosalie in the Riot Women cast are Joanna Scanlan as Beth, Tamsin Greig as Holly, Lorraine Ashbourne as Jess, and Amelia Bullmore as Yvonne.
Rosalie has a beautiful singing voice – just like Riot Women character Kitty
While the cast of Riot Women all had to learn to play their instruments for the series, one thing that Rosalie needed no practise for was singing.
In the series, Kitty is the lead singer of the band and belts out old classics as well as new material to perfection. But there was no need for a voiceover… It’s actually Rosalie’s own voice.
Tamsin Greig, who plays Holly said: “Rosalie Craig can sing, there was no acting involved. When we first heard her sing in the show, we just knew we were in the presence of something extraordinary.”
Where is Rosalie from? How old is she?
Rosalie Craig is 44 and was born on May 30, 1981, in Nottingham.
After graduating with a BA in Actor Musicianship in 2021, she joined the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company and has never looked back.
Who is Rosalie Craig’s husband? Does she have children?
Rosalie is married to fellow stage actor Hadley Fraser. The pair met while they were both starring in a festive production of A Christmas Carol in Birmingham in 2008.
Hadley, 45, is known for career in musical theatre, just like his wife. He’s appeared in productions including Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, and Carousel. He’s also appeared in several films, such as Snow White, Murder on the Orient Express, and The Legend of Tarzan.
His TV appearances have included DCI John Fordham in The Gold, Sebastian Coulter in Holby City, and Reed in The Fresh Beat Band. In 2022, Hadley played Mr Bradley in Gentleman Jack, so has his own connection to Sally Wainwright!
The pair welcomed their daughter, Elvie, into the world on November 01, 2016.
Rosalie often posts about her family on social media – and also about their black and white cat, arble.
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What musicals has Riot Women star Rosalie Craig been in?
Rosalie is best known for her roles in musical theatre.
Her professional stage debut was in an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. In 2007, she landed her first leading role in a West End production as Arwen in a stage adaptation of Lord of the Rings.
Since then she has been nominated for an Olivier Award and won an Evening Standard Award for her role in The Light Princess at the National Theatre in 2013. She has also had leading roles in City of Angels, Ragtime and Finding Neverland to name but a few.
One of her most acclaimed roles was in Stephen Sondheim’s Company. It was in this show that her performance of the closing number Being Alive earned her high praise from critics and the audience alike.
Where else have you seen Rosalie Craig?
It’s not just treading the boards that Rosalie is good at. On TV, she has starred in countless shows including Spooks, Midsomer Murders, The Pod Generation, and The Queen’s Gambit.
Rosalie played two roles in the gripping whodunnit, Moonflower Murders. She starred as Lisa Treherne in the series, but also played Melissa James, the 1950s murder victim.
In 2022, she played Virginia Wilson in the Netflix series 1899, and recently portrayed Jeanne d’Albert in The Serpent Queen.
If you have been tuning into phone-hacking scandal drama The Hack on ITV, you will also recognise Rosalie. She played former The Sun and News of the World editor, Rebekah Brooks, in the cast.
Read more: Riot Women ending explained: If Kitty ended up in jail and the fate of the punk rock band
