Emma Hatton

Early life

Hatton grew up in Coleford, Gloucestershire, attending St. John’s Primary School and Lakers School. She enjoyed performing from an early age, beginning dance lessons at the age of three years, at the Jane Jarrett School of Dancing in Broadwell. Hatton studied for her A levels at Monmouth Sixth Form and her love of theatre grew from playing Sandy in the sixth form production of Grease and starring in Anything Goes and Daisy Pulls It Off as part of the Forest Theatre Musical Society. She studied English and Sport Science at Loughborough University but enjoyed performing so much, she was inspired to spend a year at London School of Musical Theatre.

As a youngster Hatton was a very talented athlete competing in long and triple jump at county and national level . In 1999 she competed for her home county of Gloucestershire at the English Schools Championships in Bury St Edmunds qualifying for the finals where she finished in 5th place.

Stage career

After graduating from LSMT, Hatton did a variety of theatre work, her big break coming in 2009 when she made her West End debut and originated the role of Donna in Dreamboats and Petticoats. For a while after this she achieved mainly minor theatre roles but hit the West End once more when cast in the ensemble of We Will Rock You in late 2011, also understudying the role of Scarmouche. She chose to stay for a second year and additionally understudied the character Meat, as well as Scaramouche.

After being cast in Wicked, Hatton gave her final performance in We Will Rock You on 5 October 2013 and joined the cast of Wicked on 2 December 2013, becoming standby to the role of Elphaba. Due to a long term back injury sustained by the lead Willemijn Verkaik, Hatton found herself performing the role very frequently, in April 2014 she performed more times than Verkaik. She temporarily became lead Elphaba on 21 July 2014 but played her final performance on 2 August 2014 and returned to being standby when succeeded by original British Elphaba Kerry Ellis. She performed her 100th show in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre on 3 September 2014.

On 3 October 2014 it was announced that Hatton would take over the role of Elphaba permanently following the departure of American Elphaba Jennifer DiNoia on 31 January 2015. On 17 July 2015, it was announced she had extended her contract as lead Elphaba until at least August 2016.

On 19 May 2016 it was announced that Hatton would play her final performance as Elphaba on 3 September 2016. She was replaced by the long running West End Elphaba Rachel Tucker for the 10th Anniversary of the show.

Other stage credits include Twlya in When Midnight Strikes at the Chelsea Theatre and Finborough Theatre, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Harlequin Theatre, Heaven Sent at the New Wimbledon Theatre, Darling of the Day at the Ondaatje Wing Theatre (part of the National Gallery), Uncle Eric's White Christmas and A Comedy of Eric's at the New Vic and Christmas in New York at the Apollo Theatre.

Recent theatre credits

Charity work

Hatton completes a lot of work for charity, and is known for her fundraising for the British Heart Foundation. She has organised and starred in two concerts, both entitled Songbirds in 2013 and 2014, the latter featuring stars such as Sophie Linder-Lee, Jacqueline Hughes and Kerry Enright. She has also presented on the British Heart Foundation radio station.

In 2013 and again in 2014, Hatton ran the London Marathon for the charity, raising £9,266 in 2014, and completing the feat in a time of 5 hours and 39 minutes. She also ran the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon on 12 October 2014 to raise money for Moorfields Eye Charity and performed at Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens, in aid of the MAD Trust on 31 May 2015.

Awards and nominations

In the last two years, Hatton has accrued five award nominations for her West End work.