Who is Ria Jones? Stage actress and more

Ria Jones, Yellowbelly

Ria’s theatre career has spanned over 40 years. She was the youngest actress to play Eva Peron in Evita and played Mrs Overall in Victoria Wood’s Acorn Antiques The Musical. At just 24 she originated the role of Norma Desmond at the Sydmonton Festival, and 26 years later would revisit the role after standing by for Glenn Close at the London Coliseum. She went on to play the role in the award-winning UK/European tour and the Curve’s filmed and streamed revival, Sunset Boulevard – at Home.

Other theatre credits include: Rose in Gypsy; Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls; Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street; Svetlana and Florence in Chess; Grizabella in Cats; Fantine in Les Miserables; Liz Imbrie in High Society; Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes; Alex Spofford in Witches of Eastwick; Stephanie Necrophorus in Nine; Victoria Grant & Count Victor Grazinski in Victor/Victoria; The Witch in Into the Woods; Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat; Josephine and Monica in Romance Romance; Kim in Personals; Emma in A Twist of Fate; Petra in A Little Night Music; Ida in Honk; Closer Than Ever; Jerry’s Girls and Godspell.

Recordings include: The Golden Age of Hollywood, Abbaphonic and The Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Les Miserables (Manchester Cast Recording); A Tribute to Hal Prince; Personals; A Twist of Fate and her solo albums It’s Better With a Band and Have You Met Miss Jones?

On TV, Ria has appeared in three Royal Variety Performances, One Night Only with Ria Jones (BBC Wales); Welsh in the West End (ITV Wales); Torchwood; Life & Debt; Eric and Ernie and The Angina Monologues written by Victoria Wood, along with numerous chat show appearances on TV & Radio.

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