Michelle Terry

Michelle Terry
Born1979 (age 46–47)
Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK
EducationCardiff University (BA)
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (BA)
Spouse
​
(m. 2017)​
Children1

Michelle Terry (born 1979) is an English actress and writer, known for her extensive work for Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, as well as her television work, notably writing and starring in the Sky One television series The Café. Terry took up the role of artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe in April 2018. In October 2026 it was announced that she would step down in Summer 2027, after reprising her role in Mother Courage and her Children.

In 2010, Terry won the Olivier Award for best supporting actress for her portrayal of Sylvia in Tribes at the Royal Court Theatre.

Early life

Terry was born in Nuneaton, moving while still a child to grow up in Weston-super-Mare. She was raised in Kewstoke, and attended Priory Community School and Broadoak Sixth Form Centre.

Terry aspired to be an actress from an early age. She attended an amateur dramatic society and took LAMDA exams at school in poetry, prose and spoken verse. At the age of fourteen she joined the National Youth Theatre. She read English literature at Cardiff University before training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2004.

Career

Theatre

Terry made her professional debut in the touring and subsequent West End production of Blithe Spirit, playing the Maid and understudying Elvira. Her other theatre credits include The War on Terror, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, The Man Who Had All the Luck, Tribes and As You Like It. Her work at the National Theatre includes London Assurance, All's Well That Ends Well and England People Very Nice. She also appeared in broadcast versions of London Assurance and All's Well That Ends Well as part of National Theatre Live. For the Royal Shakespeare Company, Terry has appeared in productions of Days of Significance, Pericles, The Winter's Tale, The Crucible and Love's Labour's Lost, playing Rosaline. She was among the writers of Sudden Loss of Dignity, staged at the Bush Theatre in 2009.

Terry won critical acclaim for her work at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, for her performance of Rosalind in As You Like It. London's Financial Times wrote "I'm not sure it's possible to see Michelle Terry on a stage without falling a little in love with her. She has the intelligence, inventiveness and vivacity to play the character and the show simultaneously, not setting herself above the material but relishing her immersion in the role and inviting us to share it with her." She also appeared in productions of Love's Labour's Lost and A Midsummer Night's Dream at that venue, both of which were released on DVD. On 24 July 2017 she was announced as its fourth artistic director, to succeed Emma Rice in April 2018.

Hamlet, 2018

Terry starred in the lead role in a 2018 gender fluid version of Hamlet. The Spectator said in their review "No one but Ms Terry would have hired Ms Terry for this role. She's a decent second-tier actress without any special vocal or physical endowments."

The Guardian called the play "a perfectly decent production and a welcome relief from the work of the previous Globe regime, which seemed to assume that the plays were a bit boring unless jazzed up."

The Stage said: "It's a production that places clarity of verse and emotion over directorial fireworks. One of the most striking elements is Terry's costume. When she assumes her antic disposition, she also dons a white clown suit with a jagged lipstick grin. By making Hamlet a jester, it licenses her to behave in different ways. It shifts her status in the family. It grants her power and marks her apart. Laughter can be a weapon after all. It's an interesting idea that is under-explored."

Macbeth, 2018

Terry starred in the lead role of Lady Macbeth opposite her husband Paul Ready in Macbeth at the Globe's candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse.

Twelfth Night, 2021

In The Globe's 2021 production of Twelfth Night, directed by Sean Holmes, Terry starred as Viola.

Richard III, 2024

In The Globe's 2024 production of Richard III, Terry was cast in the lead, which generated backlash and controversy over a non-disabled actor being cast as a disabled character and historical figure, a practice commonly referred to as cripping-up. The script was also edited in an attempt to make Richard non-disabled which subsequently led to 281 disabled actors and allied art professionals, and 35 organisations including several theatre companies, under the name of this Disabled Artists Alliance speaking out against this casting and "the erasure and rewriting of Richard's core disabled identity".

Television

Her television credits include episodes of Extras, Law & Order: UK and the Mike Bullen pilot Reunited, playing "Sara". She was co-writer, with Ralf Little, of the comedy drama TV series, The Café, which aired on Sky1 from 2011 to 2013, in which she played "Sarah Porter". The series was set and filmed in her own hometown, Weston-super-Mare.

Writing

Besides co-writing The Café, Terry has co-written two plays. The first was Sudden Loss of Dignity for the Bush Theatre in 2009, which she co-wrote with Zawe Ashton, James Graham, Joel Horwood, and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm. In 2015, it was announced she would write for My Mark, a ten-year project from the Donmar Warehouse charting the political growth of the next voting generation. In 2017, she co-wrote and starred in Becoming with Rosalie Craig.

Theatre

Year(s) Title Role Theatre Ref.
2004/5 Blithe Spirit Edith Savoy Theatre
2005 As You Like It Celia New Vic Theatre
The Burial at Thebes Ismene/Chorus Nottingham Playhouse
2006 Beautiful Thing Leah Sound Theatre
The Crucible Mary Warren Royal Shakespeare Theatre
2006/7 Pericles Philemon Swan Theatre
The Winter's Tale Perdita
2007 Days of Significance Clare
The Promise Lika New Wimbledon Theatre
Love's Labour's Lost Princess of France Shakespeare's Globe
2008 The War on Terror Woman Bush Theatre
Two Cigarettes Girl
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover Various
The Man Who Had All the Luck Hester Falk Donmar Warehouse
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover at Christmas Various Bush Theatre
2009 Sudden Loss of Dignity Co-writer Bush Theatre
England People Very Nice Camille/Mary/Black Ruth/Deborah National Theatre
All's Well That Ends Well Helena
Love's Labour's Lost Princess of France Shakespeare's Globe
2010 London Assurance Grace Harkaway National Theatre
Light Shining in Buckinghamshire Henry Ireton Arcola Theatre
Tribes Sylvia Royal Court Theatre
2011/12 The Comedy of Errors Luciana National Theatre
2012/13 In the Republic of Happiness Madeleine Royal Court Theatre
2013 Before the Party Kathleen Skinner Almeida Theatre
A Midsummer Night's Dream Hippolyta/Titania Shakespeare's Globe
2014 Love's Labour's Lost Rosaline Royal Shakespeare Theatre
Much Ado About Nothing (Love's Labour's Won) Beatrice
Privacy Director Donmar Warehouse
2015 My Mark Writer
As You Like It Rosalind Shakespeare's Globe
2016 Cleansed Grace National Theatre
Henry V King Henry V Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Prom 48 Titania/Hippolyta Royal Albert Hall
2017 Becoming Self/Co-writer Donmar Warehouse
2018 As You Like It Adam/William/Jacques de Buoys Shakespeare's Globe
Hamlet Hamlet
2018/19 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
2019 Henry IV, Part 1 Hotspur Shakespeare's Globe
2020 The Taming of the Shrew Biondello Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
Macbeth: A Conjuring Lady Macbeth
Deep Night, Dark Night Writer
2021 Twelfth Night Viola Shakespeare's Globe
2022 King Lear Cordelia/Fool
The Fir Tree Director
2023 A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck
Twelfth Night: For One Night Only Olivia
2024 Richard III King Richard III
2025 Three Sisters Olga Sam Wanamaker Playhouse
An Oak Tree Guest performer Young Vic
A Midsummer Night's Dream: For One Night Only Hippolyta/Titania Shakespeare's Globe
2026 Mother Courage and her Children Mother Courage
2027

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2010 Reunited Sara
2011 Five Truths Ophelia Video installation for V&A
My Times Short film
2013 Fifty Years on Stage Dr. Bird/Shepherd 3
2016 The Complete Walk: As You Like It Director, short film
The Complete Walk: King John
The Complete Walk: Richard III
The Complete Walk: The Winter's Tale
The Complete Walk: Hamlet Hamlet Short film

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2005 Extras Female Extra Episode: "Patrick Stewart"
2009 Law & Order: UK Debbie Grove Episode: "Unloved"
2011 The Café Sarah Porter Actress/writer/producer
2018 Marcella Jane Colletti 7 episodes
2025 Rob & Romesh VS Guest Episode: "Shakespeare"

Radio

Year Title Role Station Notes Ref.
2013 Listening to the Dead Clara BBC Radio 4 Episode: "Four Sons"
Pilgrim Norah Episode: "Woolmere Walter"
2014 Educator Maria BBC Radio 3
Pride and Prejudice Charlotte Lucas BBC Radio 4 2 episodes
Words and Music Reader BBC Radio 3 Episode: "Women Beware Women"
2015 Book of the Week Reader BBC Radio 4 5 episodes: "All Day Long"
2023 The Essay Reader BBC Radio 3 Episode: "Reading the First Folio – Michelle Terry on As You Like It"

Awards

Terry won Best Actress in a Visiting Production at the 2008 Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards, for the Donmar Warehouse production of The Man Who Had All the Luck.

She won Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards, for her portrayal of Sylvia in the Royal Court Theatre production of Tribes.