Claudia Kariuki is a celebrated LGBTQIA+ talent lighting up the West End stage with their powerful performances and inspiring presence. Known for their standout roles in hit productions like Sister Act and Six The Musical, Kariuki has captivated audiences with their extraordinary voice and commanding stage presence. As a proud advocate for body positivity and representation, they continue to challenge stereotypes, offering a voice of empowerment and authenticity. Kariuki's contributions to the theatre have earned them prestigious accolades, including a British Black Theatre Award, cementing them as trailblazing figures in the performing arts.

Kariuki chats about growing up as a theatre-loving child, their roles in the West End, and so much more.

Growing up in London, what first sparked your love for theatre, and do you have any favourite memories as a theatre-loving child?

Growing up in London, there were so many amazing West End shows, concerts and fringe shows happening, and I was lucky to see what theatre could be from various scales from a young age. I learned that it’s not about the huge West End shows with huge budgets and long-running stints; it’s also abou putting on shows to support local artists and encourage youth to participate from different socio-econom fringe venues pic backgrounds.

I’ll never forget going to the Hackney Empire panto for the first time and being blown away by the productions they put out year after year. I used to love getting show programmes to see where people trained, where they’d worked before and queuing up after school & nabbing a last-minute £5 ticket if I could. When the Lion King opened in London, it felt like a huge shift for me in representation onstage. I love the film so much so getting to see people that looked like me front and centre onstage in this beautiful story was massively inspiring for me.

Places like Hackney Empire. Kiln Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Arcola Theatre & Bush Theatre, to name a few, are vital for grassroots theatre makers, performers and building community. Having access to youth programmes was essential in my education in theatre and allowed me to grow in confidence and learn the craft from people in my community that I looked up to. I joined local theatre & dance troupes and embarrassingly put on living room performances for any family member who cared enough to attend! Growing up in a multicultural city shaped my view of what art can be and how best we can support those looking to get their start in performance or production.

I fear that there might be a whole generation that could be missing out on these opportunities because of how expensive theatre has become. However, I hope we can continue supporting grassroots venues and demonstrate that there is still so much out there waiting to be discovered.

Your role in Six The Musical was iconic and beloved by fans. How did you approach bringing your unique energy to such a well-known production, and what has that experience been like?

Due to lockdown, the first time I saw the show was during rehearsals for it!! I was blown away by the talent and the love we received from all the original queens who have been dedicated to the show from the beginning. From Edinburgh Fringe to the first tour, to the West End and now to the world. To see how it’s grown at an astronomical level is just wild. I am so immensely proud to be part of that legacy and to have had the experiences that we experienced during that time. The siblinghood that we built, the way we held each other up and all of the amazing opportunities along the way, remain so special to me.

Taking over from Natalie Paris, who was the OG Jane Seymour was a huge undertaking, I’m in awe of her incredible talent. I’d learnt the song from the album and was like, HOW?! She gave me amazing advice before I started & was so encouraging and lovely to me during my run, I’m truly honoured to call her a friend now and hope our paths cross more professionally.

Coming in after her legacy felt like a significant shift in the way that the show was heading in terms of diversity. I was allowed to showcase my piercings, tattoos and quirks whereas in a traditional theatre musical setting you adapt to suit the period. Queerness and take back so much of the negative connotations that come with tattoos, it’s ART - why should i hide it?! The show has changed my life in a massive way! I feel I’ve grown so much & am no longer afraid of presenting alternatively and don’t have to worry about hiding that away to suit the societal & theatrical ideals. I want to step away from trying to be a traditional musical theatre performer because what IS that anyway? It’s all about who we all are now. I’m forever grateful for the support during my two years as Jane Seymour, it truly was a role of a lifetime and the empowerment that I felt and gained is something I will always treasure. 

Starring in Sister Act The Musical must have been a joy! How did you connect with the music and the character, and what were the highlights of being part of this huge production?

There were so many highlights of Sister Act! I have always loved this show and I can quote the film back to front! 1 and 2! [laughs]

To be in a show that had that wide an age range of performers from their 20s to almost their 80s was really inspiring, especially the older company members smashing it out eight shows a week.

We were led by two incredibly talented, kind, passionate leading ladies, Beverley Knight and Alexandra Burke who I have looked up to forever, both of which have firmly cemented themselves in the theatre industry as successful Black British female recording artists. I still remember crying my eyes out watching Alexandra Burke singing with Beyonce on the X Factor! A cultural reset!

A moment I’ll never forget was when Beverley Knight received ‘Celebrity Ally of the Year’ Award at a Gala night hosted by OKRE & LGBT Great. She accepted it on stage and we were an emotional mess, the definition of an ally and fiercely protective of our community. To have worked with 2 of the most talented & amazing Black Women in our industry was not only a career highlight, but a life one too.

But I have to say that getting to play Deloris was a huge moment for me, life and career wise. I was so nervous & I felt like I needed to do this role justice. The cast were super supportive and it was like a dream, having my amazing friends and partner there was just the icing of the cake, I really felt the love in the room. I remember seeing Patina Miller & Cynthia Erivo playing this role in the past and could not have imagined that this was now my destiny 

It was only when the curtain came down that I firmly knew that this is where I was meant to be. I hope to revisit Deloris again in the future!

Winning a Black British Theatre Award was an incredible achievement. What did receiving this recognition mean to you, and how has it shaped your career?

MIND BLOWING! I felt so fortunate that I got to be there and absorb the amazing atmosphere and be inspired by the speeches and performances on the night. Being in the presence of Black Excellence that welcomes you with open arms, it's an incredible atmosphere, we can just be ourselves! So when I won the award I never thought it was possible because of the people I was in the category with that I greatly respect. To be nominated was one thing, but to win the 2nd year in a row was something that I didn’t think was possible! In my head I was off to cheer my friends on and have a lovely time! I vowed to keep going to support black theatre and showing up for my community because without the support from within new work won’t be seen or heard, it’s up to all of us to show up for not just shows in London, but everywhere in any way that we can. 

When I got up on stage to accept my award, I couldn’t speak, I wasn't expecting it at all. I haven’t watched the speech back because I want to remember how I felt in that moment. 

Winning this award as a proud Black Queer person, standing in my truth, standing before people I’ve come up with in the industry & people I’ve looked up to for as long as I can remember, people that show up and want to see you winning, truly meant everything to me, and on The Lyceum stage too?! It truly was so special and I will never forget it. I hope to inspire a new generation of Black LGBTQIA+ artists to take up space & show up as their full selves, whilst paying homage to those who came before us and paved the way. 

As someone with a voice in the theatre industry, what are your thoughts on the current state of queer representation on stage, and how do you think it can evolve?

I want to use this opportunity to continue to channel my energy into working closely with theatre companies to improve accessibility in theatre and dance, that expands beyond race & gender diversity and way beyond social media.

I hope that we can champion LGBTQIA+ storytellers and our lived experiences. We don’t see enough stories about joy, love, happiness, freedom. I want more theatre makers to take chances and invest in new work, with LGBTQIA+ & disabled artists at the forefront. 

But without the changes being implemented at the top in order to safeguard queer & disabled people in performance, creative, administrative & production sectors, it isn’t going to change. The levels of disrespect and the discrimination will not change. Queer people are in the very foundations of the origins of performance. In almost every show that's ever been written, TV show, /film, novel or production, chances are a queer person or a person's life has played a part in these stories coming to fruition.

But I think queer representation has to be beyond the stage. It has to move toward production, toward casting, toward making sure that when there are queer people in the environment that they are respected and have their needs met and their boundaries respected. 

 So yes, representation matters, but so does equity and acknowledgement of how LGBTQIA+ continue to shape the popular culture landscape day in day out.When I was wtaching the Wicked movie, I was just like, this is so QUEER. The themes ring so true, and relating with Elhpaba’s I fell back in love with the musical again because it all just felt right. THAT is Oz and what so many of us had . It was just always that and it's really good to have this mainstream representation and disabled representation as well.

I want to know more about how they navigated the spaces, how they made the spaces accessible for everyone. Like, it's all been good seeing it, but I want to know the ins and outs of it.

Accessibility in theatre remains an important conversation. How do you think the industry can better support artists and audiences with disabilities?

Listen to disabled people, don't speak on their behalf or on their experiences. Support theatre that actively chooses authentic disabled representation. Follow and uplift disabled artists and their work.

Don't make assumptions about their disabilities, include them in conversations about how best a space can be adapted to make sure everyone is provided with the tools needed to work under safe conditions. 

You sometimes hear people say ‘Oh yeah I hadn’t even thought about that’ and it makes you ask ‘Why haven't you?’

Why haven't you thought about trigger warnings? Is a disabled person with mobility needs able to get to their seat without feeling like their needs are an afterthought? Have you provided quiet spaces for neurodivergent people to regulate during a rehearsal period when it becomes overwhelming?

Creating spaces that better cater to disabled people and their needs will open up a bigger conversation about the systemic ableism that is sadly so prevalent in today’s society.

We desperately need better mental health services or mental health bodies to work closely with the theatre industry in order to implement changes to how rehearsals are run, theatre access as a whole & what could be done to better serve everybody.

As a performer and advocate, how do you feel about the current state of plus-size fashion in theatre and beyond, and who or what inspires your style and work?

I am starting to see an influx of plus sized bodies on stage & screen not falling into stereotypical tropes that we’ve all seen; the comedic role, the fun best friend that is perpetually single. It's still within the fabrics of how people view plus size performers & put a limit on what they can offer, but are never the love interest and never the protagonist. With the growth of social media presences and plus size positivity that exists, we are moving forward, albeit slowly, but it is encouraging that beauty standards are shifting away from eurocentric features.

We party, we exercise, we fall in love, we cook, we have fun, we go on dates. All the same things that people that aren't in plus sized bodies do. An entirely normal human experience. So what difference does it make if fat people want to fall in love onstage if it happens everyday in real life? 

Lastly, can you tell us about any projects or performances you’re currently working on, or any exciting plans you have for the future?

There are some incredible things in the pipeline for 2025. I’m currently working on a solo project that I hope to share with everyone soon! You’ll just have to come along on the journey and see where the year is headed!