Sophie Gwen Jenkins (née Evans; born 13 February 1993) is a Welsh singer and actress from Tonypandy. She played Glinda in the West End production of Wicked (2017) and Dorothy in the 2011 musical The Wizard of Oz.
As a child, Evans performed with the Mid-Rhondda Operatic Society. After several television appearances in her teens, she achieved wider notice as the runner-up on the 2010 BBC talent show Over the Rainbow. Evans made her West End debut in March 2011 as the alternate Dorothy in Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of The Wizard of Oz. From February to September 2012, she played Dorothy full-time.
Early life Evans was born and raised in the Rhondda Valley. Her parents, David and Michelle Evans and her younger sister Beth, live in Tonypandy, where Evans attended Tonypandy Community College as a sixth-form student.
She appeared in school plays and musicals, and featured in a Joshua Foundation Show at the Millennium Centre, Cardiff. Evans was also a member of the Mid-Rhondda Operatic Society from a young age to her early teens. She appeared on the 2008 series of ITV's The X Factor. Her other television appearances include The Big Performance (CBBC), The Big Talent Show (S4C) and a centenary documentary about the Tonypandy riots (BBC Wales)."Sophie Evans". The Wizard of Oz official website, accessed 10 February 2011
Over the Rainbow
Evans auditioned for Over the Rainbow, a reality show in which young actress/singers competed to play the role of Dorothy Gale in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 2011 production of The Wizard of Oz. She advanced to the final along with Danielle Hope and Lauren Samuels. The final aired in two parts on 22 May 2010.video: "Over the Rainbow" TV competition Hope was the declared the winner and Evans the runner-up.
Solo performances Solo SongWeek one (03/04/10) "If I Were a Boy" (Beyoncé Knowles)Week two (10/04/10) "That Don't Impress Me Much" (Shania Twain)Week three (17 April 2010) "I'm with You" (Avril Lavigne)Week four (24 April 2010) "Love Song" (Sara Bareilles)Week five (01/05/10) "What a Wonderful World" (Louis Armstrong)Week six (08/05/10) "I Enjoy Being a Girl" (from Flower Drum Song)Week seven (semi-final) (15 May 2010) "Reflection" (from Mulan)Week eight (final) (22 May 2010) "Tomorrow" (from Annie)
Aftermath Lloyd Webber elected to assist Evans, with the aid of casting director Bill Kenwright, to start her professional career, funding her continued training as a performer at a one-year musical theatre course at the Arts Educational Schools in Chiswick, London. In autumn 2010, Lloyd Webber cast Evans as the "alternate" Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, to give Hope a rest on Tuesday evenings.
In November 2010, WalesOnline named Evans as the 5th sexiest woman in Wales. Evans joined Only Men Aloud! on the Cardiff dates of their December 2010 tour.
2011–present On 8 March 2011, Evans made her professional stage debut as the alternate Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, appearing on Tuesday evenings and covering the role during Hope's illnesses and holiday weeks in May and September 2011. At first hiding her red hair under a brunette wig, Evans was later given permission by Lloyd Webber to show her natural hair in the role.Price, Karen. "Sophie Evans on playing Dorothy in the West End", Western Mail, Wales Online, 30 April 2011 The Oxford Times reviewed the production during Evans's first full week as Dorothy (in May 2011) replacing the vacationing Hope and wrote of Evans: "Such is her success in the role that it would be hard to imagine anyone could consider they were getting second-best."Gray, Christopher. "The Wizard of Oz: The London Palladium", The Oxford Times, 6 May 2011 Another critic commented, "She plays a naive and tender Dorothy who you really want to befriend." A third wrote that she plays "Dorothy perfectly with great vocals in the musical numbers, "Over the Rainbow" was quite magical.""Review: The Wizard Of Oz – London Palladium", BackstagePass.biz, 30 March 2011
In July 2011, Evans sang as the special guest as part of an Only Boys Aloud! concert in the Parc and Dare Hall, Treorchy. Also in July 2011, Evans participated in a TV reality show filmed in Pembrokeshire, called Cariad@iaith:love4language, in which she and other Welsh celebrities lived together at a campsite for eight days and intensively studied the Welsh language.Shipton, Martin. "Over the Rainbow star Sophie Evans and Welsh celebs for S4C language ‘boot camp’". WalesOnline.com, 5 July 2011"Melanie Shows Star Quality in her Love4language" . NewsOnNews, 18 July 2011 She has also performed at various charity events."Sophie Evans announced as special guest at the NSPCC gala ball", NOW Cardiff, 7 September 2011"Caerphilly businessman wins a day on the set of Coronation Street at gala ball in aid of NSPCC Cymru/Wales " , Welshicons.org, 2 October 2011 In October 2011, she sang at Millennium Stadium to support the Welsh rugby team in their semi-final match against France in the 2011 Rugby World Cup.Hitt, Carolyn. "Rugby World Cup 2011: 61,000 Welsh supporters' hearts broken in Millenium Stadium after narrow France reverse", The Telegraph, 15 October 2011 Evans sings a duet with Welsh baritone Mark Llewelyn Evans on his debut album Let the Light In, released in November 2011."Mark Evans Lets the Light in with New Album", CardiffBlues.com, 11 November 2011 She is the subject of an ITV Wales documentary about her preparation for, and debut in, The Wizard of Oz, filmed in 2010–2011, called Dare to Dream: The Sophie Evans Journey.Evans, Sophie. About Me, Sophie Evans official website, accessed 11 May 2012Dare to Dream – The Sophie Evans Journey , ITV Wales, 2011, accessed 29 January 2013
On 7 February 2012, Evans took over the role of Dorothy full-time in the West End production. She remained in The Wizard of Oz until the show closed on 2 September 2012."Des O'Connor confirmed as Wizard of Oz, show finishes in September", whatsonstage.com, 9 May 2012"Sophie Evans – Late Night Jazz", Musical Theatre News 27 September 2012 On 15 April 2012, Evans performed as Dorothy at the 2012 Olivier Awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House in London."Olivier Awards 2012 – Award Ceremony (Sophie Evans)", Zimbio.com, accessed 11 May 2012 The same month, she headlined a concert with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.Wightwick, Abbie. "Review: Sophie Evans sings with BBC National Orchestra of Wales", Wales Online, 2 April 2012
Evans presented and starred in The Really Welsh Christmas Show for BBC Television with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales at the Wales Millennium Centre.video: "Sophie Evans: The Really Welsh Christmas Show", BBC TV, 19 Dec. 2012 Also featuring Michael Ball and Only Boys Aloud, the 45-minute show first aired on BBC One Wales on 19 December 2012."The Really Welsh Christmas Show", BBC, accessed 29 January 2013 In 2013, Evans starred in the final installment of the "Cornetto Trilogy", The World's End, written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. She later performed at Proms in the Park, in Caerphilly, South Wales."Good Morning Baltimore", Caerphilly, South Wales, video
In early 2014, she was part of an all-star cast performing, Irving Berlin: From Rags to Ritzes, beginning in London and later touring nationwide."BWW Interviews: Sophie Evans On IRVING BERLIN: FROM RAGS TO RITZES", Broadway World, 24 Jan. 2014 Among the songs will be classics such as White Christmas and What'll I Do.video: White Christmas, performed by Sophie Evans, BBC, 19 Dec. 2012 She also featured in the 2014 film Pride, directed by Matthew Warchus.
From October 2015 Sophie performed with Lord of the Dance as Erin the Goddess a month run at the Playhouse Theatre, London, a 9-week run at the Lyric Theatre, Broadway and a 6-week American tour finishing a Caesars Palace, Las Vegas for Michael Flately's last performance.
From July 2017, Evans took over the role of Glinda in the West End production of Wicked from Australian actress Suzie Mathers, and as a result became the youngest person to play the role in London, at the age of 24. She starred opposite Alice Fearn as Elphaba.
Evans left Wicked on 20 July 2019, and was replaced by Helen Woolf.
On 2 September 2021, it was announced that Evans would return to the West End production of Wicked as Glinda covering for Helen Woolf who was on maternity leave. She re-opened the production on 15 September 2021, almost 18 months since its closure on 16 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. She will leave the production in January 2022, and will be replaced by Helen Woolf.
Personal life She and Welsh rugby star Ellis Jenkins had dated since they were teenagers. Sophie and Ellis announced their engagement in 2021. In June 2022, they revealed that Sophie was expecting their first child. They married on 25 June, 2022. Their first child was born in December 2022. A second child was born in April 2025.
Discography Evans and the other two finalists of Over the Rainbow each recorded a version of the song "Over the Rainbow", with the intention that the eventual winner's recording would be available for purchase shortly after the finale. Hope's recording was originally the only version released, but both Evans' and Samuels' versions of the song were ultimately made available for download on 6 June 2010. Evans released her independent debut album in 2014, The Studio Sessions (Limited Edition), recorded at Acapella Studios, Pentyrch, Wales."The Studio Sessions (Limited Edition)", Amazon.UK Evans appears with the other contestants in a Wizard of Oz medley featured as a b-side on the CD single of Hope's "Over the Rainbow".
Filmography Film and television Year Title Role Notes 2011 Cariad@iaith:love4language Herself 2011 Rugby World Cup Herself Semi Final between Wales v France 2012 The Big Performance Herself Dare to Dream: The Sophie Evans Journey Herself Documenting her debut in The Wizard of Oz BBC'sThe Really Welsh Christmas Show Host 2013 The World's End Becky Salt Final installment of the Cornetto Trilogy BBC Proms in the Park Herself 2014Under Milk WoodNeighbourTV movie 2014 Pride Debbie Thomas Directed by Matthew Warchus2020Gangs of LondonYoung DaughterTV series (2 episodes)2022La diosa reflectanteSofi
Theatre credits Year Title Role Theatre Location 2010 Only Men Aloud! Wales Tour Herself Cardiff 2011–2012 The Wizard of Oz Alternate Dorothy Gale London Palladium West End 2011 Only Men Aloud! in Concert Herself Parc and Dare Hall Treorchy 2012 The Wizard of Oz Dorothy Gale London Palladium West End 2012 BBC National Orchestra of Wales in Concert Headlining Singer Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff 2014 Irving Berlin's From Rags to Riches Herself International Tour 2015 Lord of the Dance Erin the Goddess International Tour 2017–2019 Wicked Glinda Apollo Victoria Theatre West End 2021–2022
References
External links
Recording of Evans singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Lloyd Webber presents flowers to Evans at her media night on 3 May 2011