From Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th August this year, Kerry Ingram played Tallulah in Bugsy Malone at Malthouse Theatre, and over Christmas 2025, she played Colinetta Goose in Mother Goose and the Golden Egg pantomime in Bracknell at the South Hill Park Arts Centre. Kerry worked alongside Sophia Dall’Aglio and Cleo Demetriou when she played KhloĂ« Köch in Brand New Adults for the live table read of the pilot at The Other Palace in May and in the proof-of-concept short film. On screen, Kerry is well-known for playing regular role Becky in Free Rein across all three series and two feature-length episodes for Netflix, and the show won two awards at the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series. In the long-running medical soap Doctors, Kerry filmed episodes as Hannah Devlin – the foster daughter of Rob (Chris Hollins) and Karen (Jan Pearson), and she joined Series 3 of Game of Thrones as Shireen Baratheon before her death scene aired in Series 5, and Kerry is still a guest at Comic Cons for her portrayal of the character. When the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical had their world premiere in Stratford-upon-Avon, Kerry originated the role of Matilda, and transferred with the musical to the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End, and she won Best Actor in a Musical at the 2012 Olivier Awards alongside fellow Matildas – Cleo Demetriou, Eleanor Worthington-Cox and Sophia Kiely, and in 2021, she was invited back to the Cambridge Theatre to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the musical. Previously, Kerry recorded as Jemima Potts for the BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and she was part of the 2012 Les MisĂ©rables film adaptation. Upcoming for Kerry will see her play Wendy in The All New Adventures of Peter Pan pantomime at Norwich Theatre Royal from Saturday 5th December until Sunday 3rd January 2027, and she is in the early stages of two unannounced projects. We found out from Kerry about playing Tallulah in Bugsy Malone, working on Brand New Adults, what Becky was like to play in Free Rein, attending Comic Cons for Game of Thrones and originating the role of Matilda in the world premiere of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical.
You played Tallulah in Malthouse Theatre’s production of Bugsy Malone from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th August; what was the musical like to perform in?
I really loved being a part of Bugsy Malone! It’s such an iconic musical, and Tallulah is one of my favourite characters, so being able to play her was a wonderful experience.
How was it playing Colinetta Goose in the Mother Goose and the Golden Egg pantomime in Bracknell at the South Hill Park Arts Centre over Christmas 2025?
Pantomimes are such a wonderful tradition, and I loved the idea of being part of a show that brings people together over Christmas, especially as Bracknell is my hometown. Playing Colinetta Goose was a great opportunity to embrace the comedy, the larger-than-life characters and that lovely relationship you build with a live audience. It was a fantastic way to start my pantomime career!
You are in the cast of Brand New Adults as Khloë Köch, what can you tell us about this, and how is it working with Sophia Dall’Aglio and Cleo Demetriou on their new project?
Brand New Adults is a really exciting project, particularly because, not only has it been created by some wonderful people, but we are also all child actors who have struggled to navigate the industry in our adulthoods. It explores that slightly strange experience of growing up and trying to work out who you are as an adult when you’ve spent your entire childhood playing other people. Playing Khloë is such a fun experience, but it’s even better when you’re bringing a project to life that your best friends have put so much love and energy into! I’m really excited to see where it goes.
What was it like performing in the live table read of the pilot at The Other Palace in May and previously filming the proof-of-concept short film?
The table read was a really exciting opportunity to hear the script come to life with a live audience. There’s something quite different about reading a script with the cast, because you start to discover the rhythm of the dialogue, the relationships between the characters and where the comedy really lands. It also gives you a chance to see how everyone’s ideas fit together. There were areas of the script that we didn’t expect such hugely positive responses to, it was extremely exciting.
How did you feel finding out you’d booked your regular role of Becky in Free Rein for Netflix, and what was it like developing the character across all three series and the two feature-length special episodes?
Booking Free Rein was one of the best feelings. It was a role I fell in love with from the first audition. I was a teenager myself when I played her, so I essentially grew up with her too.
Working across the three series and the specials meant there was time for the relationships and storylines to evolve. It’s always interesting to see how a character changes as the world around them changes, especially a character like Becky, who is still a child at heart. It was so special to be able to develop such a unique character over the years.
What did you enjoy most about playing Becky, and how was it working with the horses?
One of the best things about playing Becky was that she was such a fun character to spend time with. She was so quirky, and you just never knew what she was going to do next. I got to do some super fun things during my time on the show.
Working with horses was a really special part of the experience. They’re such beautiful animals, but they also have their own personalities. There was one day where Benji (Bob) decided to untie himself and his hay and go for a walk. He ended up being caught in the back of the scene we were shooting at the time, and it was one of the funniest days. It was a lovely element of the job that made Free Rein different from other projects I’d worked on.
What was it like seeing the fan response to Free Rein and how was it attending the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards and having the series win two awards, including Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series?
It was amazing to see how much the series meant to people. When you’re filming, you’re focused on the work in front of you, so it’s lovely when the show comes out and you realise how many people have connected with the characters and stories. It’s lovely to see that the show is still number one on kids Netflix, even 10 years later!
Attending the Emmy Awards was a fantastic experience. It was exciting to be there representing a show that we were all so proud of, and seeing Free Rein recognised with awards was a wonderful moment for all of us.
Did you have any favourite episodes or storylines to work on, and what are some of your stand-out highlights from your time starring in Free Rein?
For me personally, I really enjoyed filming the food fight episode in the third season. It wasn’t easy (being covered in food on a hot day outside… bugs will find you), but I did get to throw food at people, so it was definitely worth it!
In the long-running medical soap Doctors, you filmed for episodes as Hannah Devlin, the foster daughter of regular characters Rob (Chris Hollins) and Karen (Jan Pearson); how was it taking on the role?
Hannah was actually my second time on Doctors, so It was really nice to see all the cast again after a few years. Fostering is close to my heart, as my mum has been a foster parent for over 20 years, so being able to portray such an important message was such a privilege.
How did you find the experience working on Game of Thrones as Shireen Baratheon, and how is it being a guest at Comic Cons and events for your role in the show?
Being part of Game of Thrones was an incredible experience. It was such a huge production, with an extraordinary world, with so many talented people working behind the scenes. Shireen was a particularly special character to play because she was compassionate, intelligent and kind in a world that could be incredibly cruel.
Meeting fans at Comic Cons and other events is always lovely because it gives me the chance to see how strongly people connected with her. The show has such a passionate fanbase, and I’m always touched by the fact that people still want to talk about Shireen and her story years later.
What was it like joining the Game of Thrones cast in Series 3 and filming Shireen’s death scene in Series 5?
Joining in Series 3 was a huge opportunity, and I was excited to become part of such an ambitious production. It was my first TV role, and it was wonderful to work alongside actors I admired and to see the scale of the show from the inside.
Shireen’s death scene was obviously one of the most intense parts of her storyline. I understood the gravity of the scene and how much of an honour it was to be trusted with it. Filming her death took around three days in total, and everyone was so sad to see her go. It was an honour to take on the responsibility of such an intense story.
You originated the role of Matilda in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical in its world premiere at Stratford-upon-Avon, and transferred with the show to the West End at the Cambridge Theatre; do you have any favourite memories from the musical that you can share, and what do you feel you learnt from originating a lead role in a musical at a young age?
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical will always be an incredibly special part of my life. Being involved from the very beginning meant that I got to be part of creating something new, rather than simply joining an established production. We were discovering the characters and the world of the show together, which made it a really exciting experience.
One of my craziest memories was the opening night. I was only supposed to be on standby, but the Matilda who was meant to go on was unwell – I had ten minutes’ notice, and my mum was able to make it in time to see my bow. It was the sort of chaos that you just love as a performer.
Moving to the West End was another huge milestone. I have so many memories of the people I worked with, the performances and the friendships I made along the way. I still keep in contact with a lot of the cast, and we all agree that the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical was so incredibly special.
What was it like winning Best Actress in a Musical and performing Naughty at the 2012 Olivier Awards alongside your co-stars Cleo Demetriou, Eleanor Worthington-Cox and Sophia Kiely?
Winning the Olivier was a huge pinch-us moment for sure, especially as we had been nominated for other awards prior to the Oliviers and hadn’t been successful, so we really weren’t expecting it at all. It truly was an unforgettable experience.
How was it returning to the Cambridge Theatre in 2021 with your fellow Matildas to celebrate the musical’s 10th anniversary, and attending the UK & Ireland Tour in Manchester with Cleo earlier this year to meet the 2026 Matildas?
Returning to the theatre was so strange (in a good way!) because nothing had changed, but everything seemed so small. It really put into perspective just how tiny we were back then. The girls and I had all kept in touch, but were living on different sides of the country, so it was lovely to sit together for the first time in ten years and relive the memories.
What do you remember from recording as Jemima Potts in the BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and being on set of the 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables?
Both experiences gave me an insight into different parts of the industry. Recording for radio was a chance to explore storytelling through your voice. Without a visual performance, you have to communicate a character’s personality and emotions through your delivery, which is a really interesting skill to develop.
Being on the set of Les Mis was super fun. It was actually my 12th birthday on the day we were filming, so everyone made sure the day was extra special!
How did you originally get into acting, and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
My acting career was a total accident; I was born with a bone condition where I couldn’t play any sports as a kid, so my mum was looking at other after-school activities I could do. I joined the choir and found that I loved singing. From there, I did a couple of community plays and was then introduced to youth theatre programmes. I auditioned for what I thought was an amateur production, and that’s how I ended up playing Matilda!
How different do you find screen to stage acting, and what do you enjoy about each?
I love them both individually; they are so different from each other. With theatre, I adore a live audience reacting to your performance, and there’s no feeling quite like it. On the other hand, the excitement of doing something different every day is something I love with screen acting.
Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?
I really enjoy The Maze Runner movies, and I also love a good cheesy comedy too. I’ve just finished watching Sterling Point, which deserves all the hype, and I’m also rewatching 90210, which is one of my favourite rewatch/binge shows. I recently saw Tartuffe at the Marylebone Theatre, which is a comedy that I can honestly say is worth watching. It’s an adaptation that’s been fantastically written.
How do you like to spend your free time?
In my free time, I enjoy being creative. I tend to class hop if I see something interesting, which is often either dance or recently yoga. I’ve discovered that pottery is not my strong suit, although I am a decent painter.
I also really enjoy cooking, and I’ve slowly gotten back into reading too!
What are you hoping this year brings you, and do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about?
I do indeed! You can catch me this pantomime season at the Norwich Theatre Royal playing Wendy in The All New Adventures of Peter Pan, which runs from December 5th until January 3rd.
I’m also in the very early stages for two other projects, which is all I can tell you for now, but I can’t wait to hopefully be able to share these soon!
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