Ray Shell is an internationally-based musical theatre actor, writer, singer, producer and director who created the role of Rusty in Starlight Express. He has appeared in numerous West End shows and is currently artistic director of TAIP (Total Artist in Production) Lab in Wilson, North Carolina.
Ray Shell had a body double, Richard Bodkin, for the Final Race.
Starlight Express History[]
Bochum - 2009-10 - Poppa (left after a few weeks due to difficulties with German language)
Biography (1984)[]
Ray Shell (Rusty) was born on the 22nd September 1951 in Saratoga County, North Carolina. He studied acting, voice and playwriting at Emerson College, Boston, Massacheusetts from 1969 - 1974 and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. In the USA he has appeared in National Companies of Broadway shows such as Hair, The Me Nobody Knows, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and The Dirtiest Show In Town. Ray came to London first in 1978 in the West End production of Little Willie Junior's Resurrection, a gospel musical, playing the title role. In 1979 he appeared as Snake in Menahem Golan's film The Apple, which was filmed in Berlin, singing a number entitled "Slip And Slide". Ray again returned to London and became involved in the music industry, writing and recording for several companies including United Artists, EMI and RAK Records and performing with his own band Ray Shell And the Street Angels. Recently, Ray set up his own workshop production of a play entitled Flatshare, which is performed and produced entirely by the students of Ray Shell's TAIP programme.
Biography (1996)[]
Musical Theatre: Leading roles in Ain't Misbehavin (Lyric Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar; Mass Carib; Little Willies Jr; Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane); King (Piccadilly Theatre); and Children of Eden (Prince Edward Theatre); created the role of Rusty in Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria); created the role of Nomax in Five Guys Named Moe; title role in Sweeney Todd (Holland Park, London); Hair (USA); The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (USA).
Theatre: Happy End (Nottingham Playhouse); Two Trains Running (Tricycle Theatre); Blues For Mr Charlie (Royal Exchange, Manchester); one-man show adapted from Iced (international tour).
Writing: Ray has a published novel Iced and is working on his second entitled Tender; the plays Flatshare, Frederick Avery Visits; Street Angels all of which he also directed and produced. Iced is currently being adapted as a play and is scheduled to tour the UK next year.
Recording: Ray has produced for Steve Williamson and the band Dark Secret; currently manages the pop group Damage.
Interviews[]
German report - June 2009
Gallery[]
