1968–1980: West End debut, new name and Evita Paige's first professional appearance happened when she was 16 years old, fresh from drama school. She was rejected in her first audition, singing "I Cain't Say No". Her drama school teacher encouraged her to change her name and audition again under the new name. Browsing through a phone book for inspiration, she became aware of the "page" she was observing and decided upon that name with the addition of an "i", becoming Elaine Paige. She was successful in the second audition as Elaine Paige, appearing on stage during the UK tour of the
Anthony Newley/
Leslie Bricusse musical
The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd in 1964, In 1968 she appeared on record as a member of the vocal group Colors of Love, who released three
Albert Hammond &
Mike Hazlewood-penned singles, most notably "
I'm a Train", on
Larry Page's
Page One label under the supervision of Alan Moorhouse. She was also part of the band Sparrow with fellow West End singer
Diane Langton, releasing the album Hatching Out in 1972. At the age of 20, she made her
West End debut in
Hair on 27 September 1968, remaining in the cast until March 1970. While also being an understudy for the character of Sheila, she played a member of the tribe in the chorus, She also appeared as an urchin in the film
Oliver! Over the next decade, she played roles in various musicals, including
Jesus Christ Superstar;
Nuts; Grease, in which she played the lead role of Sandy from 1973 to 1974;
Billy, from 1974 to 1975 playing Rita; and
The Boyfriend, as Maisie (1975–1976). After months of acting and singing auditions, Her performance won her critical acclaim and brought her into public prominence at the age of 30. She later said, "Bonnie was already a big name on Broadway. In a way, she didn't have anything to prove. She was smoothly, silkily professional. But I saw this as my big chance and, like Eva when she clapped eyes on
Peron, I grabbed with both hands. I wanted the role more than anything else in the whole world." For her performance in
Evita, she won the
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical, which at that time was called the
Society of West End Theatre Award. She also won the
Variety Club Award for Showbusiness Personality of the Year. She played the role for 20 months in total, from 1978 to 1980. She admitted that she was "fed up with the whole thing" and that she could not even afford new clothing or to eat out; "Evita saved me" she stated. In the 1980 ITV drama series
Lady Killers, Paige played convicted murderer
Kate Webster.
1981–1993: Cats and Chess era In 1981, in the
Tales of the Unexpected episode "The Way to Do it", Paige plays Susie, a girl working in a small casino trying to keep guests happy and finally eloping with the main character. Paige went on to portray some of Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, creating the role of
Grizabella in the original production of
Cats from 11 May 1981 to 13 February 1982. She took on the role late in the rehearsal process when the actress
Judi Dench had to withdraw due to a torn
Achilles tendon. is her signature piece. The single reached number 6 in the
UK charts and has since been recorded by a further 160 artists. She reprised the role of Grizabella for the
video release of
Cats in 1998, one of only two performers in the film from the original London cast; the other was
Susan Jane Tanner as
Jellylorum. The 1983 production of
Abbacadabra, written by former
ABBA members,
Björn Ulvaeus and
Benny Andersson, saw Paige star in the role of Carabosse. She then originated the role of Florence for the 1984 concept album of
Chess, with lyrics by
Tim Rice and music by Ulvaeus and Andersson. Her albums,
Stages (1983), and
Cinema (1984), rejoined the cast recording of
Chess in the UK top 40 chart, giving her three consecutive successful albums. and still remains the biggest-selling record by a female duo, according to the
Guinness Book of Records. From 1986 to 1987, Paige appeared as Florence in the stage production of
Chess, She next sang at the
White House in 1988. Playing Reno Sweeney was Paige's first experience using an American accent on stage, and the role earned her a third Olivier Award nomination. Beyond her theatre roles, she appeared in the television programme
Unexplained Laughter in 1989 alongside
Diana Rigg. She subsequently released an album, titled
Piaf, containing Édith Piaf songs.
1994–2001: Sunset Boulevard and Broadway debut In 1995, Paige was appointed an Officer of the
Order of the British Empire (OBE) by
Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to musical theatre. Paige stepped briefly into the role of Norma Desmond in Lloyd Webber's West End production of
Sunset Boulevard in 1994, when
Betty Buckley was taken ill and had to undergo an emergency
appendectomy. The nature of the situation meant that Paige only had two and a half weeks in the rehearsal process before her first performance. During the run of
Sunset Boulevard at the West End's
Adelphi Theatre in 1995, Paige discovered a lump in her breast, prompting her to consult her doctor, who at first reassured her there was nothing to be concerned about. She returned twice, and her doctor subsequently sent her for tests that confirmed the lump was cancerous, nine months after she discovered it. Continuing her role in the production Paige did not miss a show. On the
Sunset Boulevard set in Broadway, the staircase steps had to be raised six inches (15 cm) in order to accommodate Paige's short stature, or it would have been hard to see her behind the banister. Paige was welcomed to the Broadway stage with a long standing ovation from the audience, and received largely positive reviews for her New York performance as Norma Desmond: "The lush sound and the sheer power of her voice are, to put it simply, incredible", wrote one critic, whilst another said "Her voice has great range, remarkable clarity and emotional force". Paige was the first Norma Desmond in
Sunset Boulevard to sing one of the show's key songs, "With One Look", which she did first at Lloyd Webber's wedding to
Madeleine Gurdon, although at the time the song was called "Just One Glance". Arts commentator
Melvyn Bragg hosted a special edition of
The South Bank Show about Paige's career in 1996, titled
The Faces of Elaine Paige. The episode saw her visiting parts of the world where plays she had starred in had been set: the
Casa Rosada in
Buenos Aires, Argentina where Eva Perón had given speeches; the Parisian haunts of
Edith Piaf including a meeting with her collaborator
Charles Aznavour; and
Sunset Boulevard,
Los Angeles. The following year, she made a guest appearance at
Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday celebration at the
Royal Albert Hall, performing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" and "Memory" She then played Célimène in the non-musical play
The Misanthrope in 1998, but she admitted that she missed the musical element and that the silence was slightly unsettling to her. From 2000 to 2001, she starred as
Anna Leonowens in a revival of
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
The King and I at the
London Palladium. although she did question her own suitability for the role. The critic for
The Independent commented, "It may well be impossible to be a success as Evita and a success as Anna" complaining that Paige was not refined enough for the role, whereas
The Spectator asserted that the role further strengthened her title as the "First Lady of British Musical Theatre". During her time in
The King and I, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. Despite Paige wanting to pull out of the show, her mother insisted that she should continue until her contract had finished, In 2003, she played Angèle in ''Where There's a Will'', directed by
Peter Hall. earning positive reviews from critics, and a nomination for a
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Paige then embarked upon a UK tour which was titled "No Strings Attached". In September 2004, Paige began a weekly Sunday afternoon radio show,
Elaine Paige on Sunday, The 400th edition was broadcast on Sunday 29 July 2012. In an unfavourable review, the show was described by Elisabeth Mahoney of
The Guardian as "a chilly, alienating listening experience" and a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2. Lisa Martland of
The Stage agreed that "it is by far the music that brings me back to the programme ... and not her lightweight presenting style". However, the show regularly attracts 3 million listeners, Paige also focused on television appearances, playing Dora Bunner in the 2005
ITV adaptation of
Agatha Christie's
A Murder Is Announced in the
Marple series, before performing a guest role as a post mistress in
Where the Heart Is. The episode of
Marple was watched by 7.78 million viewers. The release of Paige's first full studio album of new recordings in 12 years was marked in 2006, titled
Essential Musicals. On 20 and 21 December 2006, she performed in concert in Shanghai, extending her concert tour to two dates to satisfy demand. In 2007, Paige made a return to the West End stage for the first time in six years, The production ran for a disappointing 96 performances, although it had opened to a standing ovation from the audience and a generally optimistic reaction from critics.
The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Elaine Paige is a good sport ... enduring jokes about her reputation for being 'difficult' with a grin that doesn't seem all that forced. ... Only the self-importantly serious and the chronically depressed will fail to enjoy this preposterously entertaining evening". Paul Taylor from
The Independent was less impressed and wrote "a miscast Elaine Paige manages to be unfunny to an almost ingenious degree as the heroine's bibulous minder". For her performance, Paige was nominated for a What's On Stage Award in the category of Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. She next collaborated with the duo
Secret Garden in recording the song "The Things You Are to Me" for their 2007 album, ''Inside I'm Singing''. To raise money for
Sport Relief, Paige danced the
tango on
Sport Relief does Strictly Come Dancing with
Matt Dawson in March 2008, where they were voted second overall. In 2008, she opened the
Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod and performed concerts in China, America and Australia featuring songs from her 40-year career. To further celebrate 40 years since her first performance on a West End Stage, in October 2008 Paige released a picture-based autobiography titled
Memories. The book took around eight months to compile; "Since
Evita I suppose, I had kept a yearbook. My parents always kept cuttings and things like that for me. I did have quite a lot of reference material to work out," Paige commented. An album titled
Elaine Paige and Friends was produced by
Phil Ramone in 2010. The album features duets with Paige and artists such as
Johnny Mathis,
Barry Manilow and
Olivia Newton-John as well as a duet with
Sinéad O'Connor of a new song "It's Only Life" penned by Tim Rice and Gary Barlow. it went on to achieve gold status. Paige played the role of Carlotta Campion in the
Kennedy Center production of
Follies in May and June 2011 at the Eisenhower Theatre in Washington, DC, receiving favourable reviews for her performance of the showstopper, "
I'm Still Here." The principal cast also comprised
Bernadette Peters,
Jan Maxwell,
Ron Raines and
Danny Burstein. She reprised this role in the Broadway transfer of the musical at the
Marquis Theatre from August 2011 until the following January, before performing at the
Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, California in May and June 2012.
2014–present: 50th Anniversary, farewell tour At the end of 2013 Paige announced a concert tour,
Page by Page by Paige, which focused on her 50th anniversary in show business and was advertised as a farewell tour. The 40th-anniversary tour in 2008 marked 40 years since her debut on the West End stage, and the 50th-anniversary tour in 2014 marked 50 years since her first stage performance. The tour featured
Garðar Thór Cortes performing a number of songs, both solo and duets with Paige, and was sold out at all venues. The tour ran from 9 to 20 October 2014, concluding at the
Royal Albert Hall,
London. Other stops included
Cardiff,
Bristol,
Manchester,
Newcastle (
Gateshead),
Glasgow,
Birmingham and
Bournemouth. Due to a throat infection, one concert in
Brighton had to be cancelled. Dates in Ireland were postponed before being rescheduled, with Paige giving four sold-out concerts in
Dublin (two evenings),
Limerick and
Cork between 10 and 16 February 2015. In 2014, Paige presented and performed in a six episode television show for Sky Arts television called
The Elaine Paige Show. The show featured songs performed by Paige, masterclasses with drama college students and interviews and performances by West End and Broadway performers and writers. The show was recorded in March and April at
Riverside Studios, London. She released a new career-spanning album
The Ultimate Collection in May 2014. In June, Paige made her debut at G-A-Y's Heaven nightclub in London and in November, she joined the inaugural Australian cruise of the performing arts on the . In May 2015 Paige was part of
VE Day 70: A Party to Remember, a special concert which took place at the
Horse Guards Parade, and was broadcast live on
BBC1 and
BBC Radio 2. Later in 2015 she performed in concert at
Scarborough Open Air Theatre, supported by
Collabro and
Rhydian, and then headlined the Glamis Prom 2015 at
Glamis Castle, Scotland, with
Susan Boyle as her guest. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied at both concerts. In April 2016, it was announced that Paige would perform a number of concerts – on successive weekends rather than intensive schedule of a regular tour – entitled "Stripped Back". The tour initially ran from October until December 2016 and featured music by
Harry Nilsson,
Randy Newman,
Jimmy Webb,
Burt Bacharach,
Leonard Cohen,
Sting,
Elton John and
Lennon-McCartney. Paige appeared in a new BBC adaptation of
William Shakespeare's ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream'' adapted by
Russell T Davies as part of the Shakespeare 400 celebrations in 2016. In 2017, she appeared in pantomime at the
London Palladium as Queen Rat in
Dick Whittington alongside
Julian Clary,
Nigel Havers,
Paul Zerdin,
Gary Wilmot,
Charlie Stemp,
Emma Williams,
Ashley Banjo and
Diversity. She returned for
Pantoland at The Palladium in 2020, along with most of the 2017 cast as well as
Beverley Knight. In 2018, Paige played the part of Mercy Hackett in the BBC TV comedy
Home from Home. In 2020, she appeared in the BBC drama series
Life with
Alison Steadman and
Peter Davison. Paige was appointed
Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the
2025 Birthday Honours for services to music and to charity. ==Personal life==