Fra Fee

Northern Irish actor and singer

Fra Fee

Fee in 2016

Born|

Francis Martin Fee

(1987-05-20) 20 May 1987 (age 36)

Killyman, Northern Ireland

Education| University of Manchester
Royal Academy of Music (2009)
Occupation| Actor
Years active| 2009–present
Partner| Declan Bennett

Francis Martin "Fra" Fee (born 20 May 1987) is an Irish actor and singer. He is best known for his portrayal of Courfeyrac in Tom Hooper's 2012 film adaptation of Les Misérables.[1][2][3] Fee also played the role of Michael Carney in Jez Butterworth's The Ferryman at the Royal Court Theatre, West End, and Broadway, directed by Sam Mendes. For his performance, he won the 2018 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play.[4] In 2021, he appeared as Kazi in the Disney+ series Hawkeye, which is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[5]

## Background[edit]

Fee, who was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, and raised in rural Killyman, attended St Patrick's Academy in Dungannon for his schooling. He began performing regularly with Bardic Theatre in his early days before pursuing music at the University of Manchester.[6] Fee later went on to study at the Royal Academy of Music, where he graduated in 2009. In 2014, he was honored as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

## Career[edit]

Fee appeared in numerous productions at Belfast's Grand Opera House in conjunction with the Welsh National Opera, including The Beggar's Opera, The Mikado, Sweeney Todd, as well as a production of The Elixir of Love as Nemorino, directed by John Doyle. In 2004, he was a guest soloist for Irish tenor Ronan Tynan in Tynan's Dublin concert, titled "The Impossible Dream". Immediately following his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music, Fee was cast as Billy Kostecki in the West End production of Dirty Dancing.[7]

He played Schlomo in the RTÉ Irish tour of Fame, before essaying the title role in Aladdin at Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. From June 2011 to 2012 he played Jean Prouvaire, and covered the roles of Marius and Enjolras in Les Misérables at the Queens Theatre, London. During his time in the West End production, Fee was cast as Courfeyrac in Tom Hooper's film Les Misérables, starring alongside Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean and Russell Crowe as Javert.[8]

From November to December 2012, Fee played Florizel in Howard Goodall's professional world premiere of A Winter's Tale.[9]

Fee played Young Buddy in Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the Toulon Opera in March 2013,[10] before playing Robbie in A Man of No Importance for Salisbury Playhouse.[11][12]

On 16 June 2013, he portrayed Henrik Egerman in a special concert performance of Sondheim's A Little Night Music at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, starring alongside Janie Dee, David Birell and Joanna Riding.[13] On 2 August 2013, Fee was a guest soloist for BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night singing America's Greatest Broadway Hits.[14]

Fee starred in the title role of Candide at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, alongside Scarlett Strallen as Cunegonde and David Thaxton as Maximillian, from 23 November 2013 to 22 February 2014.[15] He later starred as Philip Ashley in Dublin's Gate Theatre production of Dame Daphne du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel, adapted for the stage by Joseph O'Connor at the Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina as part of the Spoleto Festival USA from 22 May to 8 June 2014.[16] In September 2014, he filmed the role of Kieran in Tom Lawes' forthcoming psychological thriller Monochrome, starring Jo Woodcock, Cosmo Jarvis and James Cosmo.[17]

On 26 January 2015, Fee reprised the role of Henrik Egerman in A Little Night Music for one night only at the Palace Theatre in London's West End, reunited with previous co-stars Janie Dee as Desiree, David Birell as Frederick, Joanna Riding as Countess Malcolm as well as new cast members Jamie Parker as Carl Magnus and Anne Reid as Madame Armfeldt.[18]

Fee made his Shakespeare debut as Romeo in Dublin's Gate Theatre's production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Wayne Jordan from March 2015 to May 2015.[19]

In June 2015, Fee returned to Belfast to take up the role of Jamie in a production of Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years directed by Stephen Whitson, working alongside fellow West End actress Amy Lennox.[20]

From September 2015 to 5 March 2016, Fee played the role of Amiens in Polly Findlay's production of As You Like It at the National Theatre in London starring Rosalie Craig as Rosalind.[21] During this period he also played Man 2 in Stephen Sondheim's revue Putting It Together at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, directed by Stephen Whitson (December 2015).

Fra played the role of Mole in the new musical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows with music by George Stiles, lyrics by Anthony Drewe and a book by Julian Fellowes in a production that starred Rufus Hound as Toad from August to November 2016.

In April 2017, he originated the role of Michael Carney in The Ferryman at the Royal Court Theatre, ahead of a transfer to the Gielgud Theatre in the West End.[22] Fra played his final performance in the West End production on 6 January 2018. For his performance as Michael Carney in The Ferryman Fra was awarded the 2018 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play.[4]

In the spring of 2018 he filmed the role of Jim in the movie adaptation of Emma Jane Unsworth's novel Animals, directed by Sophie Hyde, starring alongside Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat. Filming took place in Dublin. The film premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.[23]

He performed the role of Chip in John Wilson's production of Leonard Bernstein's On The Town on 25 August 2018 at the Royal Albert Hall, having performed two weeks earlier in the same venue as one of the Jets in John Wilson's production of West Side Story.[24][25]

Fra reprised his role in the Broadway transfer of The Ferryman in New York alongside most of the original cast as well as newcomer to the play Fionnula Flanagan. The play won the Tony Award for Best Original Play at the 2019 Tony Awards.[26] During his time in New York, Fra made his New York cabaret debut at 54 Below performing his show Seisún.[27]

Fra plays William Bogue in Irish horror-comedy Boys From County Hell written and directed by Chris Baugh, due to premiere at TriBeCa Film Festival 2020\. He plays Fergus in Irish Western Thriller Pixie, alongside Alec Baldwin, Olivia Cooke, and Ben Hardy.[28]

In June 2019, Fra took part in a semi-staged concert version of The Clockmaker's Daughter, a musical by Michael Webborn and Daniel Finn, in which Fra also plays the same character in the studio cast recording, performing alongside Christine Allado and John-Owen Jones.

From October to December 2019, Fee replaced actor Colin Morgan in the role of Owen in the National Theatre's production of Brian Friel's Translations, directed by Ian Rickson, alongside Ciarán Hinds, Seamus O’Hara and Judith Roddy.[29]

On 21 March 2022, Fee took over the role of The Emcee in Cabaret at The Playhouse Theatre, starring alongside Amy Lennox.[30]

## Personal life[edit]

Fee is gay.[31] He is in a romantic relationship with actor and singer Declan Bennett, with whom he lives in rural Oxfordshire.[32]

## Filmography[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

2012  | Les Misérables | Courfeyrac  | National Board of Review Award for Best Cast
Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble
Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble
Nominated – Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast
Nominated – San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2016  | Monochrome | Kieren[28] |
2016  | National Theatre Live: As You Like It | Amiens[28] |
2018  | Troubles | Liam[28] |
2018  | On the Town: BBC Proms | Chip  | Televised Live Performance at the Royal Albert Hall
2019  | Animals | Jim[33] | Sundance Feb 2019 premiere; Adelaide Film Festival pop-up April 2019
2020  | Boys From County Hell | William  |
2020  | Pixie | Fergus  |
2021  | Cinderella | Hench  |
2021  | The Laureate | Geoffrey Phibbs  | Motion Picture; Post-Production
2021  | Hawkeye | Kazimierz "Kazi" Kazimierczak | Disney+ series
2021  | Dalgliesh | Dominic Swayne  |
2022  | Scrooge: A Christmas Carol | Harry Huffman  | voice
2023  | Rebel Moon: Part One – A Child of Fire | Regent Balisarius  |

## Theatre credits[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Theatre  | Location

|
|
|
|

2009 | Dirty Dancing | Billy Kostecki | Piccadilly Theatre | West End
2009-10 | A Man of No Importance | Robbie | Arts Theatre | West End
2010 | Fame | Schlomo | — | Irish National Tour
2011 | Aladdin | Aladdin | Gaiety Theatre, Dublin | Dublin
2011-12 | Les Misérables | Jean Prouvaire
u/s Marius & Enjolras  | Queen's Theatre | West End
2012 | A Winter's Tale | Florizel | Greenwich Theatre | Off-West End
2013 | Follies | Young Buddy | Toulon Opera | Toulon
2013 | A Man of No Importance | Robbie | Salisbury Playhouse | Salisbury
2013 | A Little Night Music | Henrik Egerman | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre | Guildford
2013-14 | Candide | Candide | Menier Chocolate Factory | Off-West End
2014 | My Cousin Rachel | Phillip Ashley | Gate Theatre | Off-West End
2015 | A Little Night Music | Henrik Egerman | Palace Theatre | West End
2015 | Romeo & Juliet | Romeo | Gate Theatre, Dublin | Dublin
2015 | The Last Five Years | Jamie | Lyric Theatre, Belfast | Belfast
2015-16 | As You Like It | Amiens | National Theatre | London
2016 | Putting It Together | Man 2 | Lyric Theatre, Belfast | Belfast
2016 | The Wind in the Willows | Mole | — | UK National Tour
2017-18 | The Ferryman | Michael Carney | Royal Court Theatre / Gielgud Theatre | Off-West End / West End
2018 | West Side Story | A-Rab | Royal Albert Hall | London
2018 | On The Town | Chip | Royal Albert Hall | London
2019 | The Ferryman | Michael Carney | Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre | Broadway
2019 | The Clockmaker's Daughter | Will | Cadogan Hall | London
2019 | Translations | Owen | National Theatre | London
2022 | Cabaret | The Emcee | Playhouse Theatre | West End

## Awards and reviews[edit]

Year  | Award  | Category  | Film  | Result

|
|
|
|

2012 | National Board of Review of Motion Pictures | Best Acting by an Ensemble | Les Misérables | Won
Best Ensemble
San Diego Film Critics Society | Best Ensemble Performance | Nominated
Satellite Awards | Best Ensemble, Motion Picture | Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | Best Acting Ensemble
2013  | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Nominated
(Source: IMDb.com)

Reviewing Candide for The New York Times, Ben Brantley wrote that "Mr. Fee proved himself a most ingenious practitioner of ingenuousness, with a glorious tenor voice."[34] Also reviewing for Candide Libby Purves noted that "Fra Fee from Dungannon is a real find: innocent elfin face but a voice so deep, honeyed and flawless that your heart melts."[35] Reviewing My Cousin Rachel at the Dock Street Theatre, Charleston, Debra Charlton wrote "Playing the protagonist of this taut drama, Fra Fee portrays Philip's tormented journey through desire, guilt and suspicion with keen sensitivity and detail. His tour de force performance demonstrates immense emotional range and admirable control."[36] "Fra Fee as Philip Ashley does most of the heavy lifting in My Cousin Rachel. Rarely offstage during the entire two-plus-hour performance, Fee's stamina is incredible. Without melodrama, he convincingly portrays his character's appropriately gothic emotional swings and perfectly captures Philip's tragic flaw of youthful impulsiveness."[37]

## References[edit]

1. ^ Adair, Gordon (3 January 2013). "Les Misérables: Fra Fee on his role in the upcoming blockbuster". BBC News. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
2. ^ "Movie star Fra set to enjoy local Les Misérables premiere". Tyrone Times. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
3. ^ "Tyrone man' starring role in Les Mis, BBC. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
4. ^ a b "Winners of the 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced: David Tennant and Olivia Colman win". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
5. ^ "Hawkeye Season 1 (2021) | Cast, Characters, Release Date". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
6. ^ "Music graduate Fra Fee stars in Les Mis". MusicAtManchester.Blogspot.fr. February 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
7. ^ "Fee cast as Billy Kostecki in the West End production of Dirty Dancing". AccessMyLibrary.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
8. ^ "Fra Fee profile". Spotlight.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
9. ^ "Helena Blackman, Alastair Brookshaw, Fra Fee, and Pete Gallagher announced for A Winter's Tale". WestEnd.BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
10. ^ [1][dead link]
11. ^ "Fra Fee in A Man of No Importance". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
12. ^ [2][dead link]
13. ^ "Fra Fee to feature with Holly Conrad, Austin Jones, Joanna Riding and Hadley Fraser in A Little Night Music", Playbill. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
14. ^ Fee profile, BBC. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
15. ^ Fra Fee to star in Candide, along with Scarlett Strallen, David Thaxton, Ben Lewis, and Cassidy Janson, Playbill. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
16. ^ "My Cousin Rachel". Spoleto Festival USA. |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140313133421/http://spoletousa.org/events/my-cousin-rachel/ |archive-date=13 March 2014 |access-date=26 June 2014}}
17. ^ Monochrome (2016) at IMDb
18. ^ Shenton, Mark (10 October 2014). "Casting Announced for West End Concert Performance of A Little Night Music". Playbill. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
19. ^ "Romeo and Juliet". Gatetheatre.ie. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
20. ^ "The Last Five Years – Lyric Theatre, Belfast". 1 July 2015.
21. ^ "As You Like It | National Theatre | South Bank, London". Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
22. ^ "Cast and West End transfer confirmed for Sam Mendes' The Ferryman". WhatsOnStage.com. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
23. ^ "Grainger, Shawkat star in Sophie Hyde's Dublin-set comedy Animals". IF Magazine. 23 March 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
24. ^ "Prom 57: John Wilson conducts Bernstein's On the Town". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
25. ^ "Prom 39: West Side Story". BBC Music Events. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
26. ^ "The Ferryman". Broadway.com. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
27. ^ "Fra Fee". 54below.com. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
28. ^ a b c d Fra Free at IMDb
29. ^ Roy, David (23 November 2019). "Nothing is lost in Translations for Dungannon star Fra Fee". The Irish News.
30. ^ Thomas, Sophie (1 March 2022). "Fra Fee and Amy Lennox to star in Cabaret". London Theatre. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
31. ^ Fee, Fra (30 May 2020). "5:01 PM". Twitter. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
32. ^ Ganatra, Shilpa (26 May 2022). "Fra Fee: 'I was completely terrified of coming out in Northern Ireland'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
33. ^ Animals at IMDb
34. ^ Brantley, Ben (23 January 2014). "London Theater Journal: Stripped of Illusions, but Still Glittering and Gay". Artsbeat. The New York Times.
35. ^ "Candide \- Menier, SE1". 3 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
36. ^ Charlton, Debra (28 May 2014). "BWW Reviews: Dublin's Gate Theatre Presents My Cousin Rachel at the Spoleto Festival". Broadway World.
37. ^ Pandolfi, Elizabeth (21 May 2014). "Gate Theatre goes gothic with My Cousin Rachel". Charleston City Paper.

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fra Fee.

* Spotlight profile. Retrieved 26 June 2014

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

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* MusicBrainz