Zoë Roberts
{{Short description|21st century British writer and actress}}
{{Infobox actor
| image = ZoeRoberts-byPhilipRomano.jpg
| caption = Roberts at the Broadway Opening Night of Operation Mincemeat in 2025
| alma_mater = University of Warwick
| occupation = Actor, writer
| known_for = Operation Mincemeat (musical)
}}
Zoë Roberts is a British writer and stage actress best known for her work with the comedy groups Kill The Beast and SpitLip. She co-wrote and co-starred in the musical Operation Mincemeat, which won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.
Early life and education
Career
Roberts co-founded the comedy group Kill the Beast in 2012 alongside Natasha Hodgson, David Cumming, Ollie Jones, and Clem Garritty.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-30 |title=Who is Zoë Roberts |url=https://www.theatermania.com/stage-names/zoe-roberts/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Theater Mania |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Who is Zoë Roberts? Musicals, Operation Mincemeat and more |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/stage-names/zoe-roberts/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=WhatsOnStage |language=en-US}} Kill the Beast produced four stage productions, including The Boy Who Kicked Pigs{{Cite web |last=Wicker |first=Tom |date=March 16, 2013 |title=The Boy Who Kicked Pigs |url=https://exeuntmagazine.com/reviews/the-boy-who-kicks-pigs/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Exeunt}} (2013), He Had Hairy Hands{{Cite web |title=He Had Hairy Hands |url=https://www.killthebeast.co.uk/campaign-3 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Kill the Beast |language=en-US}} (2014), Don't Wake The Damp{{Cite web |title=Don't Wake The Damp |url=https://www.killthebeast.co.uk/campaign-2 |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Kill the Beast |language=en-US}} (2016), and Director's Cut{{Cite web |last=Worsley-Carter |first=Lorraine |date=2019-10-31 |title=Kill The Beast: Director's Cut at The Lowry: Review |url=https://quayslife.com/reviews/kill-the-beast-directors-cut-at-the-lowry-review/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Quays Life |language=en-GB}} (2019). With Kill the Beast, Roberts co-wrote and performed in the podcasts Who Exploded Vivien Stone{{Cite web |title=Who exploded Vivien Stone - Robert Delamere |url=https://robertdelamere.co.uk/productions/?i=50 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=robertdelamere.co.uk}} and Eglantine Whitechapel: Supernatural Detective.{{Cite web |title=Podcast of the week: Eglantine Whitechapel: Supernatural Detective |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/podcast-of-the-week-eglantine-whitechapel-supernatural-detective-1.3651665 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=The Irish Times |language=en}}
Hodgson, Cumming, and Roberts, with newcomer Felix Hagan, split off the group in 2017 to form SpitLip with the intention of creating "big dumb musicals."{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=Who is SpitLip? Musicals, Operation Mincemeat and more |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/stage-names/spitlip/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |language=en-US}} SpitLip's first musical, Operation Mincemeat, eventually transferred to the West End{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Stephi |title=OPERATION MINCEMEAT Transfers To Southwark Playhouse |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/OPERATION-MINCEMEAT-Transfers-To-Southwark-Playhouse-20191024 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}} and later Broadway,{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Stephi |title=Meet the Cast of OPERATION MINCEMEAT, Now in Previews on Broadway |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Meet-the-Cast-of-OPERATION-MINCEMEAT-Beginning-Previews-Tonight-on-Broadway-20250215 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}} winning the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-14 |title=Winners announced for 2024 Olivier Awards including Sunset Boulevard, Sarah Snook and Operation Mincemeat |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/winners-announced-for-2024-olivier-awards-including-sunset-boulevard-sarah-snook-and-operation-mincemeat_1592249/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |language=en-US}}
In addition to co-writing and co-composing Operation Mincemeat, Roberts originated the role of "Johnny Bevan & Others."{{Cite web |last=Wild |first=Stephi |title=Zoe Roberts Shares Backstage Secrets From OPERATION MINCEMEAT |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Zoe-Roberts-Shares-Backstage-Secrets-From-OPERATION-MINCEMEAT-20250401 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}} She was nominated for the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, though the award ultimately went to Amy Trigg for The Little Big Things.{{Cite web |title=Olivier Awards 2024 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/year/olivier-awards-2024/ |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}