Sam Tutty

Born in Crawley in 1998, Sam Tutty is currently starring in Jim Barne and Kit Buchan’s musical Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) at the Criterion Theatre in the West End.

He is best known for his West End debut as Evan in Dear Evan Hansen. He originated the role in London, following in the footsteps of Ben Platt who originated the character of Evan Hansen on Broadway.

Tutty spent the first decade of his life in West Sussex, before moving north to Hull. He later returned down south and attended Imberhorne Secondary School, whose alumni include 9 to 5 star Louise Redknapp. During his school years, he appeared in a number of productions including The Wizard of Oz.

After compulsory schooling, Tutty trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, later making his off-West End debut as Daniel in Once on this Island. His performance at Southwark Playhouse was widely praised, and a career in the West End looked promising. Tutty was originally cast as the alternate Evan for Dear Evan Hansen, however he was later promoted to the titular character.

His first performance as Evan was on 9 October 2019, ahead of an official opening night on 19 November 2019. In a review for LondonTheatre.co.uk, Mark Shenton said: “Tutty is another discovery, who pulls off the rare trick of projecting adolescent angst and insecurity with paradoxically confident ease. With his strawberry blonde hair and slight physical bearing, he embodies a nerdy character… There's a truthfulness to his acting - and a robust singing voice - that makes him feel utterly authentic and intensely moving.” In 2020, Tutty won an Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical.