Biographie
Having spent most of her career on the West End Stage and in Concert Halls Worldwide, Ria not only returns to Wales, but to her first love....singing. With her three piece live band she creates an intimate evening, from Jazz to Blues interwoven with a few Musical Theatre songs.
Incorporating her musical memoirs and many songs from her soon to be released solo album 'Have You Met Miss Jones' Her beautiful, alluring and distinctively powerful voice fused with an elegant and inimitable stage presence will bewitch and beguile you, and you will undoubtedly leave with the unmistakable feeling of having 'Now Met Miss Jones'.
Ria Jones is an internationally renowned West End star of the highest calibre. She has performed in leading roles in numerous West End musicals, sung in Theatres and Concert halls worldwide. As well as performing as a soloist on three Royal Variety Shows she has also sung by royal request at Buckingham Palace. Ria has performed as a soloist to audiences in many of the worlds' finest venues, including innumerous West End Theatres, The Millennium Centre, The Palladium, The Theatre Royal Drury Lane, The Jubilee Theatre at Raffles Hotel Singapore and regularly at The Royal Albert Hall. Ria was also honoured to be picked to perform alongside Bryn Terfel, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey for the opening of the Welsh Assembly at Cardiff Bay.
Born and raised in Swansea, Ria was brought up surrounded by the rich heritage of Welsh music. Her mother was an Opera Singer and her father a successful cabaret entertainer, so it was inevitable at an early age that Ria Jones was destined for stardom. At 19 she became the youngest actress ever to play the role of Eva Peron in 'Evita', followed shortly by her West End debut in the musical 'Chess' in which she played both Svetlana and Florence. She went on to perform famed roles such as Grizabella in 'CATS', Fantine in 'Les Miserables, The Narrator in 'Joseph And His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' Liz Imbrie in 'High Society' Reno Sweeney in 'Anything Goes', alongside Marti Pellow in 'The Witches of Eastwick' among many other notable roles and more recently in Victoria Wood's most iconic role as Mrs Overall in 'Acorn Antiques' which she recently reprised when requested by Victoria Wood to appear in the 'Angina Monologues' at The Haymarket Theatre, London.
Ria's TV appearances include her own one-off special for BBC Wales entitled 'One Night Only with Ria Jones', Three televised Royal Variety Performances for the BBC, 'Wales in the West End' for HTV, a recently televised drama written by Victoria Wood, 'When Eric Met Ernie' and most recently an episode for the new series of Torchwood.
She has performed frequently with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at The Royal Albert Hall, and has personal accolades from Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. She has shared the stage with Tom Jones, Tony Bennett, Montserrat Caballe, Philip Schofield, Catherine Zeta-Jones Take That, Lulu, Ronnie Corbett, Angela Rippon, Aled Jones, Brian Adams, Jason Donovan, Elaine Paige, Joe Pasquale, Marti Pellow, Michael Ball....to name but a few.
Ria has recently released an album with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 'Abbaphonic' and is about to release her first solo album 'Have You Met Miss Jones?'
Ria Jones attracts attention and a following wherever she performs, due to her superb talent but also due to the charisma and warmth she exudes to those whom she performs to and comes in contact with. A pure class act!
