Isabella Pappas: A Rising Star of the Stage

Isabella Pappas made her impressive stage debut at just 11 years old in the Royal Court Theatre’s “The Nether” production, which later transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End. Her remarkable performance earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards, with The Huffington Post praising her as one of the year’s most impressive performances.

She continued to showcase her talent, receiving a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in 2020 for her role in “Appropriate” at The Donmar. Isabella’s latest triumph is her starring role as Joyce Maldonado in the West End’s highly acclaimed production of “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, directed by Stephen Daldry and produced by Sonia Friedman.

This prequel to the popular Netflix series, set in 1959, has been hailed as “the West End event of the year” by The Telegraph. The show won the prestigious Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2024 and the same honour at the WhatsOnStage Awards, with critics describing it as “breathtaking” and “spectacular.

Isabella Pappas has been showcasing her versatility in various roles. She currently stars as the lead in Disney’s live-action comedy series ‘The Villains of Valley View’, playing teenage supervillain ‘Havoc’ who must reinvent herself as ‘Amy’ in Texas. The show is now in its second season. In 2023, she also appeared in the BBC One drama ‘The Reckoning’, which chronicles the rise of Jimmy Savile, poignantly portraying one of his early victims. Additionally, in 2021, she played Charlotte in the six-part ITV drama ‘Finding Alice alongside Keeley Hawes and Joanna Lumley.

Isabella Pappas is a talented singer and musician, recognized as the British Theatre Academy’s Singer of the Year in 2019. Her musical theatre credits include starring as Annie in the UK Tour at just 13 years old, alongside Craig Revel Horwood, performances as Lucy in ’13 The Musical’ at the Minack Theatre in Cornwall, and as Skylar in ‘Bring It On’ at Southwark Playhouse, showcasing her versatility and talent in various roles.

Isabella Pappas has also made notable appearances on television, including Netflix and ITV’s crime drama series ‘Paranoid’ and Channel 4’s comedy series ‘Home’. Additionally, she possesses a unique linguistic versatility, effortlessly switching between Neutral English and Mid-Atlantic/American accents. Raised in Italy, Italian was her first language, and she retains a neutral Italian accent.

Her international education also enabled her to acquire a Mid-Atlantic/American accent, and she has further developed her language skills by teaching herself Spanish.

 

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