David Thaxton

David Thaxton (born 12 May 1982) is a Welsh singer, actor and musical theatre and opera performer. He starred in the Donmar Warehouse's Passion, for which he won the 2011 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

His West End credits include playing Enjolras and Javert in Les Misérables, The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Kevin T in Come from Away, and Raoul de Chagny in Love Never Dies. In 2023, he starred as Max von Mayerling in the West End revival of Sunset Boulevard and reprised the role for his Broadway debut in 2024. He was nominated for a second Olivier Award for his performance. He'll return to the West End in the summer of 2026 as Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar.

Early life and education Thaxton was born in Neath, South Wales. He attended Grimston Primary School and Springwood High School in King's Lynn, Norfolk, and subsequently won a scholarship to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, He won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Sondheim praised his performance for bringing the show "properly into focus" and making Giorgio the center of attention.

Thaxton portrayed Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny in the second cast of Love Never Dies, taking over from Joseph Millson who portrayed Raoul in the original cast. He played this role at the Adelphi Theatre until it closed on 27 August 2011.

From 23 November to 22 February 2013, Thaxton portrayed Maximilian in Candide at the Menier Chocolate Factory, alongside Fra Fee and Scarlett Strallen.

Unborn Twin Thaxton is a member of the band Unborn Twin (formerly Glasgow Coma Score). On 12 January 2012, they announced that they would be issuing their first EP (Distort and Merge EP) and on 12 April of the same year would play a concert at London's Bush Hall. Following on from this the band released the CD and download single "Suffer This", and have played several shows at venues such as Norwich Arts Centre, 93 Feet East and the Dublin Castle in Camden.

The Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard, and further success In October 2018, Thaxton played King Arthur in the London Musical Theatre Orchestra production of Camelot at the London Palladium. He starred opposite Savannah Stevenson and Charles Rice as Guenevere and Lancelot.

From December 2018 to May 2019, Thaxton played a limited engagement as The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera filling in for Tim Howar in the West End.

In September 2019, he joined the West End cast of Come from Away as Kevin T, Garth and others.

In 2023, he played Max von Mayerling in a West End revival of Sunset Boulevard. He made his Broadway debut when the production transferred in 2024. He played his final performance in the role on 8 June 2025 and was replaced by Jordan Donica.

Theatre credits + List of David Thaxton theatre credits Year Title Role Theatre Location2004 The Tailors Daughter Wolf Welsh National Youth Opera Cardiff Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Sweeney Todd Norwich Playhouse Norwich 2005 Trial By Jury Foreman St David's Hall Cardiff 2005–2007 Les Misérables Courfeyrac / Bamatabois / Ensembleu/s Enjolrasu/s The Bishop of Digne Queen's Theatre West End 2008–2010 Enjolras 2010 Passion Giorgio Bachetti Donmar Warehouse Off-West End 2011 Love Never Dies Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny Adelphi Theatre West End 2013 Candide Maximillian Menier Chocolate Factory Off-West End 2014–2015 Les Misérables Inspector Javert Queen's Theatre West End 2015 The Olivier's in Concert Himself BBC Concert Orchestra London 2016 Jesus Christ Superstar Pontius Pilate Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 20172018 Les Misérables Inspector Javert Queen's Theatre West End Camelot King Arthur London Palladium 2018–2019 The Phantom of The Opera The Phantom of the Opera Her Majesty's Theatre 2019–2020 Come from Away Kevin T, Garth & Others Phoenix Theatre 2020 Jesus Christ Superstar Pontius Pilate Regent's Park Open Air Theatre London 2021 The Sorcerer's Apprentice Johan Gottel Southwark Playhouse Off-West End 2021-2022 She Loves Me Georg Nowack Crucible Theatre Sheffield 2022-2023 Les Misérables Inspector Javert Sondheim Theatre West End 2023-2024 Sunset Boulevard Max von Mayerling Savoy Theatre 2024-2025 St. James Theatre Broadway 2025 Roam Philippe Shaftesbury Theatre West End 2026 Jesus Christ Superstar Pontius Pilate London Palladium 2026–2027 Theatre Royal, Drury Lane

Accolades