Rising star Freya Karlettis on starring in 'SIX'

She’s gone from African princess to German queen, but this talented young SIX star is just getting started.

Summary

• Freya Karlettis started her career in The Lion King
• She now stars as Anna of Cleves in SIX The Musical
• SIX continues performances at the Vaudeville Theatre

Freya Karlettis has come a long way from the Pride Lands. A former Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion King, she’s since tackled life at sea as a performer, touring the UK — but now she’s ruling the West End, making her adult West End debut as Anna of Cleves in the smash hit queen power musical SIX. We meet a rising star with sass, staying power, and plenty to celebrate.

Book SIX tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

How did you get started with performing?
As a child, I always did any sort of performing I could do. I did little bits of child modelling here and there, a little TV show for Disney Channel, a little film for the BBC, and then I actually did The Lion King as Young Nala way back in 2010. I was really, really young — about seven or eight years old. Then that was it. I stopped doing musical theatre for quite a while because I was in school, making sure that I was studying. Right at the end of school, I was like, “Actually, I think I do want to continue and stay in musical theatre.” So I ended up going to Urdang Academy and trained there for three years. I graduated, did a couple of cruise ship contracts, then a UK tour of Play On! in 2024, and now here we are in SIX.

What was it like performing on cruise ships?
I loved it. I think cruise ships are really underrated. A lot of people overlook them, and I don’t know why, to be fair, because they have these big, full-scale musicals. I did Hairspray and played Little Inez. It was great. I mean, I can’t complain — you’re getting paid to travel and do a musical at the same time. It was pretty cool.

What was it like performing in The Lion King at such a young age?
It made so much sense for me to do The Lion King as a kid. I was such a little sasspot, and I think Nala is quite a sassy character. I used to get notes on toning my sass down! It was amazing. Weirdly, as an adult I bump into so many people I did the show with. On the last tour I did, I worked with Tanya Edwards, who was in the ensemble when I was in The Lion King. Shakira Simpson, who did SIX before me, and I did The Lion King together. And Tegan Bannister, who’s in the current cast of SIX, and I did Cub School [The Lion King’s youth training programme] together. It’s crazy.

What did you learn from the adults on that show?
To always have fun. There were only a few children in the show, so it was very adult-heavy, but they were great with us. We had so much fun. We’d do little gospel choirs, hang out, and play games. They really made sure we were all having fun, and I still keep that with me now. I make sure I’m always having fun in whatever job I do.

What’s life like in SIX? Do you ever feel like a pop star?
Many times I do feel like I’m Beyoncé! West End Live was the big moment for me where I was like, “Wow.” We all know how big SIX is, but when you’re actually doing it, the Vaudeville is quite a small theatre, so you don’t fully take it in. We also have in-ears in, so we don’t fully get the audience experience. Then we did West End Live without in-ears, in the middle of Trafalgar Square, and it was insane. Insane.

What’s it like performing with such a close-knit group on stage each night?
We got really, really close in rehearsals. Only three of the girls had done the show before, and the rest of us were brand new to it. Quite a few of us were also making our West End debuts, so it was a big thing for all of us. We bonded over how intense the show is, but it’s also just a massive girl group. We’re like a bunch of sisters — “Love you,” or, “You’ve annoyed me today,” that kind of thing! I’m also very fortunate that I’m doing it with literally one of my best friends, Imogen Rose Hart. We went to Urdang together and were in the same class, but this is our first job together. We had no idea we were both auditioning for the show until just before finals, and then we both booked it. She’s a swing, so she’s not on every night, but when she is on, it makes the show really special.

What would you like to do after SIX?
I’m quite open. I’d quite like to do another tour because the one I did last year was only six months, so maybe a longer one. But I’m also more than happy to stay in London because I live here. SIX was a bucket list musical for me, specifically this character as well. Anna of Cleves is just me all over. A lot of people think I’m playing a character, but really I am just playing myself — a very extreme, heightened, German version of myself!

Whose support has been most important in getting you here?
Of course, my family. They’ve supported me massively, especially with SIX, because it’s been a journey in itself. This was the fourth time I’d auditioned for the show. My friends have been a huge support too — Imogen is one of them, and all the friends I trained with have been so supportive throughout this journey. I’m very grateful for all of them.

Book SIX tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the October 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Freya Karlettis. (Courtesy of production). Inset: in SIX.