KRISTOFER HARDING - Actor

Kris Smith performed in a number of JoG school and HTC shows and also appeared on stage at the Corn Exchange in Newbury.  He first joined CHTC in the junior chorus of the 1992 Town Show Annie.  He went on to feature as Barnaby Tucker in the 1996 production of Hello, Dolly!, in 1997 as Arthur Kips in Half a Sixpence and as Perchick in the 1998 show Fiddler on The Roof, also as Tom, the dopy vet in the HTC production of Alan Ayckbourn's comedy, Round and Round The Garden. 

Kris was set to play the Ringmaster in the 1999 production of Barnum but, aged only 19, he won a coveted place with the National Youth Music Theatre (more of which below). Said Kris "I was so elated when I heard I'd got in. I'm very excited and honoured - it's going to be a great experience".  Said director David Clayton "We are thrilled at Kris's well-deserved success".  Kris returned to HTC in 1999 as Theseus in Rape of the Belt and as prompt for The Haunted Through Lounge & Recessed Dining Nook at Farndale Castle!  His most recent appearance with CHTC was as undertaker Mr Sowerby in the 2001 production of Oliver!

In 1998 Kris was selected from 3000 hopefuls wanting to perform with the National Youth Music Theatre and with them he completed two national tours. He played the Wolf (picture right) and Cinderella's Prince Charming in Sondheim's Into the Woods and Diggory in Howard Goodall and Charles Hart's The Kissing Dance.

Kristofer went on to the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts where he graduated with a first class honours degree in musical theatre. His most recent role at the college was as Riff in West Side Story.

In 2006, under the stage name of Kristofer Harding, he made his professional debut in The Last Five Years (Menier Chocolate Factory) where he understudied the lead role of Jamie. 

His first starring role came as Rusty in the 2007 UK tour of Starlight Express.  He said in one interview "I couldn't have wished for a better start to my career".  "It's impossible not to get enthusiastic about it. Everything is just so fast and bright and every show is different in as much as you never know whether you'll go on stage and fall flat on your face or make someone else to trip up or anything. You have to be on it all the time and so focussed its almost impossible for the audience not to get excited in return".  In another he noted "Everything we do on stage is live.  When we come to a break in the show that requires one of us to sing solo, it means we can't be out of breath.  We're given scheduled holidays and, even then whilst the show is running, we have to maintain our fitness levels.  It's pretty hard but its more than worth it because Starlight is such a great show to be in".

The audiences and critics loved both Kris and the show.  Said one reviewer "Rusty leads the show in singing the eponymous Starlight Express and it was with this song that actor Kristofer Harding really won the audience's heart.  He gave a performance that was subtle and endearing, yet had the effect of pulling on the audience's heart strings like a 100 ton locomotive.  It's hard to believe that such a talented young actor has only just completed his training.  Said another "Kristofer Harding  ... was superb as  .. Rusty, a steam engine with dreams of winning the heart of new girl on the block, Pearl.  That he is a talent in the making there can be little doubt, as Kristofer threw all of his energy into the role ...  His singing of the signature song was both haunting and uplifting enough to draw ooh's from every corner of the auditorium".  And another "The leading couple, Rusty and Pearl (Gemma Atkins) are both effortlessly excellent singers; so much so that for quite a while I suspected that they couldn’t skate and had been imported for their voices. Not so!"

Kris next joined the West End cast of Grease The Musical and, from June 2008, was playing the role of Roger (one of the T-Birds), at the Piccadilly Theatre.  He was also Understudy for Vince/Teen angel.  Kris is pictured right with fellow cast members: X-Factor finalist Ray Quinn (Doody) and Kristina Macmillan (Cha Cha). 

Kris may currently be enjoying a spell working as an performer on cruise ships before auditioning for more West End roles.  If you know any more details, please let us know. We will try to keep this page updated with Kris's progress and we wish him the best of luck for the future.

(Pictured below is Kris in Hungerford: Left -  with the cast of Round & Round The Garden
Centre - Reading the script of Into The Woods and Right - on stage in Oliver!)