Elsie de Brauw was born in 1960 in The Hague (Netherlands). She studied acting at the Theatre Academy in Maastricht from 1984 to 1988. She had previously studied theology and received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Groningen. She performed with the theatre groups Fact, Bonheur, Het Zuidelijk Toneel and was a member of the Hollandia theatre group. Afterwards she was engaged at the NTGent and the Münchner Kammerspiele and performed in productions of the Salzburger Festspiele and the Ruhrtriennale. She has worked with directors such as Johan Simons, Ivo van Hove, Jossi Wieler, Alvis Hermanis, Alain Platel and Benny Claessens. For her role as Myrtle in Opening Night (directed by Ivo van Hove) she was awarded the Theo d'Or for Best Actress in 2006. In 2011 she received another Theo d'Or for her role in Gif (Gift. Eine Ehegeschichte) (directed by Johan Simons). Elsie de Brauw also appears regularly in Dutch and international films and television series. For her interpretation in Tussenstand (directed by Mijke de Jong) she was awarded the Gouden Kalf as best leading actress at the 2007 Dutch Film Festival. She teaches acting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. In the Netherlands, she established the foundation and the primary school project of the same name, Kunst in de klas, which she will adapt for Bochum under the title Künste in der Klasse. Since the 2018/2019 season she is a member of the ensemble of Schauspielhaus Bochum.
Current roles:
- Mary Cavan Tyrone in Eines langen Tages Reise in die Nacht
Past roles:
- Stariza Sossima / Teufel in Die Brüder Karamasow
- Amme, Dienerin in Alkestis
- Jokaste in Ödipus, Herrscher
- Marchesa Ricciarda Cibo in Lorenzaccio
- Rebecca in Asche zu Asche
- With in Die Befristeten
- Episode 13 in Aus der Rolle fallen
- Gift. Eine Ehegeschichte
- Für immer
- Orest in Mossul
- Concept and conduct in Künste in der Klasse