Renu Arora is an award-winning disabled artist (actor, singer and writer) and public figure of South Asian heritage, with a body of work spanning 20 years.

A classically trained actor and singer (Royal Central School of Speech and Drama), she creates original work defined by emotional precision and artistic range.

Renu has worked as a mainstream actor across major theatres in the UK. Her original projects have been commissioned by Arts Council England, the Royal Literary Fund and national theatres, streamed internationally and featured widely across the BBC. She has worked with major venues including Royal Shakespeare Company, London’s Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, New Vic Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Soho Theatre, Leicester Curve, Riverside Studios, and Theatre Royal Stratford East. She has also collaborated with Tamasha, Tara Arts and Kali Theatre. 

Renu has created several of her own shows supported by Arts Council England. These include Women of Hope, a piece of verbatim musical theatre around domestic violence produced in association with Amnesty International, and The Crossing, a piece of verbatim theatre charting Renu’s family story of the partition of India. The Crossing won the London Hub’s Mosaic Bursary.

In 2017, Renu experienced a life-changing accident. She was hit by a bus, which led to a near-death experience (NDE). Overnight, her mobility changed, and she is now a disabled artist and wheelchair-user. 

In 2020 BBC Radio commissioned Renu to write, compose and perform three pieces – a Pandemic Trilogy - about her accident and NDE. These had an overwhelming audience response, jamming the BBC switchboard with callers.

In 2021 and 2022, Renu completed a season at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) playing Madame LaVaughn, a principal role in The Magician‘s Elephant. Renu earnt glowing reviews in The Guardian, The Arts Desk, What’s On Live, and Birmingham Live.

“Great pathos, comedic talent, and a dazzling voice” – Marc Teitler, Composer (The Magician’s Elephant, RSC)

“Renu Arora’s Madame [LaVaughn] is the high point of the production.” - Susannah Clapp, The Guardian

In 2025 on World Trauma Day, Renu released the single Liferaft into Tomorrow. The song is a reflection on the power of music. Following her near-death experience, songwriting became both an anchor and a lifeline for Renu.

Renu currently is working with Erica Whyman (Director ‘Ben & IMO, RSC), Marc Teitler (Composer - The Magician’s Elephant, RSC), and Sita Brahmachari (Author and recipient of the Waterstones Book Prize and 2025 Malorie Blackman Impact Award), to create The Burgundy Book. The concept album is funded by Arts Council England and Help Musicians, and supported by The Kiln, The Riverside Studios, The Space, Disability Arts Online (DAO) and Graeae.

As a 2025 Artist in Residence at Arts Depot, Renu and her team are carrying out research and development towards a digitally immersive stage adaptation of her concept album, The Burgundy Book. 

Awards and recognition that Renu has received include:

• Shortlisted for Unlimited UK Open Awards (2024)

• Shortlisted for the BBC Arts Commissioning Round, Radio 4 (2024)

• Founding member of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Freelance Consultation Group (2022)

• The NRI (non-resident Indian) Award for ‘Most Empowered and Courageous Artist’ (2022)

• Finalist for the BBC Culture in Quarantine Initiative (2021)