Posts with the label Q&A
Showing posts with label Q&A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Q&A. Show all posts

Friday 27 April 2018

In Conversation With... Lizzie Winkler | Quiz | Interview

Quiz is one of the hottest plays on in the West End right now. Transferred from Chichester Festival Theatre, it is an immersive experience which examines the conviction of 'the coughing Major', Charles Ingram, following his appearance on Who Wants to be a Milionaire? Lizzie Winkler plays a variety of roles in the show and sat down to talk about that experience as well as who'd she's share a million pounds with...


Hi! You've had a varied career so far. What have some of your highlights been?
This! 


Can you tell me a little about Quiz and your role in it?
I play the most characters, ranging from real people Claudia Rosencrantz (Head of light entertainment for ITV), Ruth Settle (Head of Marketing for the show) Alyn Morris (cough doctor) to characters whose names I've been allowed to make up, police officer (PC Jill Salmon) attractive assistants (Denise Body and Kirsty Sparkle) Pregnant Juror (Alison De Winter) Court Stenographer (Linda Bland) I really enjoy creating characters' back stories and histories even if they don't have lines. 


What do you think people will be saying as they leave the theatre after experiencing Quiz?
"What did you vote?". "Do you think they are innocent?" and hopefully "that was amazing "


Can you sum up the play in five words?
Entertaining, interactive, thought-provoking, political, human.


What has your favourite immersive/interactive theatrical experience been?
All the Punchdrunk shows. 


If you won Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? who would you share your money with?
Whoever asked the nicest. 


If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
I write television comedy, with Emma Jerrold I would get one of our shows commissioned and be in it. 


Finally, what's your number one piece of advice for aspiring performers? 
Be yourself and work hard!

Thank you so much Lizzie for taking the time to do this interview. Quiz runs at the Noel Coward Theatre until 16th June.

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

In Conversation With... Lizzie Winkler | Quiz | Interview

Friday 27 April 2018

Saturday 7 April 2018

In Conversation With... Rachel Tucker | An Evening with Jason Robert Brown | Interview


If you google 'busy people' Rachel Tucker will surely come up. Always working on something new and exciting, Rachel is one of the hottest things both in London and New York. Set to star in the one night only An Evening with Jason Robert Brown concert at the Palladium, Rachel sat down to discuss everything about the concert and gave us an exclusive on what's next for her across the pond!


What’s the rehearsal process been like for this concert?
I haven't actually started yet! I've been rehearsing on my own but we do Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and then the show Wednesday night cause Jason's coming over. We have the scheduling and it's like 10-5.30 so it's gonna be... intense. We have a piano rehearsal with Jason on our own and then all together and there's back-up vocalists and singers and stuff, so, it's gonna be very intense. I'm really excited!


You’ve performed some of Jason’s songs before, can we expect to hear those or new ones in the concert?
Actually a bit of both. I have, what is called my 'handbag song' which I love and it's Stars and Moon that I sing at any given opportunity. It's my favourite classic Jason Robert Brown and... I don't know if I should say what else I'm singing or if it should be a surprise?!

How about a clue?
Okay well there's another old one and two more modern ones...

Very vague!
Okay so one is a really new, updated one that he wrote for a girl in a wheelchair, actually, a 13 year old girl. He wrote it very specifically so I'm really buzzed about that and singing some really lovely, brilliant songs.


Who or which song are you most excited for the audience to hear?
I'm a massive fan of Betsy Wolfe and Norm [Lewis]. I sang with Norm in New York on the Pulse charity single we did over there with Seth Rudetsky. Norm is just fabulous, and Betsy, I just can't wait to hear her sing live and to sing on the same stage as her!

Just to hear it all put together and to hear the best of Jason's work. He's chosen what he wants us to sing so we've had no say in it, he's chosen specifically what he wants to hear... I mean we've a little bit of a choice but it's very much his show and his showcase and that's what's so special about it; to be able to actually do what it is that he would love to be showcased.


If you could be in any Jason Robert Brown musical, which would you choose?
Goodness me! I would love to play the wife in Parade who sings You Don't Know This Man which is a fab song. What else? I love The Last Five Years- there's so many and they're all so good. I'd love to do Bridges of Madison County cause it's so beautiful. He's just so talented and his music stretches so far and into different genres and I love how much he pushes the musicians and the singers at the same time, it's really wonderful.


Why should people come to this concert?
I mean I just cannot wait to hear his stuff played with a 60-piece orchestra- the BBC Orchestra- that for me is just going to be so exciting. I've always been a huge fan ever since I first heard his music and I think the selection of stuff you'll hear with this orchestra and Jason playing -and I'm sure introducing songs and saying how and where they came about- it's going to be electric! It's gonna be like nothing anyone's every seen before, or heard before and it's live, live in London! Come from far and wide and get tickets cause it's gonna be one in a million!

While we’re talking I thought you'd like to plug your upcoming NY concerts?! 
Yeah! So 54 Below, I'm very, very excited to go back in August, in summer so maybe more people can get out and over. I mean I haven't even started thinking about the show but I wanna do a real mixture of my favourites and some new stuff. I've had a lot of experience this last 4/5 months with new music and being sent stuff and learning stuff for auditions that I've just fallen in love with. All this new stuff that I would never have heard; so I'd really love to show that. Yeah I feel very excited about new stuff that has landed on my lap so I'm really excited to put a show together of it!


Sounds very exciting! Will you be coming back or are you planning on staying over there?
I don't know! I've been auditioning like crazy there and here and nothings solid yet so I don't know!? There's a big question around that!

I am doing the Williamstown Festival which is in New York over the summer, so, this is an exclusive!... It's a brand new musical that's happening now called Lempicka! I don't know if you know it?

That's amazing! Yeah it has the song Woman Is in it right? [side note: go listen to Woman Is because it's stunning!]

Yes, a beautiful song! So I'm doing the production of it, playing one of the parts with Carmen Cusack. I don't know who else is involved but it's a brand new piece and I'm really excited. So that's July/August at the Williamstown Festival that I'll be doing that! Then my gigs at 54 Below so a summer in New York!

The dream! Will Woman Is be one of your songs then?
Yeah it will be actually! The stuff from the show is just amazing. I'm really really chuffed to be on it and the creative team is great. The lady who directed The Great Comet, Rachel Chavkin is directing it so the creative team is amazing and it's nice to be involved in something new, so come and watch!


How exciting is all of that!? A huge thank you to Rachel for chatting with me, be sure to book your tickets for An Evening with Jason Robert Brown on Wednesday 11th April

Interview by editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Danny Kaan


In Conversation With... Rachel Tucker | An Evening with Jason Robert Brown | Interview

Saturday 7 April 2018