Posts with the label interviews
Showing posts with label interviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interviews. 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
Monday 23 April 2018
We Won! | UK Blog Awards 2018: A Thank You
Hello Stagey people,
This is a much more informal post than those you usually see on Rewrite This Story but I really wanted to post about this as I'm so overwhelmed by the achievement. Last Friday at the Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square, Rewrite This Story was awarded the UK Blog Award in the Business Arts and Culture Category!
Now when I say I didn't expect to win, I'm not just saying it to be humble. Although I think this site and all it's stageyness is wonderful, I really didn't think we had a chance against amazing blogs such as Ticketmaster, Heritage Daily (who won the highly commended award- congratulations!) and Eight Ray Music. But against all the odds- we won!
I don't want to drag this out but I truly want to send my deepest thanks to everyone who is a part of this site. Firstly, thank you to our amazing reviewers! This site wouldn't work without you. Thanks to you guys we have consistent theatrical reviews, interviews, news and opinion pieces. Our reviewers range from age 14 all the way to 78 which is incredible and just proves how universal theatre is.
Secondly, thank you to all the readers! Thank you for supporting us, continuing to read our posts, and commenting and interacting with Rewrite This Story on it's social platforms. Thank you for voting and supporting us. Also thank you to Head Judge Gina Akers and the Arts and Culture judge Tamsin Ace for believing in the blog enough to vote for us! Other than the feeling of watching a show, the joy of theatre is being able to share it with others and I am so happy that this site has become a hub for that.
On a personal note I want to thank my family and friends for putting up with all my theatrical adventures and going on's. Although I now have an amazing team of reviewers who are extremely helpful and supportive, I started this site alone and it's taken a lot of graft to get to this point. There have been many emotional, stressed moments and I truly couldn't have gotten through it without my amazing support network. I've got to give my mum a special mention (not only because she'll be furious if I don't) she is my number one supporter and Rewrite This Story couldn't have got where it is without her. She contributes emotionally as well as reviewing on the site herself! Thanks mum!
This award isn't just for this site though. This award is for the theatre community as a whole. I truly hope this is a step forward for us all and that it's an entry way for us to be a bigger part of the universal blogging community. Theatre bloggers really are a force to be reckoned with and I can't wait to see what we all achieve in the future!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. The future is certainly stagey!
Olivia, Editor x
Thursday 12 April 2018
In Conversation With... Rachel Lumberg | The Band | Interview
Rachel Lumberg is an award winning actress who has been in a whole host of shows from The Full Monty to Romeo and Juliet. She's currently starring as Rachel in the UK tour of The Band. She sat down with me to discuss everything about the show! It's a fairly long but super interesting interview so grab a cuppa and settle down...
Have you always wanted to be a performer? Did you have any random childhood ambitions?
I did have random dreams- I wanted to be a nurse! You know so many of us had those dress up nurses outfits when we were little.
I also went into fashion at school when we took our options but it just didn't appeal to me. I'd always loved drama but didn't really know what area to be involved in. So I started the fashion course and it wasn't really working for me so I went to our head of year and said I'd like to do drama, and she let me change. So ever since then ( I would've been 14) I've been doing this.
It was actually the film-maker, John Hughes -who made the likes of Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club- who I was a huge fan of growing up- who got me very interested in film. Then when I changed to the drama option at school and we started going to the theatre a lot I discovered that this is my love.
Could you explain a little about The Band and how your character Rachel fits into it?
Rachel is the driving force in bringing the girls back together again. She is the protagonist of the story really. She opens the show with a memory.. She begins by telling the audience how she grew up with a boy band and then ‘Boom’ we’re immediately transported back to my bedroom, my younger self (played utterly superbly by Faye Christall) and the incredible tunes of a certain boy band of 1993. It’s a double denim feast for your eyes!!
You then meet all of Rachel’s friends. Each as loyal to each other and to the band as the next one.. They get to see the boys ‘live in concert’ and then on the way home from the gig, tradgedy strikes which changes the girls’ lives dramatically.
Fast forward 25yrs and here we see Rachel again pretty much living the life she dreamt off... or is she? She hasn’t seen her school friends for over 25yrs.. yet she enters and wins a competition to go and see the boys live again on their reunion tour.. is this the time to maybe have a reunion of her own?? Well-you’ll have to come and see the show to find that out..
Tim Firth has written a beautiful story of friendship and the love and influences that come with that..add to that the stunning music of Take That and how could you not want to come and see it?
What attracted you to show? Other than your name, are you and Rachel alike in any way?
I've known Tim [Firth] for a very long time, almost 10 years, as well as David [Pugh] and Dafydd [Rogers], this is my second show with all of them and they're absolutely wonderful.
Rachel and I are alike. Our producers David and Dafydd always said that she's called Rachel for a reason which is incredibly flattering. Rachel has comedy and is very caring and fiercely loyal. Simple things, the love of her family and friends and their happiness are of utmost importance to her.. so there are definitely similarities between her and myself.
More so I think with lovely Faye [Christall] who plays 16 year old me; it's weird seeing someone play you! We spent a lot of time together watching each other and watching out for the little habits we all have to make sure it seems truthful that we're the same person.
My mum came to see the show on press night and she said "that is her, that's Rachel at that age"... It's quite frightening! So I think both Faye and I are quite similar to each other and to Rachel.
The show focusses on how music influences our lives. Which musicians have inspired you?
I'm a bit of an all-rounder really. I'm one of those people that if I like a song, I like it! I was a fan of Take That, I wasn't necessarily hardened but I was a fan of them. I'm a big fan of Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet- they were more my era 'cause I'm a little bit older than Rachel.
My huge influence growing up was more 60s because of my mum and dad. It was the likes of Gerry and the Pacemakers, Fats Domino all of that kind of music that my parents had on in the background.
On my wall were actors mainly, not musicians. There was James Dean, of course; it was mainly theatre and film actors that influenced my teenage years. Then when I got older, and absolutely when Take That reformed, I really, really enjoyed their music and I went to see them before I was ever involved in this!
Besides yourself, which actor in the production is going to blow people away?
You know I think most people that come, leave thinking "I was not expecting that" so it's the show that blows people away. A lot of people of course, are expecting the story of Take That but it isn't that, and that is absolutely not what they wanted. This show is a thank you to their fans for 25 years of loyalty. They were trying to find a way to do that, they always wanted Tim [Firth] to do it and they managed to.
The boys are phenomenal. There's always been the "oh they got them off a telly show", but they absolutely blow you away. The young girls are phenomenal, the older women, you know, everybody stands out in this.
What have people been saying as they leave the theatre?
What we've found is: "wow","wasn't expecting that", "you've relived my youth for me", "I've laughed, I've cried, I've danced, I've clapped", "I want to see it again". I've never really been in a show where we've had people see it more than once. We've got people on their 14th and 15th time, it's incredible how they come back.
As an actor you play to your crowd but it's also important that the audience listen and I've found that they really listen with this show. You can absolutely hear the listening. Some theatres are a little bit rowdier than others, especially on a Friday and Saturday but it's one of those shows that people are coming out of and booking more tickets straight away. So that's a huge compliment to us.
Also, the majority of the audience are in their forties because they grew up with Take That but they're bringing their children and their partners and their mums and dads so it's lovely. The other day there was a lady in the grand circle in her seventies who came out of her seat and she had her arms in the air like everybody else and that's exactly what it's about! Older women have also contacted us to say that we're telling their story, we didn't expect that and the contact we've had from them has been incredible and very heartwarming.
I would love to watch our show (with me in) to see and realise truly the effect it has.
If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
It would be one that I've already done and left actually, one of Tim's other shows and hopefully timing will let me do it again and that's This Is My Family. I do still have many roles i’d love to play that remain un-ticked on my bucket list. Some I am now too old to play and therefore will have to remain on the list, and some I’m (surprisingly) still too young to play.. so I live in hope!!
My casting bracket and skill set allows for character roles and I adore these. Complex characters that come with comedy and pathos that an audience member can relate wholeheartedly to... more characters similar to Rachel in The Band, I suppose. But above all, I just want to continue to work at the what I simply adore doing, and that is being out there, on stage, for you guys, 8 shows a week, for as long as I can and as long as audiences want to see me... I truly love my job!
If you could travel back to any era, when would you go to and why?
ohhhhh interesting! I would go back... to the 40s and 50s. Mainly for the beautiful costumes! And the incredible music! There's a tv series called A Place to Call Home that's set in the 50s, it's so beautifully designed and the costumes and cars are so fabulous. I'm just like "yes please, I would like that!"
Finally, what’s your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?
Always put money away for tax! Always take a percentage of your salary each week and put it into an account you can't touch and then you won't be hit with anything you're not prepared for!
I wholly believe that if your heart says you want to do it then do it. It's not an easy career, I mean, for me to be in this envious position of having a role written with me in mind to play it, has taken 28 years, so I can only say to anyone: stick at it and always follow your dreams. If you don’t follow them, someone else will!!
Keep at it, you'll get there; there might be different routes you have to take but don't ever take it personally. When you get a no, just move on, it's rarely personal. It's very rarely to do with your own skill and talent, it's just that you're not right.
But if you have a dream, follow it, do your best and put money aside for tax!
A massive thank you to Rachel for taking the time to do this interview. The Band is country touring round the country, tour dates and ticket information can be found here.
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Matt Crockett
Monday 9 April 2018
In Conversation With... Jason Robert Brown | An Evening with Jason Robert Brown | Interview
Last week I posted my interview with Rachel Tucker all about her participation in the upcoming concert, An Evening with Jason Robert Brown at the London Palladium starring Betsy Wolfe and Norm Lewis. I was also lucky enough to do a brief interview with the main man himself, Jason Robert Brown, to get you even more excited for the concert!
You're finally coming back to London! I know people are very excited already but what can they expect from this concert?
A little bit of everything! I’m doing songs from most of my shows, two new suites with the orchestra, and lots of stuff from my new album, How We React and How We Recover, which will be out on Ghostlight Records in June.
If you could bring any of your shows over here as a full production in the West End, which would you choose?
Can’t we do them all? In repertory, or something?
Why do you love musical theatre so much?
I probably don’t love it as much as the people reading this article, but I love music and I love theatre, so I can’t really resist the combination. I love it when I can go on an adventure with a piece of music and it helps to illuminate character and story. I really don’t know any other medium that would let me do that.
If you could collaborate with any composer or performer, who would you choose?
I’m still waiting for my moment with Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’ll happen.
What's your number one piece of advice for aspiring composers?
If it doesn’t sound good, fix it. If it doesn’t make sense, fix it. Just because people applaud doesn’t mean it’s good. Make sure it’s always good.
Thanks so much to Jason for taking the time to do this interview. Wednesday's concert is certainly not one to be missed! An Evening with Jason Robert Brown takes place on April 11th
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Erika Kapin
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
Interview by editor, Olivia Mitchell
photo credit: Danny Kaan
Wednesday 4 April 2018
In Conversation With... Siubhan Harrison | The Country Wife | Interview
Siubhan Harrison stars as Alithea in the 1920s play, The Country Wife which opens tonight at the Southwark Playhouse. Siubhan told me about her role in the show, the 20s world, audience reactions and more...
Can you explain a little about The Country Wife and how your character Alithea fits into it?
The Country Wife is about a society of sexual liberation where Harry Horner poses as a eunuch in front of men in order to sleep with their wives without suspicion! He meets Margery the young beautiful country wife of Pinchwife, when she comes to London, we soon see Pinchwife lose her to the fun of the bright young things society as her eyes are opened to how town people conduct their relationships and searches for what makes her happy instead of her constricting loveless marriage. Alithea is Pinchwifes’ sister, who is due to marry Sparkish for what we suspect may be financial and social convenience for the pair of them but when she meets his friend Frank Harcourt who pursues her and offers her the possibility of happiness we see her turmoil.
What attracted you to the role of Alithea? Are you alike at all?
Alithea is fabulous, cutting, searing honesty and an absolute hostess, the image of the 1920s glamour girl! I wish I was like her... in real life I’m very clumsy and geeky!
How has it been immersing yourself into the 20s world? What do you enjoy the most?
1920s is so much fun, pretending to be a bright young thing has been a hedonistic, liberating party!
What do you think people will be saying and feeling as they leave the theatre after seeing the show?
Hopefully they’ll laugh, it’s amazing how a play written over 340 years ago can still be so accessible, the language and humour is brilliant!!! The era is so evocative and sexy!
Can you sun up the show in 5 words?
Debauched, funny, liberating, hedonistic, glamorous
If you had a magic wand, which show would you do next?
A spy film! Or a Pinter play
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring performers?
Be playful, be brave!
Massive thanks to Siubhan for taking the time to do this interview. The Country Wife runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 21st April .
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
Massive thanks to Siubhan for taking the time to do this interview. The Country Wife runs at the Southwark Playhouse until 21st April .
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
Saturday 31 March 2018
In Conversation With... Carrie Hope Fletcher | When The Curtain Falls (Album) | Interview
Carrie Hope Fletcher must be one of the busiest people in the West End. During the last few years she's managed to write 4 books (and a novella), perform in various shows and concerts, continually upload YouTube videos and blog posts AND record and release an album. Her work ethic, bubbly personality and sincerity makes her a role model for many people and her debut album When The Curtain Falls is just another branch of motivational vibes for people to cling on to. I sat down with Carrie at her album launch to ask her a few questions about it...
What do you think will surprise people most about this album?
Well my dad's playing on it for a start, bless him. There's a song on the album, Summertime, which was the first song I ever learnt, my dad taught it to me so it only felt right to put my dad in the album. We've sort of rearranged some of the songs from how you'd usually hear them. Tom Barnes is the orchestrator on the album and he's done an incredible job of making the songs still sound like the songs we all know and love but just given them a sort of musical makeover.
What was the hardest thing about narrowing it down to just 12 songs?
Oh it was so hard to pick 12 tracks cause, how in the history of musical theatre do you pick 12 songs to fill 12 slots on an album? It was near impossible but every song has got a sentimental reason behind it for me personally and some of them remind me of pivotal moments in my life. It might have been a soundtrack that I was listening to at the time of something big going on in my life. So I feel like when you listen to the album from start to finish, for me especially, it feels like a good representation of my musical theatre soul.
If you could pick anyone, dead or alive to be on your next album, who would you choose?
I would pick the Sherman Brothers- I knew both of them. Bob Sherman who passed away a few years ago was a really dear friend of mine because he wrote the music to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins, both of which I was in as a child, so our families sort of became friends and he moved to London and stayed in London for about 10 years. He sort of became my adopted grandfather; we used to go over and visit him and make him earl grey tea and it'd be lovely to sing with him again.
How would you sum up the album in five words?
Oh 5 words! Normally I get 3, this is nice! Splashing out... maybe that's too many! Okay: magical, warm I'd say cause every song has got such warmth and love and passion behind it. Empowering, I hope! There's lots of songs on there that have been sung by amazing women and have been written by powerful women so I've sort of given my best shot at those. Childlike, I feel like there's an element of childlike wonder cause I remember how I felt as a kid, watching musical theatre and how it made me feel and that's kind of like why I do it now and I hope that when young kids come to the theatre and watch me on stage I can kind of in-still that in them as well. And enchanting is my final word. Only because when people ask how you'd like to be described as they walk away (not necessarily how they will describe me as they walk away!) But what I'd like them to, is enchanting.
Thank you so much to Carrie for having me at her press launch and taking the time on the night to answer some questions. Carrie's beautiful album, When The Curtain Falls is out now so go buy it! Enter my giveaway to win a signed copy of the album here.
Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell
Watch my vlog of the launch and interview with Carrie here
photo credit: Darren Bell
Thursday 22 February 2018
In Conversation With... Ben Adams | Flashdance, Eugenius | Interview
Ben Adams found fame as the lead singer in the pop group A1 but since then has been writing and producing for various artists, as well as working on his own music, starring in the UK tour of Flashdance and writing the new musical, Eugenius. Ben and I had a chat about all of those things and more...
You’ve had such a varied career, what have some of your highlights been?
Gosh I've had so many highlights, it's quite hard to choose just a few of them. I think I'm living through my ultimate highlight right now! I've always wanted to write a musical and for it to be going on in the West End right now is ridiculous, I mean, who gets to do that?! And the fact that it's going down so well is like a dream so I'm actually living through it right now.
Aside from that I've travelled the world, I've won Brit awards and MTV awards and Smash Hits awards and had number one singles- just so many things that I can't even pinpoint one thing... or even a few things that would be highlights. There's just so many and I've had a great life.
That is a pretty good life!
I know! I feel like I've smashed 10 lifetimes into 1. I'm 36 which is kinda old to some people but it's been amazing!
What attracted you to this production of Flashdance?
Well, I'd been in the studio writing for other artists for the first six months of last year and as much as I love doing that and it is a lot of fun, I did kind of feel that I was getting itchy feet and wanted to do more performing for a while. Every time musical theatre things had come my way I'd always turned them down cause I thought they looked like a lot of hard work and I had a lot of other things going on at the time so I didn't really have time to do it. Then this came at a period where Eugenius wasn't on till January and I had a good six month slot where I could try it and see if I enjoy doing musical theatre.
I remember Flashdance from when I was growing up and you know it's very 80s inspired and I love the 80s music and so I thought I'd give it a go. I was only contracted until December but I loved it so much and they wanted me to continue with it so I signed up to carry on until October [2018].
Are you anything like Nick Hurley?
The character of Nick is the rich kid who doesn't really have too many responsibilities. There are probably elements of the character which I can relate to. I mean I've never owned a steel works so that's not something I can affiliate with but he's not too dissimilar from myself really. It's not an amazingly tricky part for me to play where I have to change my entire personality.
Other than yourself, who would you like to see play Nick Hurley?
Oh gosh, who would I like to see play Nick... that's a tricky question. What about... I have absolutely no idea! Okay, what about Warwick Davis cause he'd probably do it completely different to me. It would be really fun to see what his take on it would be!
Who in the show would you say is most like their character?
I guess Carol Ball as Hannah cause she's got a lot of experience with dance and acting and a lot of knowledge that she passes on in real life like her character does to Alex in the show. Jo [Clifton] and I probably act out a lot of stuff that is pretty similar to our characters as well- it's pretty well cast!
Your new show Eugenius is a huge hit, why do you think audiences are loving it so much?
I think because it taps into a really feel-good side of everybody. You don't have to love comic books, you don't have to love 80s music, you don't have to know anything about that era to love it. It's for those people of course cause there's a lot of references to it but it not specifically for those people. It's just full of joy.
Of course there are different reasons for going to the theatre, but you know if you want to go to something really thought-provoking and dark then don't go see Eugenius but if you want something to leave you joyful and elated about life in this miserable world that we live in and two hours of escapism then come.
I don't think I've seen anyone walk out of Eugenius without a massive grin on their face and that's what it was about for me and Chris writing it. We had such a brilliant time and to see that energy being seconded by the cast and then the audiences it's just amazing.
The show has a goodie and a baddie (or two); if you were in a comic book would you rather be the hero or the villain?
Well in everything I'm cast in I always seem to play the goodie. I always play the hero, you know the Robin Hood... or Nick Hurley, but I always look at the baddies and see how much fun they seem to be having. Ian Hughes and Cameron Blakely who play the villains in Eugenius have so much fun with their parts, not that the others don't, but there's something fun about playing a baddie.
Sadly Eugenius is closing on the 3rd, what’s your biggest dream for the future of it?
It's so crazy to think that in a weeks time it closes when there's so much love for the show. My biggest dream, in a similar way to The Rocky Horror Picture Show is that it has a huge life and it lives on, not just in the UK but all over the world. People have been coming over from all different countries who are wanting to put it on all over so that's exciting.
We just have to be careful and make sure that we do everything properly and take our time to make sure that every single production of it in the future is as good as it is now. We don't want to cut corners and we want the casting to be amazing.
One of my favourite things about it is doing things that are purposefully shit! Like when you have the babies at the start, I love that there's the crappy UFO flying across and Kevin the Robot looks like he's made of cardboard- those things are great. It's that same way that I felt when I saw Rocky Horror because those things are knowingly done shit... if that makes any sense?!
It's very self-aware, it's not trying to be a big budget thing. It's just there as a whole bunch of fun and I love that and wouldn't want to lose that.
What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
I will always have an olbas oil bottle in my pocket or beside the stage. I'm absolutely addicted to it to a point where if I don't have it I'll probably have a panic attack!
If you could go back to any era, when would you go to and why?
Probably the 80s! It was such a fun time that was so flamboyant and wasn't about being cool or trendy. You could just do anything you wanted and the movies were great, the music was great and it was such a brilliant era so I'd probably go back there.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone aspiring to be in the theatre industry?
Create your own luck. Be in the right place at the right time and learn your craft and when you go up for auditions make sure you know it like the back of your hand- that's what they're looking for. I've been on both sides of the table, auditioning for stuff and auditioning people and it makes such a difference when someone comes in and just commands the lines and songs they've been given. It gives the people casting them the confidence that they're going to do an amazing job.
A huge thank you to Ben for taking the time to do this interview. Flashdance is touring until October 20th and Eugenius is at The Other Palace until March 3rd.
Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
Interview by Olivia Mitchell, Editor
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