Alice Fearn: Mastering Musical Theatre

Yeah, it is really quite remarkable how that sort of thing happens.

I guess we also, you know, a lot of the time we talk about, you know, that relationship between Broadway and the West End.

And I was wondering, having worked on a lot of American imports, what would you say is sort of like the unique strength of the London theatre community right now?

We are really good storytellers.

We go back to why have we written something? You can always, an actor here will always say, will always question a line that is sitting funny with them.

And all we'll want to know, all we ever want to know is why am I saying it? And some of the worst moments, and this is not in this show at all, in past big productions that I've done that have come from America, there's nothing worse than someone going, because...

Because that's the way it was directed first.

And I go, you can't do that to me.

I need to know why I'm saying it.

Like, you could make up a reason if you need one.

But, you know, there is sort of nothing worse than regurgitating old direction when there isn't the memory of why it was done in the first place, you know.

And what I think English community and the workforce we have here, we are always really good at that.

We're always really intent on understanding everything we're saying and why we're saying it.

And so if it's an old show or the 20th year of the show, or it's a brand new show that's not been done before, we will always come at it with that.

And I think that is what is particularly strong for us as the musical theatre sort of troupe over here.

And...

Yeah, our audiences, I think, are the same.

They want the truth as well.

I think British audiences, the thing is, we don't like happy endings as much as Americans do, unless, American audiences, sorry, unless we've earned it.

We don't just like everything sort of sugar-coated and wonderful.

We kind of want that sort of, yeah, you've got that, good for you kind of energy.

And I think that's why some of our audiences sort of see shows slightly differently and why certain things work over here better than maybe in America.

Okay.

yeah have you seen any shows recently that have particularly stood out for you as well have

I seen any shows do you know what actually the funniest the last thing I saw was at Hampstead Theatre which was a play so