by Priscilla

Aug.12, 2010, under Cast Blog

I am really looking forward to covering Bernadette. I think I’m doing it in November, so there’s been a six month wait to actually getting around to it. I have been fortunate that I’ve had more time to rehearse the role than other understudies in the past, but then I think other understudies have got on sooner, which may balance it out.

I saw Priscilla last summer and really enjoyed it. I was particularly taken by the Bernadette character and the role, so when the option of auditioning for it came up 6 months later it was naturally something that I thought I would like to do. I did about 4 auditions and meetings just before and after Christmas.

Robert Styles

I love the company and the guys in my dressing room Hugo and Jeremy are great fun. We do, as a company, seem to care about each other a lot, which is nice. It’s hard and strenuous work, but fun at the same time.

Drag isn’t a completely new experience for me. I have done 2 or 3 straight plays in which I have dragged up in and I did spend a short period of my life as the other half to a drag act, when I had a relationship in the Midlands. The act was called “Tilly and the Boy” with a very funny drag queen called Tilly. He played all the girls and I played all the boys.

As an actor I like the idea of transforming and becoming someone else. I like the fact that when you look in the mirror you see someone else looking back and that’s particularly true of drag.

I’m one of the older members of the company so I’ve been acting for over 20 years. I’ve done a lot of repertory theatre. I’ve been in the West End three times, but this is my first West End musical. I’ve also done some television and films. I did a Michael Caine film last year. I also had a scene with Clive Owen in Elizabeth the Golden Age. I love the diversity of working across the different mediums.

As far as songs in Priscilla goes, I particularly like Both Sides Now. The first time I saw the show and heard that song I thought, lovely, because you really don’t expect to hear that kind of song in a show like this. Macarthur Park I love as well.

Priscilla can be summed up as carefree fun, with a terrific spirit.