Nichola McAuliffe won The Stage Edinburgh Award for Best Actress for her role in Maurice’s Jubilee and the play follows the international success of A British Subject. Nichola also won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for Kiss Me Kate at the Old Vic, and was nominated for another Olivier for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the Palladium Theatre. Her recent celebrated performance was in Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van. On screen she is best known for playing Sheila Sabatini in Surgical Spirit, for seven series.
Nichola chats to West End Frame about when she first had the idea to write Maurice's Jubilee, what people can expect from the show and bunking off school to go to the theatre...
What can people expect from Maurice’s Jubilee?
A great deal of humour for all ages, and a heartwarming love story between two people who happen to be in their eighties. People can expect to be lulled into a false sense of security as the play becomes slightly different to what you would expect.
How has the show changed since its original Edinburgh run?
Edinburgh plays have to be ninety minutes long with no interval. I originally wrote the play with two acts meaning there was an interval so I had to re-write it for Edinburgh. For this tour I have been able to take Maurice’s Jubilee back to its original structure. Also, during the Edinburgh run we discovered certain places where the dialogue needed to be tweaked to give the audience a greater insight into the characters.
When did the idea of Maurice’s Jubilee first come to you?
September 2011. I was in the car coming back from Edinburgh and the idea came into my head. I discussed it with my husband who thought it was quite a good idea. Then I had lunch with the person who runs the Pleasance Theatre, who put on my first ideas, and he agreed to do it. I told him I hadn't even finished writing it yet so he told me I’d better hurry up!
What are the cast like to work with?
Horrible! They are a nightmare, unbelievably temperamental! I'm joking. Actors always say how wonderful everyone is but in this case it really is true, we have a ball! Julian and Sheila were always heroes of mine. When I was bunking off school to go to the theatre I used to queue up for Sheila’s autograph at the National Theatre, when it was at the Old Vic under Laurence Olivier. Then I would go home on the bus clutching my programme with her autograph on it. They are both absolutely astonishing. To be honest with you, any highly established actor who will give up their summer to come up to Edinburgh for nothing, especially when a new play is such a huge risk, I admire greatly because they didn't have to do it.
When did you first decide that you wanted to become an actress and a writer?
When I was five. There was never a doubt about it which of course drove everyone else around the bend! People thought I would grow out of it… but I still haven’t!
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
Be ruthless with yourself and ask yourself why you want to become an actor. If you want to do it so people will look at you then you want to become a performer, not an actor. There is a huge difference.
What would you like to say to everyone who has supported you throughout your career?
Thank you… thank you very much. I have been so lucky to meet so many kind, supportive people throughout my career.
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Tour Dates: Woking New Victoria Theatre (12 –16 February), Richmond Theatre (19-23 February), Brighton Theatre Royal (26 February – 2 March) Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre (5-9 March), Malvern (11–16 March), Bromley Churchill Theatre (26-30 March) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (2-6 April).
Please visit www.mauricesjubilee.com for more information and to book tickets.
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