Next month Leanne Jones will reprise her performance in Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory which receives a concert staging at the Phoenix Artist Club between Saturday 8th and Wednesday 19th March 2014.
Leanne previously starred in the world premiere of Paul Boyd's musical at the Lyric Theatre Belfast and subsequent season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012. It was originally planned for Boyd's musical to receive its London première at the Hackney Empire last September. However, the run was cancelled last minute when an investor pulled out.
Leanne won Best Actress in a Musical at the Olivier Awards in 2008 for her portrayal of Tracy Turnblad in the West End premiere of Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre.
Her theatre credits also include: Saucy Jack and The Space Vixens (Leicester Square Theatre), The Sunny Side Of The Street (Jermyn Street Theatre), Bedroom Farce (New Wolsey Theatre), You're A Good Man Charlie Brown (Tabard Theatre) and Tick Tick Boom (Union Theatre). She was recently seen auditioning for will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Sir Tom Jones and Ricky Wilson on BBC1 talent show The Voice.
I recently spoke to Leanne about her return to Molly Wobbly, what people can expect from the show and why she thinks it has the potential to become a cult classic as well as the incredible response she received after performing on The Voice, why auditioning for the talent show was an interesting experience, Hairspray and the highs and lows of her career…
What made you want to return to Molly Wobbly?
Timing, and wanting to support the project massively. I was doing Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens last summer and it was really weird because they were flyering outside our show and then a day or two later it all went tits up – pardon the pun - and I felt really sad for them, especially my friends in the cast and Paul – it was devastating for them. So when I heard it was coming back and they were doing this concert version I was like “if I can make it work I’ll be there”.
There is so much support from fans because of what happened – what can people expect from the show?
I’m not sure how they are going to do this version, I think there have been some edits since I did the show, but I certainly know from our production that it’s quite an exciting show and it attracts people in because they want to know more. It’s very fantastical and weird and I think it appeals to people’s freaky side… in the same way people like Rocky Horror. It’s silly and a lot of fun.
What’s the music like?
It’s unique. There’s a Les Mis mickey-take and hints to a High School Musical American cheesiness and then there’s a kind of hint to an operatic song. There is this main theme running through it which is quite strong, very musical theatre-ish.
It sounds like a fantastic cult musical!
Yes, I think it has the potential to become a cult musical, it maybe already has, there’s a lot of chat about it. I’m really excited to see what version it’s going to be and how we’re doing it. I’m looking forward to being back in rehearsals with everyone!
The Phoenix Artist Club is very small, how do you find performing in these intimate spaces?
The Phoenix Artist Club is very small, how do you find performing in these intimate spaces?
It is quite nerve wracking, especially on these projects when you don’t tend to have had a lot of rehearsal time, certainly in comparison with rehearsals I had for Hairspray. There can be that feeling of rabbit in the headlights – you want your first audience in because you need to try it out with an audience. I’m quite used to it now, I’ve not done a big show for a while so I’ve become more used to these smaller spaces.
You were recently seen auditioning for The Voice, it must have been amazing to receive so much support from the theatre community?
I was expecting people to question why I had done it and say horrible things like “has been” but I was massively overwhelmed. People said some gorgeous things! I can’t even say why I did it, it was more to do with timing. Oscar was only about six months old. I knew what happened to Kerry [Ellis] although Liam [Tamne], who was in Hairspray as well, got through and went on to do very well. I just thought why not? The rebel in me thought who cares?! And I got Oscar on telly which was exciting. It was probably the main reason why I did it, so Oscar could come along and my grandparents too. It was very nerve wracking!
I can imagine! When was it that you actually filmed it?
I did it in October, you go through a few rounds before you meet the judges. Everything builds up and obviously the production team take it all very seriously because it’s their baby and they want to create a good show. Then on the day we were called at 8am – so that’s my family with 6 month old Oscar and my elderly grandparents and me. We were all kept in a holding area, which was fine for me because I was there to do a job and I had to do some filming bits. However, I didn’t go on to perform until 10.30pm! So I was also battling with the guilt over my family and wondering if they were ok. Everyone else was getting nervous around me, some of the younger people who mostly sing in pubs were really nervous and there were people throwing up. The production team were so lovely, but they do build and wind it up slowly so when you eventually perform there’s an element of tension. You walk down that stage in silence and it’s really nerve wracking – there isn’t that familiar reaction so you think “oh God they hate me, they hate me”. It’s just strange!
Imagine you had to go to a desert island and you could only take three musical theatre songs with you… which three would you take?
At the moment it would be ‘Let it Go’ from Frozen – it’s not officially a musical theatre song yet, but it probably will be soon. My little five year old niece performs it with all of the actions. I would take ‘Do It Alone’ from Parade, I like the driving element in the song and love the passion in the original recording. Finally, one I really like to sing is called ‘The Old Apartment’ from a musical called I Sing. It’s a really sad song about a break up. Again I like the feeling and emotion that the story tells.
If I was a producer and could bring back and/or cast you in any show… what role and show would you want to do?
I want to be Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly! I would love to do that! I think I’ll maybe have to wait another ten years.
It must be really nice to have such lovely and dedicated support from theatre fans?
It’s amazing. It hasn’t really happened for me in a massive way since Hairspray and I’m sure every actor has their demon voices which say you’re never going to do it ever again, so there’s the fear that is what everybody else thinks. I’m really appreciative of people not immediately jumping to that and understanding that Tracy Turnblad was such a specific role and that there’s not going to be another part immediately like that and I really appreciate people sticking with me.
Does Hairspray feel like a lifetime ago now?
Oh yes! It’s so strange; sometimes it almost feels as if it didn’t happen to me. I do still get gigs from being ‘the girl from Hairspray’ so that serves as a reminder and I can use it. When I was at drama school everybody said to me “oh you’re the big girl, you’re going to be fine, you’re going to get an agent” and then I didn’t get an agent when I graduated. Then as soon as I was cast in Hairspray everyone said “Oh my God you’re going to be set for life now”. People get carried away with the excitement of it. Then we won all the awards and I got the Olivier and again everybody said “Now you really are set for life!” but it just hasn’t happened for me in that way. I’ve had some really cool experiences since, I’m not knocking those at all! But some people might not even know I’ve done those things which kind of hurts, so I really appreciate people sticking with me!
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Molly Wobbly’s Tit Factory runs at the Phoenix Artist Club between Saturday 8th and Wednesday 19th March 2014. Please visit www.mollywobbly.eventbrite.co.uk for further information and tickets.
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