Interview: Sarah Galbraith, starring in [title of show] at the Landor Theatre

Sarah Galbraith is currently starring as Susan in the London premiere of [title of show] at the Landor Theatre. She most recently starred as Florence in the London revival of Chess which enjoyed a sold out run at the Union Theatre. 

Originally from the USA, Sarah has performed in all three US productions of The Phantom of the Opera. She was a Swing in the Broadway Production, understudied Madame Giry in the US National Tour and understudied Christine in the Las Vegas Production.

Sarah’s other theatre credits include Rita in Steel Pier at the Union Theatre, Johanna in Sweeney Todd at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle, Carrie in the US Tour of Carousel and Ariel in a Japanese concert tour of The Little Mermaid. She recently performed in The Night of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall.

I recently spoke to Sarah about what audiences can expect from [title of show], her time in Chess and what roles she has her eye on...

How does it feel to be starring in the London premiere of [title of show]?
Amazing! All we’ve done is laugh, so far the whole experience has been so much fun! We started rehearsals by working on the music because the score sounds simpler than it actually is. It’s quite intricate music and harmonies so we had to buckle down and really work on it.

Review: Chess at the Union Theatre

Chess
Union Theatre
Reviewed on Friday 15th February 2013 (Press Night)


"The story involves a romantic triangle between two players in a World Chess Championship, and a woman who manages one of them and falls in love with the other."

I find it baffling that this is the first time Chess has been fully staged in London since the original production which ran at the Prince Edward Theatre from 1986–1989. The music, by ABBA's Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (lyrics by Tim Rice) is very distinctive. The score has moments of intensity and pure vulnerability and really digs deep inside each character. The story is quite strange for a musical but somehow it works. I would love to know how Tim Rice came up with the initial idea!

Interview: Gillian Kirkpatrick, playing Molokov in Chess at the Union Theatre

Gillian Kirkpatrick will play Molokov in the upcoming production of Chess at the Union Theatre, she is the first ever female to play the role. Gillian recently played Beggar Woman alongside Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in the Chichester Festival Theatre's  production of Sweeney Todd which transferred to the West End's Adelphi Theatre. A few of Gillian's many other theatre credits include Velma in Hairspray (UK Tour), Alternate Mrs Wilkinson in the original cast of Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre), Cinderella in Into the Woods (Royal Opera House) and Mrs Johnston/Mrs Lyons in Blood Brothers (Phoenix Theatre and UK Tour).

Gillian kindly took a break from rehearsals to chat to West End Frame about being the first ever woman to play Molokov in Chess, what it was like starring alongside Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton in Sweeney Todd and what other roles she would like to take on in the future...

How are rehearsals for Chess going? 

The rehearsals are going really well. We've been working our socks off and had our first run through on Friday! It's a really complex piece that we can all get our teeth into and is proving a glorious challenge. 

Chess has already sold out, why do you think it is such a popular show? 

Although it is an excellent show with fantastic music and a strong message, Chess is not often performed, so when it is people tend to lap it up. I also think there is a sense of mystery surrounding the piece as the material is never the same twice. There is some shifting around of the music, which character sings what, and even the storyline is changed! The show also has a lot of subtlety about it and it has acquired a cult following.

Interview: Christopher Howell, currently directing Chess at the Union Theatre and playing Doctor Dillamond in Wicked

As well as playing Doctor Dillamond in the West End production of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, Christopher Howell is currently directing a production of Chess which opens on 13th February at the Union Theatre. Christopher's many West End theatre credits include Betty Blue Eyes, The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Celebration, Hairspray, Too Close to the Sun, Anything Goes, My Fair Lady, The Witches of Eastwick and Fame. 

How are rehearsals for Chess going? 

Rehearsals are going really well – we are just about to start on our third week and are aiming to have our first complete run through this Friday. The cast are fantastic – they have incredible memories and have learnt so much already. Chess is 95% sung through and has a very operatic feel to it. Our cast have really embraced this and are singing up a storm. Simon Lambert, our MD, has worked really hard on getting the right vocal quality to each moment. Steven Harris (Co-Director/Choreographer) is treating the piece as a play – before we stage a scene we talk it through in its entirety (when you do a play this is normally the beginning of a rehearsal process) and we discuss it from each of the characters’ points of view. This method seems to be working and I feel that is really benefiting our company. 

What can people expect from the show? 

We are hoping to present a new and very original production. We have really striven to tell the story (which is often described as confusing but I prefer Tim Rice’s answer to this: not confusing but “sophisticated”) as clearly as possible. Very often Chess is presented as a very high tech show with multimedia, light up chequered floor etc, which is a road we could have gone down but rejected. The Union is a studio space and we decided to use this, therefore our set is minimal but functional and focuses the eye to where the story is. We are really focusing on the human element of the show – 5 of the principals go on huge emotional journeys – we hope that these will be more resonant in an intimate venue. We also have new orchestrations and some of the best singing in London – it is all very exciting!