Known as one of the West End’s most talented divas, Sophie-Louise Dann is currently starring in the London revival of Maltby and Shire’s Closer Than Ever at the Jermyn Street Theatre. Later this year she is set to, once again, return to the cast of Forbidden Broadway at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
The original version of Closer Than Ever premiered at the Off-Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre in 1989 where it became an instant hit, running for over 300 performances. New songs have been added into this revised production, directed by Maltby.
Sophie-Louise Dann recently starred as Velma in Hairspray (Curve). Last year she starred as Dot/Marie in the Théâtre du Châtelet production of Sunday in the Park with George and in 2012 she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Diana Divane in Lend me a Tenor (Gielgud).
Her West End credits include: title role in Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, Edith in Pirates Of Penzance (Carl Rosa Opera/ Gielgud), 42nd St (Dominion), Jolson (Victoria Palace), Forbidden Broadway! (Albery) and, for D’Oyly Carte Opera, Cousin Hebe in HMS Pinafore, Leila in Iolanthe, Kate in The Yeomen Of The Guard and Peep-Bo in The Mikado (Savoy).
Sophie-Louise’s theatre credits also include: Gay Daventry in Gay’s the Word (Finborough/Jermyn Street), Fairy Godmother in Cinderella (Hackney Empire), Liz Imbrie in High Society (UK Tour), Hannah in A Chorus of Disapproval (Theatr Clwyd) and Alma Hix in The Music Man, Smitty in How To Succeed… Marya Artonova in The Government Inspector, Venus in Out Of This World (Chichester Festival Theatre).
I recently spoke to Sophie-Louise about what makes Closer Than Ever such a special show, how much fun she had in Hairspray at the Curve and why she loves belting her tits off for 2,000 people...
How familiar were you with Closer Than Ever prior to your casting in this production?
It’s one of those scores which I’ve known since I was a student at Arts Ed in… I’m not going to say the date – but it was a long time ago [laughs]! Maltby and Shire’s work was the stuff to sing, of course we were twenty years too young to sing it. Now, all these years later, it’s thrilling to be singing it and to be directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
