Janie Dee is one of theatre’s biggest stars, having played countless starring roles in musicals and plays in both London’s West End and in some of the UK’s most prestigious regional theatres.
She won the Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Play, as well as the Obie and Theatre World Best Newcomer Award in New York, for her legendary performance as Jacie Triplethree in Alan Ayckbourn's 'Comic Potential' which was written especially for her.
No stranger to awards success, Janie has also won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Nicholas Hytner's acclaimed production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 'Carousel' at the National Theatre. Most recently she won a UK Theatre Award for her critically acclaimed portrayal of the title role in Hello Dolly at the Leicester Curve. Not only has the star worked closely with Harold Pinter and Alan Ayckbourn, but she has also worked extensively on screen and has already completed work on two films this year.
Just a few of Janie’s other theatre credits include: Noises Off, Calendar Girls, Shadowlands, Donkeys Years, The King and I, South Pacific, The Sound Of Music, Cats, Cabaret, Twelfth Night and Private Lives.
This Sunday (10th November) Janie will discuss her extraordinary career with Edward Seckerson and perform live as part of the autumn run of Singular Sensations at the Charing Cross Theatre. In honour of Remembrance Sunday, Janie will dedicate a special part of the show to those who have lost their lives in warfare.
I recently had the joy of sitting down with Janie to discuss her recent stage and film work, as well as her incredible awards success throughout her career. Below is part one of the interview which focuses on Janie’s involvement with Singular Sensations. Part two will be published shortly.
How did your involvement with Singular Sensations come about?
Edward Seckerson was the Independent’s Chief Classical Music Critic. I knew him because he came to interview me when I was playing Anna in The King and I and he wanted to do a podcast about my first time at the Curve in Leicester. I was very glad to meet him because he’s serious and has got that lovely BBC Radio manner, he knows his stuff and is very passionate – he goes to see everything! All that was apparent when he first interviewed me, he knew all the history of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the real story of Anna and the King, the background of all the music and about all the people who had played the role before me. He knew all of it and of course that was just about one particular musical, he knows all that about all musicals! He’s a great person to lean on during an interview.
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