No shouting, no drinking, no fun. No, I have fun. I fun in quiet ways.
So Gemma I haven't had chance to see the show but it sounds like such an exciting and cool
project. What drew you to it in the beginning?
I just love the story. The fact that it's a true story - you know it's inspired by true
events - I don't play someone that existed but it happened and it's about working class
people triumphing over the people in power and that's always so moving and it's about
women - women that I could identify with. There were so many reasons and then on top
of that the creative people that I'd be working with like Rupert Goold, who's our director
and David Arnold who's our composer - Richard Bean, who wrote the book and Richard Thomas.
It's just wonderful, wonderful group of people. Just seemed silly not to do it really. It's
like the dream job I think for me.
Does it give you sort of a warm feminist glow getting to do things like this?
Yeah, it does actually. It's very funny and it's very - it's not just feminism, feminism
- but the message is feminist and afterwards when I meet people at the stage door - they're
really inspired or they're very moved and I mean that's so exciting for me to know that
I maybe helped tell a story that they didn't know before or maybe I've sparked a flame
or something. That's really, really great. I feel very proud of that.
And obviously you've done lots of films but actors always tell me they love doing theatre,
do you have that as well?
Yeah, I always started off doing theatre, it's what I wanted to do originally and I
never really thought I'd be a film actor, it just sort of came as surprise really. I
just feel - I do really love doing films as well - when I'm on stage, you can't really
beat that feeling. It's very - it's when you get a reaction from the audience. Just being
live and every night's so different. I just love it. I love it.
Can you tell me something about putting this together and rehearsing and things that might
surprise the audience that are about to watch it?
Well, we have been working on it for three years. I've been working on it for three years
but it's been going on for about four years, which means that for me has been great because
I've never done that before where I've been at grass roots of something and been able
to create - even though there was obviously the film before, the musical's quite different
and we've been able to sort of sculpt it together. So that's been really exciting so that's why
I feel even more attached to to it than I would doing a normal play I reckon. So it's
been a long, long, long process but really, really fun.
And what's been your personal biggest challenge is there anything that you've found a bit tricky?
Singing because I like to sing and I've always sung but never to - singing eight shows a
week and in the show I sing an hour and half's worth of singing so it's very, very technically
challenging and physically challenging and so I had to really train myself. So in the
last year and a half I've been kind of getting myself ready for it. It's quite scary actually
because you can't - if you lose your voice - go on and that would be the worst thing
in the world so that's been very, very challenging for me but I'm really proud of myself because
I almost didn't take the job because I was so scared of that so now I feel so proud when
I can do it. I can say that. I'm proud of myself for doing that.
Good for you! So you can't do any smoking, can't do any shouting.
No shouting, no drinking, no fun. No, I have fun. I have fun in quiet ways.
You have to be disciplined. It's like your're using your voice like an athlete uses their
legs so you just have to be good so I don't have a social life at the moment but that's
okay. It will come back... at some point.
You haven't had to be good for four years have you? Because that's very long.
No, no, no just the last five months or something.
And obviously having committed so much time to this have you had any thoughts about what
your next project might be?
Oh, my gosh! Who knows? This is so - it's so in my - I can't think of anything else at the moment.
I would like to do another film. Maybe a film next but we'll see I actually don't know so
I'm just happy to be doing this at the moment. We'll see what comes up.
And finally, before we go, can you summarise the whole play for people that haven't seen
it or are about to see it?
It's a hilarious comedy about feminism and working class men and women and it's very,
very moving as well so I hope people come and see it because I'm so proud of it.