BWW INTERVIEWS: LES MIS'S Nancy Sullivan

First things first - you're staying in Les Mis for another year.

Yes, another year - I'm thrilled about it. It's a show I really believe in.

Everyone always says how hard it is vocally to do eight shows a week. Is Eponine a tough part to play in that regard?

Vocally, I don't find it that difficult. It's a hard sing, but not that hard to do eight shows a week. Emotionally, I'm tired. I die every night. I love someone who doesn't love me back every night. I cry every night. On days when I have two shows, I don't want to do much after work, I just want to go home. It's draining. It's tiring. If you have anything personal going on, because it's such a sad show and my role's so tragic, you can't help but let that affect you. It makes it better for everyone else, but much harder for you!

And you run drama classes in your spare time.

Yes! When I was younger, I could never afford to go to the massive schools. The termly fees were extortionate. So I started going to a Saturday school that was more affordable, and I kept going out to Bexley and places like that - I'd have to travel for an hour and a half to find a place that wasn't too expensive. It was such a long way. When I left drama school, I thought to myself, I don't know of anything affordable in London that kids can just go to and be taught by professionals. I think Anna Scher started off like that, and I've tried to do a similar thing - a community hall on a council estate. They're not necessarily going to go into the industry, but they get introduced to things, like music, and we do shows. It's £3.50 per child, with classes lasting an hour. It's there to encourage people to get into theatre. The more children I get, the more I can expand upon it. My aim is to get more children and keep the prices really low.

How many children do you get in at the moment?

About 30.

That's a lot!

Yes. It's really good, and we want more! We want to do more classes. I'd like to aim at teenagers now. We do so many different things to introduce kids to performing arts, and there are some really talented children out there. During the summer holidays, we'll have workshops throughout the day. I've taught at the big schools, the ones that charge more money, and we do exactly the same stuff.

Are any of them planning to make a career of it?

Some of them are tempted by it, particularly because I teach them and now I go straight from class to the West End. I teach until quarter to six on Monday and then I have to go straight into town to work! A couple of them have seen me in Les Mis and a couple of them have seen me in Never Forget, and they were excited to see their teacher actually doing what she teaches!

Do you enjoy teaching?

I love it. Performing's number one, and teaching's not far underneath.

You loved musical theatre yourself as a child.

Yes. I grew up listening to the Les Miserables dream cast recording, and my first experience of theatre was when I went to see Miss Saigon at the age of 11. I was at the back of the stalls, and I didn't say a word, even in the interval. I wasn't able to talk. On the bus on the way home, I was still crying. When I was a kid, I used to do cleaning and I saved up all my money to buy the cast recording. I did not stop singing it! I hate the fact that I'll never play Kim! I won't get to be rejected, have a baby and shoot myself! I wouldn't say no to playing Ellen, though.

You still live in Bermondsey and still have your London accent. Do you ever find there's a bit of snobbery in theatre?

Yeah. Definitely - more when you're starting off than when you're actually in the industry. When I auditioned for drama schools, some of them said if I went there, I'd have to change the way I spoke. Then a director told me not to change - he said that being yourself is what sells you. I'd go to these places and be told not to talk like this, and you get brainwashed, you start to believe it. Getting into the industry is very expensive, so a lot of people are from a middle-class background, which is fair enough, but it's not everyone. No-one's ever been horrible to me or anything, but then if they were, that's not snobbery, that's just not being a nice person.

Your accent is part of what made you stand out on I'd Do Anything, though.

Yes, my name is Nancy and I'm from the East End of London!

What did you think about the narrative they created around you on the programme?

To be honest, I expected it. I wanted so much to play Nancy, but the only way to do it was to go on television. What do you do? I don't want to go on telly, but I really want to play the role. I was debating it for a couple of weeks, then a friend at work, in the call centre, filled in the application form, made me sign it, and sent it off. Then once I was involved, I thought, "I'm here now, I might as well stick it out."

On the show, they talked a lot about your background. Did you find that upsetting?

I know exactly what you mean. If you're going to enter a show like that, they'll ask you stuff about your history. Even if you don't want to talk about it, it will come up, and before you know it you're in a conversation that you were determined you weren't going to get into. A lot of it is editing. There are certain things I could have swore I never actually said that I watched me say! My mum even said, "I didn't think you said that," and I was like, "No, me neither," but there I am, saying it. They portrayed me in a really nice way, and I'm not complaining at all, nothing like that - but as I was watching it, I was cringing.

Yes, my dad did die when I was a kid, and yes, he was responsible for getting me interested in theatre. It was something I really enjoyed and that I did with my dad, and once he died I carried on doing it - not in his memory, or anything like that, but it's something I had fond memories of and I carried on with it, and that's it. There's nothing more to it than that. If I'd wanted to talk about my dad dying, I'd have done it at the first opportunity, but that's not the way I wanted to win a part. It came up when the researchers first asked me about what my parents thought about my being in the industry, and then after that, every time I was interviewed, it was mentioned. There was a perfect opportunity for me to mention it all the time. I knew they wanted me to say more, but it was irrelevant. Why would you do that? Why would you go into detail? It's so unnecessary.

Would you recommend going on a show like that?

It got me the audition for Les Mis. Yes, I think. I mean, I could have auditioned for Sandy [in Grease, on Grease Is The Word], I could have gone for Maria [in The Sound Of Music, on How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?], but neither of them I was passionate enough about to bother putting myself through that. If it was Eliza Doolittle, I would have done exactly the same thing. If it's a role you think you're exactly right for, go for it, but be very careful, and prepare yourself for what's coming your way, not just on a professional level but on a personal level. Some people want to use their stories, and that's fine, that's a different way of doing it. Some people argued with me at the time, telling me that I should have let everything out and used it. On I'd Do Anything, they even asked me the question, "Would you say you are doing this for your dad?" and I said, "No, absolutely not." Yes, I got into singing because of him, and yes, I carried on after he died - end of. If I had to do it again, it would have to be a pretty amazing role!

So who would your ideal Marius be? Anyone in the world!

That's exciting! I like that question! I've absolutely loved working with Jon Robyns, and he's been my perfect Marius. But if we're talking movie-star ideal - bye, Jon! Who'd be right for it? I like Ashton Kutcher, but he wouldn't be a very good Marius. I'd have liked Nigel Harman, if I was a few years older. I've read great things about him, I think he's so good. He's very attractive, and very charming. He's only working next door [in Three Days Of Rain]! Perhaps I could go and have a word with him! I'll have a chat with Cameron [Mackintosh], it'll be fine!

For more information about Nancy's drama classes, ring 07984 208402.