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."
