BWW Interviews: Ashleigh Gray Talks About WICKED, Standbying And Cabaret!

Ashleigh Gray has been back in the green this week at the Apollo Victoria, covering for sickness at the Apollo Victoria. You'd think that learning songs for two upcoming concerts - The Songs of Bobby Cronin on Sunday 27th February and her own Easter With Ashleigh Gray show, both produced by Simon Greiff of SimG Productions - would be enough for her to do, really...

Simon describes you as one of his reliable performers, who does lots of his concerts!

That's very nice to hear! I love meeting and working with new people, and it's great to do things that aren't the old musical theatre standards. I didn't really know Bobby Cronin before Simon introduced me to his work, but now I love it. I know a lot of the ex-Wicked people - there are a few Wicked alumni doing the concert. There are people like Rebecca Lock who I've admired from afar so it'll be great to meet her. The great thing about doing Simon's concerts is that it also allows me to meet some of the American stars I admire, like Shoshana Bean and Stephanie J Block.

Both former Elphies as well! Did you ever get bored standbying?

I left last year and I could have done it forever. I love the show and love the part, but I didn't like waiting around to do it. I'm quite an active person and suddenly being told you have to go on, that's hard. One minute you're watching Coronation Street and the next you're singing Defying Gravity. That's the nature of it, you have to be ready to do that.

You have to be ready to go on at any time, so I suppose you don't have anywhere to put that adrenaline.

Yes, and if you go on in the middle of the show you have to reassess - "oh, what have we done?" If you're on in the middle of the scene you're all, "Have I sung this song?" And you have to get used to being on that stage with the rake and the lights. But I loved it, it's a great show and a great role.

What will you move on to?

I've just finished a new musical version of Robin Hood by Grant Olding. That went very well. And now it's the waiting game again, after the gig at the end of February and my own cabaret as well in April. I'd like to sing songs that people haven't heard, and songs that I love - I want to celebrate music. I'd love to do an album of my own as well, but not just with musical theatre standards - with original songs too.

You have such a passionate fanbase too.

Yes! And that's really great. I've never come across fans like Wicked's, and that's lovely for me too when I was standbying, when I wasn't on all the time. They came to support me in Robin Hood too. And it's such a diverse fanbase, but they all have Wicked in common.

Have you ever loved a show as much as the Wicked fans love Wicked?

I'm from Edinburgh, and we used to get all the big UK tours in. Les Mis came in, Phantom I was OBSESSED with, and saw that about 14 times in a month! We had Summer Holiday with Darren Day, I loved that too! I saw Wicked with the original cast and thought it was a fantastic show and really wanted to do it. It's one of my all-time favourites and to do it has been a joy.

When I interviewed Sierra Boggess last year, she said she always wanted to play Christine so she spent her teenage years doing ballet so she could do pointe work, and practising her soprano. Did you end up practising your belt when you realised musicals, and playing Elphaba, were what you wanted to do?

Yes! My poor parents. When I decided what I wanted to do, they were so supportive, but I was into my amateur dramatics and singing around the house. You have to work your way towards what you want to do, and when I saw the show and realised I wanted to play that part I wore the CD out, singing away in my bedroom - the neighbours must have hated me! You can't wait for things to happen.

Finally, we need your inside knowledge. It's Wicked London's fifth anniversary this year. Are there plans for celebrations? There have been lots of rumours going round...

I don't know! I haven't heard anything about it. I have my ear to the ground, but nothing about that yet. I think there's a lot of wishful thinking going on at the moment...

Ashleigh Gray is appearing in The Songs Of Bobby Cronin at the New Players Theatre on Sunday 27th February, and then Easter with Ashleigh Gray at the Battersea Barge on Monday 25th April.