← MickeyJoTheatre
MickeyJoTheatre
Carrie Hope Fletcher (Calamity Jane, Cinderella, Heathers, Les Misérables) - INTERVIEW
00:27:21
Loading summary
Transcript94 lines
- [00:00]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Oh, my God. Hey. Ever since I started doing interviews here on YouTube, there has been one performer I have been determined to sit down with and terrified to ask at the same time. Whether you know her as one of the most prolific alumni of Les Miserables, as the original Veronica Sawyer in the London production of Heather's, or For her extraordinary YouTube channel, you have probably heard of Carrie Hope Fletcher. Right now, she's starring as Calamity Jane here at the new Victoria Theatre in Woking as part of the production's UK tour. And ahead of seeing the performance this evening, we sat down this afternoon in her dressing room to talk about returning to the stage post motherhood, a shift in the roles that she's been playing, and, of course, Angelo Dwebber's Cinderella.
- [00:39]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I'm very excited.
- [00:41]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I'm excited and nervous. It's with considerable enthusiasm and just a little bit of terror that I say, oh, my God. Hey, Carrie Hope Fletcher.
- [00:50]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Hello. I watch your channel. I love it.
- [00:52]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Thank you so much. I mean, we've all been watching your videos for years now, and this is something I wanted to talk about, but I'm gonna lead with this because I think there are so many performers now, because of TikTok and because of Instagra, are pulling back the curtain on their lives as performers, and it's something that you really led the charge with.
- [01:11]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I think it's funny because I don't. I don't remember the beginning of it. You know what I mean? Like, I remember being really excited to just make more vlogs when I got into Les Mis, and it was, like, a new thing to do, but I wasn't really thinking of it as, like, a new thing. But now that I look back, yeah, maybe. But it's so cool. Like, I literally love watching the, like, people who do what I do, especially, like, on Broadway, because I don't know what Broadway's like. I don't know that experience. I was just sort of typing in the other day going, broadway vloggers. How many are out there? Who can I watch? What shows are they in? So it's great. I love it.
- [01:47]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [01:48]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Do you ever watch your old stuff back from previous contracts to get to relive being in those shows?
- [01:53]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
You need to give me some time before I go back and, like, relive. But, yeah, every now and again, I especially sort of go back. I've gotten to the point of watching the Cinderella ones now. Like, it's been. How long has it been? Like, three years? I'm like, yeah, you give me two, three Years distance from a job and I'll start reminiscing.
- [02:09]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Does that feel like an entire lifetime ago now? I mean, so much has changed for you personally.
- [02:14]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah. And also it was like Covid times. So when I think back to my earliest memories of Cinderella, they're all like. Of everyone, like the whole cast in masks, everyone having to be 2 meters distance, having. What were they called, Like a Covid manager who'd be there with like a 2 meter ruler making sure everyone was stood 2 meters apart. And that feels like a lifetime ago. Like the world is so different now. So thinking back to that was a. It feels like a weird fever dream.
- [02:39]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [02:40]
Mickey Jo Theatre
We'll circle back to that chapter because there are so many things. There's so much, so many things I want to ask, but before we move beyond the world of YouTube, is there something with so many performers now starting to do this and revealing more of themselves, is there anything you would caution people about or any sort of words of wisdom from your experience?
- [02:58]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah, I think I would always urge people to be a little bit more cautious with what they share because from someone who shared literally everything from the age of like 18 onwards, there's. I think it's not necessarily that I was sharing too much. It was in the ways that I was sharing things and I was sharing everything as soon as it happened and not actually giving myself any time to sort of process things before I told that story. So, yeah, I think if. If you're going to tell a story, give it a little bit of space after it's happened before you tell it, just so that you make 100% sure that that, that is a story that you want to tell, however many hundreds of thousands of people, because it is a lot of people to let into your life. And I am a natural oversharer. I don't think I ever won't be. And that's kind of how I like it. I like being that way and I like the things that I share. But I also like the fact that I'm a little bit more cautious now and I do take a little bit of time for myself to process something and a little bit of time just to make sure that that is definitely something that I. People have an opinion on.
- [03:59]
Unknown
Yeah, yeah.
- [04:00]
Mickey Jo Theatre
From a professional perspective. We've heard rumbling and I think you've spoken about this briefly before about that being in the contract. If you're someone who is going to bring social media exposure to a show, that being part of the contract. And I think there are a lot of performers who maybe are offering a lot to the benefit of social media teams but aren't necessarily being brought into that conversation from a professional perspective.
- [04:25]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah, I think it completely depends on what the producers are like on a show. Still some very old school producers out there who don't, who still to this day don't quite understand how social media works, the benefits of it. And there are some producers that do understand that it's massively beneficial but don't actually know how to utilize it. And so therefore that's when you see like really awkward tiktoks from certain cast members or like, like cast as a whole doing things where they all look a little bit, oh, I don't know if we should be doing this or I feel a little bit awkward doing this strange dance that we all learned 10 minutes ago just in the hopes that it gains, you know what I mean, like stuff like that. So yeah, I always think that if you just let the cast have free reign of, you know, you're allowed to use the costumes, you're allowed to use the set, you're allowed to use the songs or whatnot, that's when you get like the most authentic footage and the most authentic content and you can see that the cast is having like a genuinely really fun time with it. As soon as something looks forced I feel like everyone can just feel the awkwardness.
- [05:25]
Mickey Jo Theatre
So right now we're here at the new Victoria Theatre in Woking which if people don't know you can access Vera shopping centre as part of the novelty of this building. We were saying you were here before years ago in the Addams Family.
- [05:37]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah, eight years ago and it's all changed. As soon as I walked into stage door I was like everything's around the wrong way. It's strange what you remember but it's nice being back in a familiar theatre.
- [05:46]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [05:46]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Is this close enough that you get to be a little more connected to family as well?
- [05:50]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I'm staying at home this week so I'm just right. It takes like 40 minutes to drive so it's a bit of a no brainer but it's a nice one because we've just had two weeks off so to sort of like ease back in. I'm still at home, still staying at home so you know, not too far away from family.
- [06:01]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [06:02]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Was this something that. Did this job, did this role come as a surprise to you or did you already. Did you always have the intention I will go back to work and I will be back on the stage. Is that something you had planned?
- [06:13]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
It's A little bit of both. I always intended to get myself back onto stage towards the end of last year, but I didn't know what was gonna, you know, rear its head. I didn't know if there was gonna be. Because, you know, you can have all of the best intention in the world. Nothing comes along and you're like, great. I'm taking an even longer break than I expected, and that could have. Well, you know, happened. But, yeah, I got the email from my agent to say, Calamity Jane, question mark. Is this a conversation that we can, you know, potentially start? And that was November 2023. So that's a long time ago. And at the time I was, you know, heavily pregnant. I was doing panto in Crawley and I was like, yeah, let's, you know, start the conversation. Because I think for me, I wasn't really thinking that far ahead because I knew that rehearsals would be starting the following December. Like, that was a long time in advance to start thinking about it. But for me, I was like, december. I would have done my own tour a couple of months before that. That's like, maybe like a nice run up to something a little bit longer, sort of d my toes in the water before starting an even longer thing. Also, see how my daughter takes to being on the road because I took her with me. See how my husband is, you know, does being away from us and, you know, coming to join us for bits and pieces of it, and how he fares on his own with Mabel as well, because that was the first time I ever had a night away from her. Terrifying and very sad, but, you know, you find ways through it. But, yeah, Calamity Jane was definitely a bit of a surprise of a role because I'd thought about it in the past purely because my mum has always said, I'd love to see you as Calamity Jane. So when the email came through, it's the first thing I thought of. I was like, my mum will be absolutely thrilled. But, yeah, I mean, the more I sort of. Because I'm very new to Calamity Jane. I didn't really watch it as a kid. My. My Howard Keel movie of choice was seven brides for seven brothers.
- [08:05]
Unknown
Sure.
- [08:05]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Another classic, questionable in the world of 2025, but, you know, have to watch it through an old, old lens. So, yeah, I'm very new to the world of Calamity Jane, but the more I, you know, watched the movie and read the script and sort of got myself into the world of. Of Kalam. She's got everything. She's A romantic lead. She's funny, she's, you know, boisterous. She also gets to wear a nice dress. Like she gets like the, you know, the two very different sides. She gets some cracking character songs as well as having the, the amazing ballad at the end of the show. Like it's literally everything and she ticks all of the boxes. So it was kind of a bit of a no brainer.
- [08:43]
Unknown
Yeah, yeah.
- [08:44]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Have you felt a shift in the roles that you've been playing since Cinderella and was there any sort of impatience for you to maybe start playing sort of grown ups really?
- [08:54]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah, I think Cinderella was probably the last teenage role that I can get away with playing. I think Veronica even was still, you know, on the cusp. She was pushing it because I was 25, playing a 17 year old who very explicitly sings about being 17. Well, whereas Cinderella, I could, you know, sort of get away with maybe fudging her age because we never actually mentioned how old she was meant to be. But even then I was what, like 29? Playing a teen, late teenager. So yeah, I think my days of playing a teen are over. But yeah, no, it's nice playing an older role and I think I'd be really interested now to. Because I've played a mum before I was a mum and you know, it's acting. You can, you know, you know, make people believe that that's what you are and that's who you are and you know, you're, you know, feeling all of those feelings that a mum would feel being away from her daughter and you know, finding out that your daughter's sick and all the things that Fantine goes through. But I'd love to play a mum now that I am a mum. I don't think I'd get through a single show without bawling my eyes out. That would be the danger. But yeah, I'm really interested to sort of play more maternal roles now that that is something that I'm actually going through myself.
- [10:07]
Mickey Jo Theatre
There were a few I really enjoyed getting to watch you do that had a sort of a maternal connection, even if they weren't necessarily mothers. I'm thinking of the Caucasian chalk circle. I'm thinking of the Witches of Eastwick concert which was so great. And it was a lot of roles that you surprised me in simply because it wasn't what we'd seen you do before on stage.
- [10:28]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
And I think that's the fun of like when I came out of Cinderella I was like, I want to do something completely different now because it's, you know, I stayed in that job for a year. Just under a year. Wasn't meant to be just under a year, but it was. And yeah, it was. You know, Cinderella is very sort of close to Wednesday and Veronica, they kind of all have that same sort of like teenage feisty, bit kooky, angsty sort of vibe. So, yeah, playing Grusha was really different and, you know, which the east book actually came before that. So playing, you know, something that's just as quirky but a little bit older and, you know, maybe a little bit dark as well. And, you know, it was great, really great. Witches of Eastwood. I just want that to become a full production. I feel like now is the time. If we need like a female sisterhood, you know, defeating the patriarchy type musical, it's now and it's that one. I really want witches to come back. But yeah, Grusha was really interesting because, like she said she wasn't actually a mother herself. And the whole, you know, the whole show posed this question about what actually makes a mother. Is it, you know, nature, nurture? Is it someone who is blood related? Is it the person that you call mum even though she isn't your mum? It was, you know, a very deep show, but, yeah, unlike anything I'd ever done. And it was three weeks long, it was six weeks rehearsal for half the amount of shows it was. But it was brilliant and in a great theater as well. The Rose Theatre is a really wonderful one and they produce some really high quality stuff as well. It's just a shame that it's just a little bit outside of London. So it does take, you know, a decent train ride to get there, but it's worth it.
- [12:05]
Mickey Jo Theatre
It's worth the visit.
- [12:06]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [12:06]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Thinking back to that Witches of Eastwick concert, was there a moment getting to play the scene that you had with Chrissie Beemer, who was set to be the next Cinderella? Before everything happened, it kind of felt.
- [12:20]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Like fate that we ended up on that job together because the first thing we did was we walked in and just gave each other a massive hug because it's not the way that anyone wants to find out that you've lost a job and lost a job that you hadn't even started yet and that maybe you gave up other jobs enabled in order to play that role to then find out that you actually don't get to play that role and it's too late to take on any of the other stuff that you had lined up anyway. So, yeah, we definitely had a little moment together in rehearsals to have a Chat about the whole. The whole thing. But it really did feel sort of like we'd. Like fate had sort of brought us together to have that week of doing. I can't Believe it was only a week, but had to have that week of witch. The Eastwick to, you know, sort of dust off the cobwebs of Cinderella a little bit.
- [13:06]
Unknown
Yeah, yeah.
- [13:06]
Mickey Jo Theatre
And then getting to sing Loose Ends with Maria Friedman at the curtain call. Magic.
- [13:11]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I mean, I cried my way through it, and I don't. Are there videos of it? I hope there's a video of it somewhere.
- [13:16]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I think I have a video of it somewhere.
- [13:17]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Oh, you need to send that to me. I close my eyes, I fade to that. I hide my face I turn my. And there are these losers to deal with. But, yeah. Oh, my God. I mean, Maria. Like you, I grew up watching Maria Friedman, especially on the. The Joseph dvd. I used to watch that over and over again. I love that woman. And it was a shame because she got covered the week that we were doing the rehearsals. We only had a week to rehearse that show. And she got Covid. Literally the day before we started. So I think it was her PA was like, just holding the laptop with her on zoom, and she'd be like, can you just take me over to stage left? I need to go to stage left, darling. He'd just sort of trot over to stage left with this laptop. It was the wildest thing I've ever done. And luckily she was fine and, you know, testing negative by the time the show happened. So got to sing with her.
- [14:15]
Mickey Jo Theatre
But.
- [14:15]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yeah. Oh, my God. That was a proper, like, bucket list moment. To be able to sing an iconic song with Maria Friedman, with Dana, who wrote the song, like, sat on stage with us. Like, who gets to do stuff like that? Magic. Actual magic.
- [14:30]
Unknown
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [14:31]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Talking about those bucket list moments and dream roles, you've done something quite interesting, which is you've returned to a lot of the shows you did as a young performer. Then as an adult, is there any inclination to tick off Mary Poppins? And do. I think you'd be a lovely. A lovely Mrs. Banks.
- [14:49]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Banks. Yeah. I think the older I get, the more Mrs. Banks feels sort of what I'm more suited to. And I love her song that she gets. And I feel like I wish it was just a little bit longer. Was like a. Like its own standalone song. Being Mrs. Banks is such a beautiful song. But maybe one day, maybe. I auditioned for Poppins when I was, like, 21, which was a ridiculous idea that Was one of those it's good to be seen auditions where, you know you're not gonna get it. And I was in the middle of playing Eponine as well, so I walked in and was, like, practically perfect trying to sing soprano when I was like, larynxy my boots. So that was fun. But, yeah, maybe. Who knows?
- [15:25]
Mickey Jo Theatre
What about Madame T? Is there a Madame T down the road?
- [15:27]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I mean, if Cameron will have me back to be Mrs. T. 100%, I would love to get the hat trick.
- [15:33]
Mickey Jo Theatre
You have to round out the bingo card.
- [15:35]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Exactly. I know the only one I'd be missing is Cosette, but who wants to play her? Kidding, Kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding.
- [15:41]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Let's dive in then. To the world. That was Cinderella at the Gillian Lynn. My question, I suppose now you just.
- [15:49]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Got the one question.
- [15:50]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Well, no, the first. There's so many things that I would ask, like, was it really true that this happened? Or this exact circumstance of this, but I'm ready. The thing I'm most curious about now, I think, is so many years beyond it and really an entire lifetime away. What is the emerging relationship to that time and the biggest takeaway?
- [16:10]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Maybe the more I get distance from the job, the easier it is to feel fond of the memories that I do have. And there's also a lot that I've forgotten as well. I actually ended up sharing a dressing room with Gloria and Georgina Castle when we did magic at the musicals. And there was stuff. And they were. You know, we all ended up talking about Cinderella and there was stuff that Gloria was like, I do remember when this happened. And I was like, oh, my God, I completely forgot that. That was a whole, like, two weeks of our lives where that thing happened. And, you know, it all. You know, we had to wait to find out how it was going to play out. And, you know, back and forth emails between whoever was involved or not. It's like, oh, my God, I just completely deleted that from my brain, probably to protect my mental state for a while. But, yeah, the further away that I get from it, the easier that it is to sort of look back and just be very grateful for the people that I met and the good times that I had, because doing the show was. Was a blast. Like, doing the actual performances, we laughed so much, and we had such a fun time. There were such amazing moments in the show, like singing I know I have a Heart in the round with the audience, like, you know, spun round, and it was fun. It was just all of sort of the backstage politics that Made it really hard to get through. And, you know, we all sort of felt that sort of, oh, God, I gotta go to work today type feeling, not knowing what was awaiting us. Because, you know, every sort of three days, there was a new fresh hell. Yeah. But, yeah, doing the show was fun. And the more I. You know, the longer it gets away from the job, the more I can look back and go, actually, all of those things are more important than all of the rubbish.
- [17:48]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [17:48]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Were there red flags early on that you now can identify after the fact? That should have been warning signs.
- [17:55]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Aren't there always in a toxic relationship? Yeah, and I think at the time, I didn't realize that they were red flags until we were in too deep. And I looked back and I was like, oh, yeah, maybe I should have paid attention to that a little bit more. Maybe that should have been more of a conversation when that happened. Yeah. I remember when we were, like, two days opening from the previews, and we just decided to rework the opening number, like, completely scrap the opening number that we had, and we spent two or three days of tech just redoing the opening, and I was like, we have not finished taking act two. I don't really feel massively safe. And we haven't finished Bad Cinderella as a number as well. So I was like, I. We get to a certain point in that number, and I'm just gonna have to park and park because I have no idea what happens past that point, because we've not finished it. So, yeah, there were lots of things that happened like that. Yeah. Maybe if I'd paid a bit more attention and maybe sort of flagged it with company managers or agents or whatnot, but you never know. You know what I mean? Like, everything's lovely in hindsight. But, yeah, maybe is the silver lining.
- [19:00]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Of that whole chapter, the relationships with the other performers as well, because so many amazing talents who quite quickly afterwards all got to go on to great things. Lauren getting to go into Matilda. You're working with Vinny again on this show. I just saw Jess Curtin go on as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret. I mean, there were so many talents. Georgina Castle and Georgina Honora and Georgina Honor.
- [19:23]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Her career has been unreal since she left Cinderella, and it's so deserved because she was phenomenal. And there were so many times when she. I used to have this armchair in my room that I used to call, like, my safe. My safe space. Because everyone used to come in and just sit down in the armchair, and I swear it was magic because they just Go, oh, my God. And just like, pour out. And I'd have, like, you know, people quite high up within that world come and sit down and just sort of start talking. I was like, this armchair needs to go in a therapist's office. Because it'd do them wonders. It really would. It's wasted in my room because I just sit here and go. I don't know how to help, but the amount of times that Georgina would come in and she'd be like, do you know what's going on this week? Do you know what shows we're doing this? I have no idea. Do you have any idea? I have no idea. And we'd end up just sort of, like, comparing schedules, trying to figure out who was on when and why, and, oh, drama. But she is so phenomenal and just such a wonderful person. Oh, she's. Isn't she? Just the best. So to see the career that she's had since, it's just so deserved.
- [20:21]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [20:21]
Mickey Jo Theatre
And getting to go from show to show, like, oh, but I can also do this. And I can do this. Oh, but I didn't tell you, but I can do this.
- [20:27]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
She's shown how versatile she is in such a short space of time. And, yeah, again, it's just so deserved.
- [20:32]
Mickey Jo Theatre
One of the defining, I suppose, dramatic moments of that time came right towards the end with the letter being read out at that performance. And you have a reaction in real time in that clip, as does. I think Lauren Byrne is the other one down the line where it's not a poker face by any stretch of the imagination. Is that because I think I reacted to it as well. And then sort of a little after the fact, I went back and I was like, was it just a poor choice of words or did it betray something more sincere?
- [21:02]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Oh, who knows? Who knows? I think we can all agree that it was a poor choice of words, regardless of, you know, what was behind it and what it meant or whatnot. I think there's a lot to be said for, like, the choice to read it out. You know, there's just so much about it. My main concern was Ivano at that point. Cause Ivano was so young when he started that job. It sounds very patronizing, but I also remember how I felt when I was Eponine, being 20 years old and you feel like the baby of the cast and you really do sort of need the sort of protection and guidance of the older people of the cast around you at those points, whether you know it or not. And I had Ivano's arm Around me. And I had. I was, like, holding his hand as best as I could, like, here. And I could just feel his heart suddenly, like, go. When that got read out. So I literally was like, are you okay? Are you all right? Are you okay? Are you sure? Are you sure you're all right? Because I feel like I'm gonna cry. So, yeah, my main concern was just making sure that Ivano was okay. And. And I knew my face was betraying me. I knew it was, but I was like, at this point, I don't care. I'm gonna go get very drunk after this. I've booked in at the Ivy down the road. I'm gonna go for a really nice meal with my mum, dad, and my boyfriend at the time. And, yeah, I'm gonna go have several glasses of wine. And that's what I'm focused on.
- [22:15]
Mickey Jo Theatre
And then a little while down the road, I think this is my only other pressing question about the whole thing. Panto happened.
- [22:21]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yes.
- [22:22]
Mickey Jo Theatre
And it was the two dinosaurs, Lloyd and Webber. And I have to know whether that came. That was my question.
- [22:31]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Where was. I was on holiday in between Cinderella ending and doing panto. And I got the script through, and I was sat in Disney reading this script, and I was like, oh, my God, they've called the dinosaurs Lloyd and Webber and had to tell all of my family. I thought it was genius and very funny. And I took great delight in saying that every night.
- [22:51]
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
- [22:51]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Was it a joy getting to sing Hellfire?
- [22:53]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Oh, my God. Isn't it just one of the best songs ever?
- [22:55]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I remember sitting in that audience and thinking, she's loving doing this song.
- [22:59]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I mean, it's a Disney song that I just didn't think I'd ever get to sing because it's a male song, It's a villain song. I didn't. You know, I didn't know I'd be.
- [23:07]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Playing you as judge Claude Frollo. Who knew?
- [23:09]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
I mean, do you know what I mean? It's coming back. I'll give my best Frollo if they need me to. So, yeah, no, singing Hellfire was great. And who gets to sing Hellfire with two velociraptors behind me and guys, like, flinging fire around? It was great.
- [23:21]
Unknown
Yeah.
- [23:22]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I consistently have people watching who don't understand pantomime, and I think this has only added more questions rather than answers.
- [23:28]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yes, true.
- [23:29]
Mickey Jo Theatre
But in any case, you find yourself now touring with the Deadwood stage in Calamity Jane. You started last month.
- [23:35]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Yep. Yeah. We've been on the road For a month now. And then we had two weeks off, which is lovely. But. Yeah. Oh, my God, it's. It's just so fun. And it. Being an actor muso show as well, is something I've never really done before. I did once for like one concert, two shows in a day. So, you know, I didn't really get a taste of what it's like to. To do a show like that. But it's fascinating and it was a really fascinating rehearsal process as well to, you know, see how it works when you've got a cast who are all playing the instruments and the level of talent on the stage around me and the, like, focus that everyone has to have, but also the fun that everyone has because it's just I, you know, I get to sing these songs whilst looking at a cast of people who are actually playing it. And it, you know, it changes very technical things like the sound. It changes very sort of practical things like, you know, where everyone's going to stand and whether people can actually do the choreo and whether they can move about as easily. You know, all of that changes and. But it also changes the dynamic on the stage between everyone because you really have to listen to each other more than you would if, you know, everyone was just stood there silently behind me whilst I sang a solo song. You know what I mean? I now actually get to see people take a breath before they play the next chord. So I know, you know, I can follow them more easily. And it's just. It just changes the dynamic of a show, but brings everyone together even more than I thought it would in such a wonderful way. And also getting to work with Vinnie as well, that was. This is our. This is our hat trick. This is our third job together we. The stage concert of Les Mis, Cinderella, and now this. But this is the first time playing opposite each other. And I tell you what, intimacy calls with someone that you know are far harder than they are with a stranger. I laughed into his mouth in our intimacy call as I was about to kiss him for the first time. Just. Just laughed straight into his open mouth. It's the reaction everyone wants, I think. Yeah, yeah, he felt really special after that. But, yeah, it's far harder having to do intimate scenes with someone that you've already got a friendship with. It'd be so much. I said to him, I was like, it'd be so much easier if you were a complete stranger because you can just kind of get to know each other as the characters before you get to know each other as people but because I already know you. So weird. So weird. And, you know, we were. What? He was at my wedding. I was invited to his wedding but didn't go because it was the day that I found out I was pregnant. So, you know, it's a very strange dynamic when you're on stage with someone that you've got a really strong friendship with. When you're friends with their. Who they're married to as well, it's just bizarre. But it kind of means that we started our onstage relationship as if we'd already been doing the job for, like, a year. So it's been really special doing this job with Vin. He's great.
- [26:17]
Unknown
Yeah. Yeah.
- [26:18]
Mickey Jo Theatre
It sounds like a real treat you're bringing to audiences around the country.
- [26:21]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Well, we hope so, anyway.
- [26:22]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Yes. Yes, we're seeing it tonight. I cannot wait. I am so excited to see you in the show. Thank you for taking the time.
- [26:28]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Thank you.
- [26:28]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Talk to me.
- [26:29]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Coming all the way here to, you know, be in my dressing room before it got messy.
- [26:33]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Beautiful.
- [26:33]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Right now, yes, it's pristine. I'll pretend that it stays like this, but I'm like a goldfish. I grow to the size of the bowl you put me in. So if you put me in a dressing room, it doesn't matter how small or big it is. It will be a mess by the time the week is done.
- [26:46]
Mickey Jo Theatre
Amazing.
- [26:47]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Amazing.
- [26:48]
Mickey Jo Theatre
So lovely to meet you. You too. Break a leg for the week in Woke again for the rest of the.
- [26:51]
Carrie Hope Fletcher
Tour and keep making amazing videos because I'm always watching. Thank you.
- [26:54]
Mickey Jo Theatre
I appreciate. Thank you so much for listening to this interview and thank you to Carrie and the company of Calamity Jane for letting us come and chat. Make sure to book your tickets to see the show at a theatre near you and stay tuned for more interviews coming very soon. I hope that everyone is staying safe and that you have a stagey day. For 10 more seconds, I'm Mickey Jo Theatre. Oh, my God. Hey, thanks for watching. Have a stagey day. Subscribe.