Kelly Price: “It´s not often that you find such a richness and depth in Musical Theatre” (as in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC)

Acclaimed by reviewers and by the audience, Trevor Nunn’s revival of Sondheim’s A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC keeps on its success at the Garrick Theatre.

Kelly Price performs Countess Charlotte Malcolm in a cast full of great performers: Hannah Waddingham, Alexander Hanson, Maureen Lipman, Alistair Robins and Jessie Buckley.

Her previous work in the West End was in Kander & Ebb’s CHICAGO, where she played Roxie Hart at the end of 2008. Previously she had starred in shows as DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, GUYS AND DOLLS, performing Sarah Brown besides Adam Cooper and Patrick Swayze; and MAMMA MIA!.

Kelly Price tells us about her work in this Musical that she describes as “witty and funny”.

‘A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC’ HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS, ITS RUN AT THE MENIER WAS COMPLETELY SOLD OUT. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO TAKE PART OF THIS PRODUCTION AND TO TRANSFER IT TO THE GARRICK THEATRE?
I´m honored and delighted to be part of this production. A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is such a beautifully written piece and Trevor Nunn has once again excelled in his stunning direction. When I read the script I laughed out loud and then I was reduced to tears. I knew instantly that I wanted to be in this show and was lucky enough to have a successful audition. It is such an incredibly witty and funny book with wonderfully complex and rounded characters. It´s not often that you find such a richness and depth in Musical Theatre. We are thrilled to have transferred to The Garrick and to be bringing Sondheim to a West End which has been flooded with Juke Box Musicals, film adaptations and other ´branded´ shows. It is a testament to the show´s popularity and success and we´re hoping for a great summer!

THE SHOW IS DIRECTED BY SIR TREVOR NUNN. HE IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED DIRECTORS NOWADAYS. HOW HAS IT BEEN WORKING WITH HIM?
Trevor Nunn is currently and has been for decades one of the most distinguished and brilliant British Directors. It was a dream of mine to work with him and so I´m thrilled to finally have that opportunity. He´s a wonderful director and a charming man. He has a hypnotizing quality when he speaks. I could listen to him for hours talking about the show and other stories and at times in rehearsal we literally did just that. He has shaped an elegant, delicate and detailed piece of work and we all had a lot of fun during the rehearsal process. It´s a comfort to know that you are in safe hands.

HOW HAS BEEN ADAPTED THE SHOW FOR PERFORMING IT AT THE GARRICK THEATRE, A VERY DIFFERENT SPACE THAN THE MENIER?
From a technical point of view it was quite a smooth transition from the Menier to The Garrick Theatre. The stage proportions are very similar but the luxury of having space in the wings, backstage and dressing rooms makes a big difference. The Menier is tiny in comparison. The most challenging aspect for the performers has been learning to pitch the performance for a bigger space. It was important to keep the intimacy and delicacy that we found at The Menier in a studio space but enable the story to reach a bigger audience and auditorium. That involves mostly using more vocal energy and a slight change in some of the stage blocking. I personally think the show is better in the bigger theatre but the atmosphere was always electric at the Menier.

YOU PLAY THE ROLE OF COUNTESS CHARLOTTE MALCOLM, A WOMAN HUMILLIATED BY HER HUSBAND, ALTHOUGH SHE LOVES HIM A LOT. COULD YOU COMMENT ON THIS CHARACTER? WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST OF PERFORMING THE ROLE OF CHARLOTTE?
Charlotte Malcolm is wonderfully witty and sometimes says very cruel and cutting remarks but it all comes from her being in such a terrible dilemma, so she can be forgiven. She uses her intelligence and humour to attempt o communicate the deep sorrow and regret she is living with. "Every Day A Little Death" is such a tragically beautiful lyric which perfectly sums up her situation. I admire Charlotte´s strength and determination. The audience meet her at her breaking point but she has been "putting up with" as she states, her husband’s abuse for years now and so she concocts a plan to get his love back rather than to sit and rot. In early 1900s Sweden, when women couldn´t file for divorce of have any voice I think she demonstrates a wise and courageous act regardless of how "humiliating" it seems to be. Feisty women with a dilemma are such fun to play as they are like animals at prey but slightly more calculating and of course are still soft at heart.

WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT OF THE SONGS WRITTEN BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM FOR THE SHOW? DO YOU THINK IT IS A DIFFICULT SCORE FOR PERFORMERS?
Initially like all Sondheim´s music the score was tricky to learn as the music and lyric are a little more sophisticated than we´re used to. Once memorised it is such a treat to sing and to listen to. Every note makes sense and serves the story, ever lyric is properly connected to the character and serves the story and it is beautifully poetic but not over-sentimental. Each of the character´s songs in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC acts as their ´soliloquy´ and through them you find the essence of that character. There are so many musical highlights that it´s difficult to single out any one moment but ´Send In The Clowns´ is such a sensitive and heart-wrenching song. In rehearsal there wasn´t a dry eye in the room and I suspect it has the same effect on audiences nightly.

Una escena de A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC en la Menier Chocolate Factory

THIS PRODUCTION OF ‘A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC’ HAS RECEIVED VERY GOOD REVIEWS. DO YOU THINK PEPLE ARE INFLUENCED BY PRESS REVIEWS AND GOOD REVIEWS MAKE PEOPLE GO TO THEATRES? DO YOU USE TO READ ALL PRESS REVIEWS?
We are thrilled to have had many five star reviews and some four stars. The reviewers and audiences love the show. I think it does matter what the critics write because many people haven´t heard of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC like they have some of the ´blockbuster´ shows. They need to be told how funny, poignant and interesting it is if they are going to spend their money at the theatre. I try not to read the reviews but they are always talked about and sometime plastered on the front of the theatre so it is hard to avoid them. If a critic writes something unnecessary about the show or about my performance I try to ignore it. At the end of the day it is personal opinion and preference. What is important to us is that the reviews are generally positive for the show so that we can sell more tickets. The rest is meaningless.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOMENT OF THE SHOW?
My favourite moment is probably a dinner scene where my character, Charlotte, gets drunk and causes chaos. Her drunken outburst acts as a domino effect onto some of the other characters and so gradually the truth is revealed. It is the turning point of the show.

YOUR WEST END CREDITS INCLUDE ROXIE HART IN ‘CHICAGO’, ROBERTA GLASS IN ‘DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN’, SARAH BROWN IN ‘GUYS AND DOLLS’ OR LISA AND SOPHIE IN ‘MAMMA MIA!’. DID ANY OF THESE SHOWS HAD A SPECIAL MEANING FOR YOU? DO YOU FEEL SPECIALLY PROUD OF ANY OF YOUR MUSICAL ROLES?
I especially enjoyed GUYS AND DOLLS as I began as an understudy and after the first contract I was promoted to the role of Sarah Brown. It is such a fabulous show and throughout the 18 months that I spent in the show overall, I worked with some very talented and special people. I also feel very proud of the work that I did on a play called ‘The Rise and Fall of Little Voice’ at the acclaimed Watermill Theatre. I played Little Voice and for that had to impersonate many of the 20th century divas such as Shirley Bassey, Judy Garland, Maria Callas, Billie Holiday etc, which was a difficult task but worth the hard work. The contract was for a month only. I would love to reprise that role before I get too old to play it.

AFTER ALL YOU EXPERIENCE ON THE WEST END, YOU WOULD LIKE TO WORK ON BROADWAY?
Of course I would love to work on Broadway! I am very proud to be working in the West End as the calibre is world class but it would be nice to have a change and tread the boards in the USA. I would also love to work in Los Angeles.