Julie Atherton: “I’d do a new show every month if I could”

She is one of the most renowned actresses in current West End. Julie Atherton says that, if she could, she would do a new show every month. And she is not far from achieving it. Last May she performed on THE LAST 5 YEARS and TICK, TICK…BOOM!; on June she returned to AVENUE Q at the Gielgud Theatre. Atherton will be there until October 3, and then on November 1 she will take part of the gala concert `Michael Bruce: A Little Less Ordinary’; a week later she will perform on the concert version of the musical THROUGH THE DOOR that finishes the 2009 edition of the Perfect Pitch showcase. Simultaneously she works in other projects, among them, her second album as a soloist.

Atherton was member of the original cast of AVENUE Q in London playing the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. She joined again the company on December 1 2008 to play the last performances of the musical at the Noël Coward Theatre. And she is still there on the Gielgud Theatre where the show re-opened last June.

Julie Atherton tells us about her work in this Jeff Marx, Robert Lopez and Jeff Whitty musical that recently has extended its run until January 2010.

 ‘AVENUE Q’ HAS COME BACK TO THE WEST END IN A NEW THEATRE, THE GIELGUD. HOW IS THE SHOW GOING AT ITS NEW “HOME”?
It’s going very well thank you… we love our new home.

YOU WERE MEMBER OF THE ORIGINAL CAST OF ‘AVENUE Q’ IN LONDON, WHAT DID IT MEAN TO YOU JOINING AGAIN THE COMPANY FOR THE LAST PERFORMANCES AT THE NOËL COWARD THEATRE?
I always said I’d love to go back to it and as soon as I heard it was closing, I jumped at the chance when they asked me.

WAS IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR YOU AT THE BEGINNING DEALING WITH PUPPETRY?
Yes! It was very painful and hard to get to grips with, as there is so much to remember.
But like anything… practice makes perfect.

YOU PERFORM KATE MONSTER AND LUCY THE SLUT. DO YOU ENJOY MOST PLAYING ONE ABOVE THE OTHER?
I love the fact I get to play 2 completely different characters….it’s not often you get to do that as an actress. Puppeteering wise, I prefer Kate, as Lucy is heavier and harder to control.

CAMERON MACKINTOSH EXPLAINED THAT WHEN THE SHOW OPENED IN 2006 THE BRITISH NATIONAL CRITICS MOSTLY DIDN’T GET IT AND PREDICTED THAT IT WOULD ONLY LAST THREE MONTHS. MORE THAN THREE YEARS LATER, THE SHOW IS STILL IN THE WEST END. WHY DO YOU THINK IT CONNECTS TO LONDON THEATERGOERS?
Because it’s funny and it’s touching. It teaches you about real life in a cheeky but charming way. Everyone who sees the show comes out saying they had a great time and that their belly hurt from laughing so hard. I’d believe 3 years of real audience members over a couple of stuffy critics with no sense of humour.

DO YOU READ REVIEWS?
I sometimes read reviews, but to be honest I make up my own mind.

LAST MAY YOU WERE IN ‘THE LAST 5 YEARS’ AND ‘TICK, TICK… BOOM!’ AT DUCHESS THEATER. HOW WAS THE EXPERIENCE?
It was a wonderful and very stressful experience. So much to learn in a short amount of time, but very exciting at the same time. I love NEW work and I’d do a new show every month if I could.

YOUR DEBUT ALBUM WAS `A GIRL OF FEW WORDS´. ARE YOU PLANNING TO RECORD A SECOND ALBUM AS A SOLOIST?
Yes, I am actually! I’m working on it at the moment. It should be out by Christmas if all goes to plan.

WHAT WILL BE NEXT FOR JULIE ATHERTON? ANY OTHER PROJECTS?
Who knows? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

Juile Atherton, Daniel Boys and Edward Baruwa in AVENUE Q