Frances Ruffelle: “‘Beneath the Dress’ perhaps is an honest reveal of the true Frankie Ruff”

Following a sold-out Edinburgh season, Frances Ruffelle returns to the West End for one night only on Sunday 12 September in `Frances Ruffelle: Beneath the Dress´ at the Garrick Theatre. Accompanied by a six-piece band, Ruffelle performs an array of songs exploring her musical influences, including compositions by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Kurt Weill. For her performance at the Garrick Theatre, Ruffelle will be accompanied onstage by two guest stars. Chart-topping pop star Eliza Doolittle (who is her daughter) will be joining her mother for a duet. This will be the first time they have performed together on a West End stage since they appeared in LES MISERABLES with Frances playing Eponine and 8 year old Eliza playing Cosette. Sadie Frost will also be there to reprise her duet “Best Friend” from the musical THE WILD PARTY with Ruffelle which they performed in Edinburgh.

Frances Ruffelle has an extensive career in musical theatre. She originated the role of Eponine in the original cast of Les Miserables, winning a Tony Award when she took her performance to Broadway. Her credits also include STARLIGHT EXPRESS, CHILDREN OF EDEN or  CHICAGO.

On this interview, the British actress and singer tells us more details about her solo show  ‘Beneath the Dress’, about her artistic career and about her upcoming projects. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE OF PERFORMING ‘BENEATH THE DRESS’ AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL?
Doing the Edinburgh Festival and being received so well there was not only fun but also gave me the opportunity to be really brave and experimental with my material and I had a complete ball on stage every night.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU PERFORMING YOUR SHOW AT LONDON’S GARRICK THEATRE?
I am very excited and honoured to be bringing my show to the west end for one night and this also gives me a challenge (which I love) to stage the show a theatre rather than a so called “cabaret” space or as I put it “ fabaret!”

WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ‘BENEATH THE DRESS’? HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SHOW?
‘Beneath the Dress’ perhaps is an honest reveal of the true Frankie Ruff! My six piece jazz band and I  take the audience on a crazy ride that I hope will give people a better insight into the real me! It is certainly more me than anything I’ve ever done. The songs are inspired by people I admire or situations I associate with and women who just simply love to entertain...

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA OF CREATING ‘BENEATH THE DRESS’? AND HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE SONGS THAT ARE IN THE SHOW?
It has taken almost a lifetime to accumulate the experiences to create this show… It has been a little bud growing in my head and keeping me awake at night… Now is the time to let it grow!I devised the show with my brother Matt Ryan (he knows me better than anyone!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT THE AUDIENCE OF ‘BENEATH THE DRESS’ WILL DISCOVER ABOUT FRANCES RUFFELLE?
They will see that I am not all about singing a pretty ballad!
And will get to know the naughty cheeky playful real me!
This show is created for people like me who get bored easily!
The show is a burst of energy that never stops and takes you where you least expect!

NEXT 13TH SEPTEMBER ‘IMPERFECTLY ME’, YOUR NEW SOLO ALBUM WILL BE RELEASED. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE IT?
It’s songs of my life! Songs I grew up with and arranged with a magnificent big band! Its about live vocals and live music…real and earthy and Not produced to perfection!

THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN SEVEN YEARS SINCE YOUR PREVIOUS ALBUM ‘SHOWGIRL’ WAS RELEASED. WHY SO MUCH TIME?
I have been lazy!

YOU MADE YOUR WEST END DEBUT MORE THAN 25 YEARS AGO. HOW HAS THE WEST END AND MUSICAL THEATRE EVOLVED THROUGH ALL THESE YEARS?
I made my West End musical debut at the height of the ‘Lloyd Webber” success… It was very exciting! Its very hard these days to get such a huge fast smash without digging up old pop stars songs… though I will say.. I love MAMMA MIA!
Singing has changed a lot too and it seems that it is all about hitting high notes and it used to be about having the “X” Factor
Even the “X” Factor programme is about high notes and not the “X” faxtor!! I think being individual unoque and different is much more exciting and more of a challenge and I wish performers were encouraged and given the chance to be that!

YOU ORIGINATED THE ROLE OF EPONINE IN LES MISÉRABLES, BOTH IN LONDON AND BROADWAY. COULD YOU COMMENT ON YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS MYTHICAL MUSICAL BY SCHÖNBERG AND BOUBLIL? WILL YOU BE INVOLVED IN THE CELEBRATIONS OF ITS 25TH ANNIVERSARY?
I absolutely loved my experiences working with Schönberg and Boublil. I adore them and all the creative family of LES MIS! It was such a gift of a role and I had such fun creating her…my rehearsal hat (which ended up being her costume! Persuaded by me!) her over sized boots (I had in the original!...but think that’s been forgotten through the years!) her swagger, her Kate Carney style vocals.. (my favourite singer when I was growing up!) and her slight artful dogerism.. I loved him growing up too! And I looked like the girl on the poster too! Loved that!
I will be involved in celebrations and looking forward to seeing Eponine sung by the delicious Samantha Barks who is about the age I was when I played it 25 years ago!

YOU’RE WORKING ON ANOTHER SHOW NAMED ‘SONGS FROM A HOTEL BEDROOM’ SOON. COULD YOU TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT THIS NEW PROJECT?
Amazing project conceived by Kate Flatt and Peter Rowe and commissioned by the Royal Opera House and Segue Productions
Its A piece of music theatre that unfolds through the bittersweet love songs of Kurt Weill’s American repertoire (including “September Song“, “Speak Low“, “I’m A Stranger Here Myself“) and the sensuous mischief of tango dance. 1949: stylish and sophisticated post-war New York. Cabaret singer Angélique (me) relives the memories of her brief but passionate love affair with songwriter Dan (Nigel Richards). Recalling her arrival from Paris a year before, she reflects on how her life has changed... Also featuring dancers Tara Pilbrow and Amir Giles and a 7-piece live band.
It Opens at the Watford Palace theatre on the 16th, then goes to the Wolsey in Ipswich and then transfers to London to the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre.