BWW Interviews: Betty Buckley About DEAR WORLD And The Hall Of Fame!

I love the physical warm-up we do here - it's really hard. [Betty proceeds to show me just how difficult it is by repeating half a dozen tongue-twisters and getting them all horribly muddled.] It's ridiculous! Only in London! And they're all really good at it!

How are you enjoying being in London?

I love London. I haven't got to do much at this point - it's basically just back to the hotel. I've hit some of my favourite restaurants though. I want to go to some of the galleries and museums again. I want to see The Bodyguard - I love Heather Headley, she's one of my favourite singers ever. I want to see some stuff at the National too.

And you're being inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame this year.

January 28th! I'd originally thought I could sneak out of rehearsal for two days and make it for that, but I don't think so now. Ellen Burstyn is going to be the presenter for me - I'm sure she'll be the beautiful lady that she is, she'll be representing me. But every day doing this show is a celebration!

But if you extend you won't be able to do that?

What, celebrate every night?

Yes!

Oh, sure I can! [laughs] We've been anticipating doing this show for so long, we're driving around and it's like, "Wow, we're actually here!"

Betty Buckley stars in Dear World at the Charing Cross Theatre from February.

After spending her formative years reading books and ending up with a Masters degree in English literature from King's College London, it was inevitable that Carrie should be a journalist. Her pure and simple delight in the art-form of musical theatre led to the Guardian asking her to be their West End Girl. Since then, she's picked up a PhD, and also written for many other UK publications, including the Times and the Independent. She has many eclectic loves, including sport, karaoke, reality television, MMORPGs, three-volume Victorian novels, the British seaside, embroidery and Veronica Mars.

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