BWW Interviews: CHICAGO's Ruthie Henshall

Hi Ruthie, and welcome to BWW:UK. How's it going?

Very well. It's so wonderful, and it's a privilege to come back after 11 years.

Are you playing the role differently now?

Totally. I have 11 years more life experience. I now kind of think this is the best age to play Roxie - late 30s, early 40s.

Yes - typically the role's been played by twentysomethings.

Yes, and with all due respect to them, and myself when I was 31, it's a very different Roxie the older you get. And I'm loving inhabiting her.

You're sharing the role over Christmas with Bonnie Langford.

Yes, I'm doing The Sound Of Musicals, a week of concerts, and then I'm back on January 4.

You've also played Velma, though!

I played Velma on Broadway and here! They always say, "Oh, you'll be back," and you're always like, "No, I've done it now," but you do go back.

Do you prefer one role to the other?

I definitely prefer playing Roxie. Velma has the money numbers and the snappy one-liners, but Roxie is the one on a journey. It's her story.

I've read that there's more dancing now you're back - is that in the Hot Honey Rag?

Yes, and Me and My Baby. Things get changed around a little bit, you get stuff put back in. They're very accommodating here at Chicago; they really do direct the person as an individual, and bearing in mind you have celebrities in through a revolving door every two or three months...

Yes - have you seen or worked with any of the big celebrity names they bring in?

I really haven't. The only one I've seen is Kevin Richardson, from the Backstreet Boys, and girls screamed! It was like a rock concert. But I love that they bring in a different audience. The only thing I've been involved in that was comparable was the tenth anniversary show, which was unbelievable.

Sometimes people can be quite critical about so many celebrities coming into the world of musical theatre.

If people want to be snobby, they need to consider the fact that lots of shows are now trying to do the same thing. Chicago is smart, vibrant, and every so often has an injection of something new. It's never a tired old show. I mean, just think about the posters - when we first had them done 11 years ago, they had those photographs, showing that this was a sexy musical, while everyone else just had a logo or a drawn picture. Now they're all doing the same thing with photographs. Chicago has been groundbreaking. It's like Melanie Chisholm going into Blood Brothers - I think that was an absolute stroke of genius. She's from Liverpool, she has a wonderful voice, and she's a big star, and she's now paved the way for other celebrities to go into established shows.

But do you think that's a problem for young people who have trained for musical theatre and aren't getting the parts?

As long as the celebrities can do it, no, it's fine. If they can, great; if they can't, they don't last long. I think that's why a lot of them get offered short contracts. If they're dreadful, you can get them out!

Tell me a bit about The Sound Of Musicals.

It's the very best of musicals - every number from a show that you love, that'll be in there: Les Mis, Miss Saigon, Guys and Dolls, West Side Story, across the board. There are four of us, a big huge orchestra, and it's a series of one-off gigs.

What are your favourites?

I Dreamed A Dream, Someone To Watch Over Me, As Long As He Needs Me, I Know Him So Well - and there's even some Abba in there as well.

Is there any chance of a 25th anniversary Les Mis reunion concert?

When is the 25th anniversary?

It's next year.

It can't be!

It must be - the dream cast was the 10th anniversary, and that was 1995...

Oh my goodness. Yes, you're right. No, not that I know of!

You've recently left the judging panel of Dancing On Ice.

Yes, I had a great time, but I wanted to get back to doing what I do. That's my passion. Sitting and judging ice-skating isn't what I want to do.

What advice would you give to Emma Bunton, who's taking your place?

Just enjoy it. Ignore your lack of experience - you're there to give an opinion. We all sit at home and give opinions, so why shouldn't someone do the same on the panel? It's a lot of fun.

You bickered with Jason Gardiner [the "nasty judge"] a bit.

Oh, everyone does. Sometimes he just says things - but it's all part of the show. It's very gladiatorial - where else do you get booed for doing your job? I really liked the whole panel. My big love is Robin Cousins, who I know from way back. He's brilliant at what he does, and he's a wonderful and funny man. I will miss them all. I'll be texting them saying, "What on earth did you say that for?"!

You've had a dramatic couple of years - was there one particular thing that pushed you back from TV to theatre?

Well, I've always been on stage. Nothing happened that turned me back to it, but for a while I just did something different.

Do you have a favourite role?

Crazy For You, when I played Polly Baker. That's what I dreamed of - an MGM musical on stage. It was my breakout show.

Are there any other parts you'd like to revisit?

There are, but not ones I'd be able to do! I'd love to do She Loves Me again, and Crazy For You, but I think I'm too old. Then someone told me that Ethel Merman was 55 when she last did it on stage, and maybe as long as there's a substantial distance between the audience and the stage...

As well as all that, you're a mummy as well.

Yes, and that's HARD, particularly at the moment when I'm doing eight shows a week and all the press and publicity that goes with it. My daughters will be able to come and see me doing The Sound Of Musicals at the Barbican, though, I hope, and they'll love that!

Ruthie is starring as Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre, and is also performing in The Sound Of Musicals.

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