Interview: Molly Chesworth Talks TEDDY at The Vaults

Molly Chesworth is currently starring as Josie in new musical Teddy on its UK Tour before its run at The Vaults in London. A 2017 graduate of the Oxford School of Drama, Chesworth is making her professional debut.

How did you become interested in theatre?

My grandparents were both ballet dancers. They were very much into the stage world and they encouraged me to do ballet when I was growing up. From about three or four years old, I did ballet. I gave that up when I was about 14 and started acting.

My grandparents, specifically my grandpa, encouraged me to join the National Youth Theatre. He got me an application when I was 13 and I did the course when I was 14. I grew up in Devon, so going to London and doing the course was the first taster that I had of what it's really like working in a theatrical environment within an ensemble.

I just loved working with other actors and devising things. It wasn't about doing plays for me; it was more devising my own little bits of theatre and writing things with other people. That was what got me into it.

What made you decide to pursue acting as a career?

I studied drama at college, just a normal kind of lesson, but I knew that was the avenue I wanted to go down. At school, I'd done plays and people had been very encouraging, telling me it was something I should pursue.

I never was very academic as a child. I found it difficult to retain information, so I found revision and the commitment and willpower to do it quite hard. I had the most enjoyment, freedom and fun when I was performing. I thought, "I need to go to drama school".

I auditioned when I was at college and got put on the waiting list for somewhere and everywhere else was a no. So I took a gap year, moved to Brighton, and had a great time there. Then I auditioned again and didn't get in. That time, I was pretty down about it. Even though my family were very supportive, my mother was saying, "How long are you going to do this before you try a different career?".

Luckily, in my third year of auditioning, I got into two drama schools. I auditioned while at university; I was at university at the time to make Mum think I was going for something else. I dropped out and went to drama school and it was amazing.

What was studying at the Oxford School of Drama like?

It's hard to explain. The Oxford School of Drama is an isolated, small drama school in the middle of rural Oxfordshire surrounded by fields. It's very beautiful, but very remote.

It was sort of like going back to primary school because we all got the school bus. There's probably about 90 to 100 students there. You have to take a packed lunch because there's no shops. It's quite a humbling experience, in a way.

Our principal, George Peck, was very adamant in keeping it an independent institution. He wanted to have as much say about it as possible, which I really respected. It's quite rare that you get independent drama schools nowadays.

I had an amazing time. I loved my year to pieces. It's an intense experience, because you're spending all week with these people. You have to work hard or you'll fall behind. Drama school's not for everyone, especially the Oxford School of Drama because it's so unique in its setting and its way of working. But I found it a very good experience.

What's it like making your professional debut?

It's been amazing. I've learnt so much since doing this. Being at drama school prepares you for auditions and for roles, but having a real job in the real world is something you can't really prepare for.

This is a very intense show. There's two leads playing about 13 characters between us. It's very physical and kind of stylised. Our choreographer, Tom Jackson Greaves, was there the whole time in rehearsals and there's a big dance number in it. You had to be on the ball in the rehearsal period constantly. You can't take your foot off the pedal when it's just you and one other person.

For me, it's been the most perfect role for me to go into because I always loved the physical side of things at drama school and I love dancing. I'm so thankful that I've had the opportunity to do this as my first role out of drama school.

How would you describe Teddy?

Teddy is a fast-paced, tense roller coaster of a rock 'n' roll musical. It's incredibly exciting and quick and the music is amazing. The musicians are so incredible. We've managed to create this piece that has action and storytelling alongside wonderful music, and it's all weaved in together to make this piece of theatre.

There's a lot of narration to begin with because we're telling you this story. It's about two young people living in 1950s Britain post-war. It's pretty dark; they're living in bombed-out areas where there's not anything to do apart from drink and hang out in these damaged churches.

These young people are just searching to find their own identity and to have fun and play. Their parents are having a terrible time because they've just been through the war. They want to rebel against all this and find their own freedom.

Teddy and Josie are a Teddy boy and a Teddy girl who go on a night out with their mates. They meet for the first time and Teddy wants to try to flirt with Josie and she's not having it. She's a proper tough cookie and she won't take any crap.

They have a run in with the police at one point and they run away together. They end up hearing that their favourite band, Johnny Valentine and the Broken Hearts, are playing in London - that's the band which plays during the whole show. So they decide to go even though they have to rob a pawn shop to get the cash. Suddenly everything takes off - and you'll have to come and watch it to find out what happens...

The text is written in like Beat poetry. It kind of rhymes and has a beautiful flow to it. Tristan Bernays, the writer, has done such an amazing job. It's like contemporary Shakespeare; it has almost an iambic pentameter feel to the rhythm. But we try to make it as naturalistic as possible so that it takes you by surprise.

It's a beautiful play. There are these moments of real kind of truth that hit you and bring you into reality, surrounded by all this fun and narration that we're doing. It's a special piece, unlike anything I've ever read or seen.

How would you describe your character Josie?

Josie is 17 and she comes from quite a rubbish family background. Her dad is an alcoholic and abusive towards her, and her mother doesn't come up much in the show. She works in a shop, quite a dead-end job.

She's quite a guarded girl. She doesn't let anyone in, especially not blokes. There's line where Teddy says to her, "What are you afraid of?" and she says, "Nothing, I'm not afraid of anything". But actually it's a complete cover-up - there's this terrified fragile girl covering up with this thick layer of hardness. She's afraid to dream, but inside she's got so many dreams. She would only ever dream in the comfort of her own bedroom; she would never tell or show anyone that she has that side to her.

She's been such a cool character to play, to try to have that vulnerability but only on the inside and that thick layer of hardness on the outside.

Did you do any research about London in the 1950s to prepare?

I did research before the rehearsal period started, on Teddy girls and Teddy boys. The pictures of the original Teddy girls are awesome: they're standing in these bombed-out areas. I just did research on what it was like to live as a young person in the 1950s.

The money that they had was so little. And any money they had, especially Teddys, they would deck themselves out in the coolest suits, the coolest outfits, because that was their identity. Even if they didn't have money for food, their look was the most important thing about them.

There's one part in the play where we're in a cinema and it's based on something that actually happened in 1956 in the cinema in Elephant and Castle. There was a film being shown and all the Teds were in the cinema. Back then, the cinema would get crazy; people would be throwing drinks everywhere, shouting, screaming. It would be a huge party.

This film begins and it's like nothing they've ever seen before. "Rock Around the Clock" starts playing and the whole cinema just went crazy. They were ripping the chairs up, there were fights everywhere, they were just going mental. This is a real thing that happened and it's depicted in the play.

I think for the young people at that time, it was full of rebellion, just middle fingers up to the system, especially for the Teds. That was the most exciting thing for me to research because it was stuff I could relate to. I've had moments where I feel so angry with the world and the way life seems to be going that you just want to go a bit crazy. It still happens today, so I found all that very interesting to read.

Do you have a favourite number or moment in the show?

One of my favourite moments is between Teddy and Josie before they decide to go on this rampage. It's a very delicate moment, but it's very tense and it's just a moment of silence between the two of them. They're just looking at each other and something else is happening behind them, but I won't spoil it.

It's about 30 seconds of silence of them looking into each other's eyes. As a character for me, it's a moment when I see a change in him that makes me then change myself. We're communicating with each other purely through our energy and our eyes. I love that bit.

How is the tour going thus far? Any stops you're looking forward to?

Being on tour is a whole different ball game. To keep up that energy and stamina whilst moving around the country, changing venues and meeting new people is a challenge. It's helpful to remind yourself that people coming to watch these shows are here to see a story and to watch some truth on stage. I'm trying to maintain the same energy as we go through this tour.

I'm excited about all of the stops, but I'm so excited to get to London and do it at The Vaults. It's just going to be the perfect venue for this show. It's underground, there's graffiti everywhere, it's really urban. We're going to have people standing at the front, like a proper gig, and you'll be able to feel the energy from the actors and musicians. I just think it's going to be so fun.

This tour's been amazing and it's been incredible to go to all these different venues and spaces. But it's hard to translate everything that you want into one space if you're only there for a week. Having ten weeks at The Vaults is going to be great. We're all buzzing.

Why do you think people should come and see Teddy?

I think it's a unique piece of storytelling. If you like stories and music and a good time, this has everything. It's a truthful, beautiful, relatable story, but there's so much excitement and passion inside it.

It's pretty dark; it's not all singing and dancing. It's not your typical jukebox musical, there's a lot more to it. But I think that's what makes it so special. It's real, it's not trying to be a happy-clappy musical. It's trying to show real lives with struggle and what you do to combat that, how you make the best out of a pretty bad situation. And the music's epic; if you like rock 'n' roll and upbeat music, our musicians are incredible.

Any advice for aspiring actresses?

This is quite classic, but don't give up. Keep going, keep watching things, keep reading. Keep listening to people who are positive; don't surround yourself with negative energy. If you can keep positive within yourself and keep radiating that, then good things will come to you and it will happen. Keep smiling!

Teddy is currently on a UK Tour and will be at The Vaults in London 29 March to 3 June.

Photo Credit: Scott Rylander

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