BWW Interviews: Alice Fearn On OLIVER! At The Watermill

This summer sees a brand new production of the much-loved classic musical Oliver! at West Berkshire's beautiful Watermill Theatre, directed by Luke Sheppard. Musical theatre star Alice Fearn has a decade of performing professionally under her belt, having featured in shows including Les Miserables, Into The Woods, Shrek and most recently Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. This time around, Alice takes on the iconic role of Nancy and talks to BWW:UK having recently started rehearsals for the show...

Having seen you perform in the ensemble and understudy numerous roles (extremely well!) over the last ten years, how does it feel to finally have a lead role that you can really get your teeth into?

Well, I think in many ways I've always had roles to sink my teeth into. Understudying lead roles means you, more often than not, get the chance (or the rehearsals time) to find your own characterisation. I've been lucky in the last 3/4 shows I've done (most notably Shrek and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) the director/s have taken their time to give me a little artistic license.

Saying that, yes, finally to have a lead role all to myself feels quite novel and, actually, in a way less daunting. I've got all the rehearsal time to really find 'my' Nancy and get to know my fellow actors and see their take on their iconic roles. Normally I'm thrown in the deep end with only a dress run (sometimes not even that) to fit in with their choices and staging. So in many ways, it's actually easier and pretty exciting to have all this rehearsal time to just focus on one role, be it a mighty one, and have a chance to find her over a rehearsal period.

Where do you draw inspiration from when preparing to embark on a new stage role?

It's hard not to find some inspiration from previous performers on an occasion like this. When you think of Oliver! (the musical), Nancy is such an iconic part of the show that if I didn't look to previous actresses who'd play her I'd be daft. Having said that, you always want to find your own way with a character. So I will look more into what she does; how she stands up to people; what she risks and why etc then I can move forward from there.

It's somewhat frightening knowing that the majority of people coming to see the show will know the musical quite well and at the very least know the main characters. So there's an undeniable pressure there. You want them to remember you as a great Nancy, and hopefully not compare you negatively to others who have gone before you. So to get through without breaking down in a fit of anxiety, I draw on my previous experiences. I've had 10 years experience of creating characters so you have to know somewhere deep down that you can do it again.

You recently workshopped Easter Parade as the legendary Judy Garland's character, Hannah Brown. Very exciting! Does this see a future in the coming months?

I didn't know the film that well until I got this workshop and then I went to watch it. I have to say, after the workshop (the first workshop of it), I honestly came out feeling that it would be even better as a stage version. The book is witty and quick paced. The Irving Berlin music was perfectly placed, comedic and beautifully moving. The vision Jerry Mitchell has (although we only got a few hints of it) is grand and ideally suited for the piece.

I can very much see a future in it and hope it does manage to get on its feet a bit more as I thought it a very exciting project indeed.

Nancy is very feisty and requires a gritty performance. Many of the characters/shows you have been in previously are somewhat more demure than this. Are you looking forward to this change?

YES! A character with grit is something I've been craving. Don't get me wrong, I love comedy roles (they've been my bread and butter). The only gritty part I've had was back when I covered Fantine in Les Miserables which was nine years ago now so it's wonderful to come back to that style of role. As an actor you need constant variety to keep your brain working otherwise you can fall into the trap of being a one-trick pony and being seen as such as well.

It may only be day three of rehearsals, but I can already tell this cast is of a quite exceptional calibre and when you have such a character as Nancy you need your fellow actors to give you plenty to play against and it's exciting to know that is exactly what I'll get. Makes playing her an even more thrilling thought.

Do you have a favourite musical number from Oliver!?

Well, how do you pick from such a score? Maybe, before rehearsals started, I would have said 'Reviewing the Situation' as I'm obsessed with how clever it is. How it sets up perfectly Fagin and who he is.

However, since we've started rehearsals it's gotten harder to pick. The arrangements Paul Herbert has done with the instruments are genius and 'Where Is Love' is stunning: the Olivers break my heart when they sing it.

I'd also be a fool if I didn't say 'As Long As He Needs Me': a truly exceptional song to act through and sing. I feel incredibly lucky to get my chance to perform it.

Oliver! plays at the Watermill from 31 July to 19 September 2015.

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