BWW Interviews: Lydia Leonard, Jackie Kennedy Onassis In ONASSIS

Hi, Lydia, and welcome to BWW:UK. How are you?

I'm very well, thank you!

Tell us a little bit about the part of the Jackie O story in the play.

Well, Aristotle Onassis is the central character. Robert Lindsay plays him. It spans about five years. It looks into his relationships with Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. The play takes place all in Greece, so you don't meet any of the Kennedys - other than Jackie. The first scene is of their first meeting, when she was on a cruise on Christina, his yacht. Then you see their relationship develop.

What's it like taking on a role of a person who's so iconic?

It's really exciting. She's quite a mysterious figure. Obviously her image is well known, but it's quite difficult to find recordings of her talking or interviews because she was such a private person. It's not as though you're immediately forced into trying not to do an impression, so you have to research what the woman was like behind the image - though I am trying to get her voice.

How did you start researching it?

I read some books; I got a video of her giving a tour of the White House, and of her addressing the nation in Spanish, which is better for her voice, because she had a tendency to put on a 'media voice' which is a lot higher and sound a little bit stupid, even though she was very, very bright. She admitted that wasn't her voice and that she cultivated the image. Also she was a chain smoker, and you won't find one photograph of her smoking - she was very aware of her image.

Was there anything you found out that you didn't know already?

Yes! I didn't know that Jackie had an affair with Bobby Kennedy after Jack's death. And I didn't know much about Onassis either, even though she was known as Jackie O. I learnt a lot about politics in the Kennedy era. She was also very protective of Jack's image and legacy.

So you're in rehearsals ready to open and then transfer to London, working alongside Robert Lindsay and Anna Francolini?

Yes, I've worked with Robert before. They're both great. It's a limited season until the New Year.

So you'll be in London over Christmas - does that mean you'll get home at all?

I think we have a show on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day so I'll be home on Christmas Day. But it's like we have a little family in the cast anyway!

ONASSIS opens at the Derby Theatre on September 9th, running to September 25th, and transfers to the Novello Theatre, London, previewing from September 30th.

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