Interview: 'It Has Been Overwhelmingly Wonderful': Actors Clare Foster and John Dagleish on THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has opened at the Amabssadors Theatre in the West End to rave reviews. The musical, which is based on the short story of the same name by F Scott Fitzgerald, tells the tale of a man named Benjamin Button who was born at the age of seventy and ages in reverse, becoming younger as those around him grow old. In this particular production, writers Jethro Clark and Darren Clark have reimagined the story to take place in a Cornish fishing village.

Recently, we spoke with John Dagleish, who plays the titular Benjamin Button, and Clare Foster, who plays his love interest, Elowen Keene. We discussed what it has been like to be joining the show for its West End run, playing for the stage versus the screen and the impact they hope the show has on audiences. 

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How did you each first get started in the world of theatre?

Clare: I started dancing when I was ten years old after nagging my parents for a couple of years apparently, though they have no idea where the notion came from! We weren’t super well off, so I had some amazingly generous help from an incredible woman called Wendy Headford who mentored me and allowed me to attend classes for free. She really took me under her wing and became that inspirational figure that completely changes your life as a young person and sets your life on a different trajectory. I’m immensely lucky and grateful to have found her. 

John: I got started in theatre through amateur dramatics. I grew up in a little village in Essex and my mum knew the costume lady of the Colchester Operatic Society. I played Jerome in South Pacific when I was five years old on the Mercury Theatre stage and I loved it so much that I went on to be a member of all sorts of Am Dram companies in the surrounding areas! The thing that really did it for me though was when I played the Artful Dodger, aged fourteen. I remember coming off stage and saying to my mum, “I bloody love this!”

What made you want to be a part of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button? Had you seen the earlier runs at Southwark Playhouse?

Clare: I didn’t see the show previously in its five-week run, but when it was coming in, Richard Darbourne [Producer], whom I had worked with ten years ago in my last musical, reached out and said, “I think you should come meet us for this, it’s really going to be special . . .” And he wasn’t wrong! 

John: I had the opportunity to listen to the music, which I absolutely fell in love with, and read the script as it was and thought it was brilliant and met Jethro Compton [Director] for a coffee to discuss his process. The material is just fantastic! I hadn’t seen any of the previous runs at Southwark, which I am sad about, but also quite glad about, as it meant I was never subconsciously replicating something I’d seen before - I got to make it my own. 

For those unfamiliar with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, can you tell us a bit about it and the roles each of your characters plays?

John: I play Benjamin Button. He starts the show at the age of seventy years old and pops into existence, shall we say (without going too much into the logic of it!). He is initially rejected by his parents and locked up, kept away from people. The arc of the character is one of self-discovery, of being an outsider and a reject, until he meets this wonderful woman who teaches him that he’s valid and worthy of existence outside of this tiny world that he has. It’s a joy to play. I age backwards through the course of the play, get to sing some incredible songs with amazing musicians and, by the end of it, come out the stage door feeling a lot younger than when I went in.

Clare: Many might know the premise of F Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of a man who ages backwards across the span of seventy years, but that is really the only premise that the two have in common. What’s so magical about this show, and I think why people are finding it so heart-warming and romantic and enthralling, is its complete reimagining of that concept - created from the head and heart of Jethro Compton with stunning music by Darren Clark with the most astonishing thirteen strong cast of actor-musicians who are honestly spelling-binding! 

It is set in Cornwall, where Benjamin Button is born an old man. Having been confined to a room in an attic by his parents who fear what others will make of him, Benjamin desperately seeks the adventure to live a little before what he imagines is his near-death and jumps out his window to find a local pub. This is where he meets my character, Elowen Keene, the local barmaid . . . “The only woman he would ever love . . . “ and the rest you shall have to come and see for yourselves! 

What has it been like to be joining the show for its West End run?

John: Obviously, it’s quite daunting whenever you’re stepping into the shoes of another actor who has played a role before and the show has been a success - there’s always the ghost of that. But, like I said before, as I hadn’t seen the original, I wasn’t too affected by what that person may or may not have done so was able to make it my own. This company is also the most wonderful, big-hearted, accepting group of people I’ve ever worked with in my life. No one was asking me to prove myself - it was complete acceptance. 

Clare: It has been overwhelmingly rewarding and wonderful! It’s honestly like nothing I’ve ever experienced, though, and was initially quite daunting. We only had four full weeks of rehearsals and, having not played any instruments before, most of my evenings after rehearsals involved me playing single notes on my practice keyboard at home! But the cast, creatives and entire company are phenomenally supportive and generous and kind. I honestly can’t say enough great things about them. They are the best collective bunch of humans I’ve ever met. Watching them create has been a true career highlight and I feel immensely proud to stand alongside them.

How have the shows been so far? 

Clare: It has been so magical! To see and hear audiences be so moved and so present by this beautiful, unique and enchanting fairytale is really special. Also, the Ambassadors Theatre has been so welcoming and the care and love that has gone into the creation of this show has translated across every field . . . From the Cornish beers being served front of house to the seaweed between the planks of the set (also designed by the brilliant Jethro Compton!). 

It’s already a show that has so much love and support behind it and I think John and I have both felt really embraced by existing fans of the show too which has meant a great deal. The last thing you want to do is disappoint them! 

John: The shows have been incredible so far. It’s a joy to do this production. The people I get to share the stage with are remarkable and inspiring, and the response to this beautiful piece has been incredible. We’ve had people up on their feet every single night. Seeing people’s reactions at stage door as well, and how people have been affected by it, it’s been absolutely wonderful. 

You both have a range of experience both on stage and screen. What is it like performing for both, and do you find you have a preference?

John: They are very different things! I don’t think I have a preference - they’re both equally joyful and wonderful to do and I feel very blessed to do either. With stage, you have the glorious opportunity to be in the rehearsal room with wonderful people for weeks and really explore a text and get to know each other. The bonds you create in theatre with your fellow actors are far more profound I find, usually, than screen work. That’s not to say you don’t make those bonds with film or television - you just don’t have the time with each other, even though there’s a lot of waiting around. 

With film and TV, it’s a different process. You have to be on constant readiness to work and then conserving energy for a lot of the time. But there’s an intimacy of the screen when the cameras start rolling and everything goes quiet on set - I find it quite calming. There’s something quite beautiful in the silence when the cameras start rolling, where your life disappears for a few minutes and a calm descends, whereas in theatre you’re having to contend with 400+ people’s lived experiences and what they’re bringing into the room - it’s different every single night and the response is immediate. 

Clare: They are such different mediums, to be honest, that they often feel like different jobs! What has been beautiful about returning to a musical, in particular, is what this stunning music does. Jethro and Darren never delve too deeply into sentimentality, so it always manages to hit the right spots emotionally, then sweep you away with a wry joke or a foot-stomping banger of a song without overstaying. I love that about this show in particular. The fine-tuning they have done has been so impressively streamlined and specific. They really are quite magnificent!

Do you have any favourite songs and/or moments from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

Claire: I have SO MANY! For me personally, I love “Moon and the Sea” cos I think it is so romantic. I have moments, I think, rather than whole songs. Highlights are when Philippa Hogg sings the end of “The Kraken’s Lullaby,” Jonny Charles and Anna Fordham’s beautiful work during “A Little Life” that I get to sit right next to and hear afresh every night . . . I also adore when John and Jack sing together in “Home” and John’s vocals at the end of “Home (Reprise).” “Rollin’ Away” is also epic! There are too many! 

John: There’s a point early on when I’m “asleep” on stage and I get to hear Philippa Hogg sing “The Kraken’s Lullaby,” which I think is my favourite song - it’s just haunting and beautiful, and her voice is absolutely soaring. It’s one of the only passive moments that I have on stage where I can just listen. It’s hard to single out a scene, though, as every scene-partner I have is fantastic - they’re all so much fun and supportive. In terms of a song I sing, it would have to be the “Home (Reprise)” as it’s such a cathartic number after everything that Benjamin’s gone through, realising all the mistakes he’s made, and it’s done to this stunning tune. It’s like singing in front of a huge orchestra, even though there’s only twelve of them playing! 

What do you hope audiences take away from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button?

Claire: I hope - and think - they’ll take away a unique experience. There is nothing like this that I have ever seen. It has sweeping beautiful melodies alongside such witty lyrics, wrapped up in an enchanting folk tale that has so much heart but relatable themes of home and love and belonging. I think audiences will remember it for a really long time and share something with us on a night-to-night basis which will be nuanced and specific to that very performance because it hits you in different ways every show. 

John: The story is about living in the moment and appreciating what you have, and not worrying about what has gone or anticipating what’s coming next. It's about living in the joy of existence with the people that you love. If people can take that away, then we’ve done our jobs.

How would you describe The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in one word?

Clare: Magical. Please come! 

John: Joyful. Epic. Joy-pic. Ep-ful. One of those! 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button runs from until 15 February 2025 at the Ambassadors Theatre.

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