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Interviews: Hit The Theatre meets stars of London's West End stages
In Conversation with Emma Williams
You can follow Emma Williams on at the Twitter (CLICK HERE)
Hit The Theatre caught up with Emma to find out a little bit more about her…
Are you looking forward to Momentous Musicals?
Yes, of course. It’s always nice to do concerts and perform songs that you don’t usually get to sing. I think I’m going to be performing 3 or 4 solos and duets on the night, including Hushabye Mountain from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is not a Truly (Scrumptious) song in the show. I’ve only ever had the chance to perform it once before for a concert that Prince Edward attended, so that’s exciting.
So, when you were off stage, and Michael Ball was singing the song, did you used to hum along?
No, I was actually doing a quick costume and wig change in my dressing room!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was your first West End role, what did it feel like to be on the Palladium stage?
When I was 18 my family and I saw The King and I at the Palladium from the very back row of the Upper Circle. I said to her then that I would on that stage one day. She smiled and replied “yes dear”. Neither of us honestly believed that less than a year later I would be on that very stage. The producers took a hell of a chance on me, a girl from up North with no real theatrical heritage.
Of all the shows you’ve been in, which are the favourites?
I absolutely loved Bat Boy. We had a great reception in Leeds. As an out of town cast coming to London we were very close as a group, and although the show didn’t do quite as well as we’d hoped in London, I’m still really proud of it.
My absolute favourite has to be Love Story though. It was a unique experience as a performer as I was lucky enough to take the show from the early workshops and demos through to its first full performance in Chichester and London. The amateur rights for the show have just been released and the Gallery Players up in Ipswich have just performed it.
Unfortunately due to rehearsals, I wasn’t able to get up to see the show, but I have been in touch on Twitter with Bronwyn who is playing Jenny. There’s also a US production planned for later this year.
Who is the favourite performer you performed with?
It has to be Sting. I was doing the workshop for his new show (working title is The Last Ship) and I was singing one of the numbers when he suddenly began harmonizing with me! That’s pretty cool.
I would love to have danced with Fred Astaire. I tried, and failed, to get into the Royal Ballet School twice – like most little girls I wanted to be a ballerina!
What’s your favourite holiday destination?
It has to be the Maldives where my husband and I went on honeymoon!
What do you do to relax?
I run a lot, and I’m also in the final months of my 6 year BA Hons in Literature. This year I have been specialising in Shakespeare.
Favourite show?
I haven’t seen it on stage, but I love the cast album of I Love You Because.
What advice would you give about using Twitter?
I don’t use Twitter primarily for self-promotion though it’s very useful for that particularly if you don’t have a website. I like using it to read about the people I follow. My main advice would be that you have to be careful what you post as it’s immediately out there – and very difficult to take anything back. Think before you post, I suppose?