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INTERVIEW: Actress Chlöe Hart on returning to the role of Tracy Turnblad – in a prison production – & what it meant to her

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In February and March, just before Covid-19 locked down theatreland, CHLÖE HART went to prison to revisit the role of Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray that took her from the Guildford School of Acting directly to a West End lead role at the Shaftesbury in 2009.

Here she tells Musical Theatre Review contributor Jeremy Chapman what life was like inside HMP Bronzefield, the all-female prison in Ashford, Surrey, where Pimlico Opera’s professionals worked for five weeks with the “residents” to produce a high-quality, much-praised public show.

It was Pimlico’s 25th musical collaboration with prisons in the UK and Ireland since founder Wasfi Kani launched the project at Wormwood Scrubs in 1989.

This was Chlöe’s first experience of prison shows and, as she says here, she’d jump “in a heartbeat” at the chance of doing one again …

Congratulations on your stunning lead performance in Hairspray, Chlöe. I’ve seen seven or eight of Pimlico Opera’s musical theatre collaborations with prisons around the country (and in Ireland too) and this was right up there with the best. I think it was because the “residents” were so well drilled and they knew the director well from Sweet Charity last time in 2018  that there were no weak links. Would you agree and how did you find working in what must have been a unique environment?

They were absolutely amazing, weren’t they?! Honestly, it was one of best experiences I have ever been fortunate enough to have. The environment was unique for me but we all got used to it very quickly. It actually felt like any other rehearsal process a lot of the time. Of course there were challenges, and sometimes we were very quickly reminded of where we were and what that meant, but the residents and the professionals were all ultimately working towards the same goal which was to put on an amazing show.

You worked with them daily Monday to Friday for five weeks, wasn’t it? Did you feel comfortable working alongside hardened offenders straight away or did it take time to build relationships?

The first day of rehearsals was obviously nerve-wracking, but just as much as any other first day of rehearsals is. I was stressed about getting through security more than anything. I was so paranoid I was going to accidentally take something in that I shouldn’t have. There were some very odd items that were banned from going inside the prison, like chewing gum and perfume.

As for working with the ladies, I felt comfortable about ten minutes after we had done the meet and greet. I definitely built up stronger relationships with some more than others, but not for any other reason other than we got on better and maybe had more to talk about. Whatever reason they were in there for didn’t come into that at all. I did talk to some of them about their stories and cases and it was very interesting, but for the weeks we were together, we were a theatre company and I think it was nice for them to escape their reality for a short time.

The Pimlico Opera production of Hairspray

While it is stretching a point to say, as one of my party did, that it was “hard at times to tells the professionals from the residents”, were you surprised in your first outing with Pimlico at the standard that was achieved?

I was really surprised, yes. I cried like a baby on our first afternoon. The residents had already been rehearsing for a week before the professionals joined the process and they had learnt the backing vocals to ‘Good Morning Baltimore’. When we started the read and sing-through, I’ll be honest, I expected them to sing in unison, with maybe a line of harmony right at the end. Well… I got to the chorus and they all belted out full three-part harmony realness and it was so emotional. I had to try and continue singing but I had the biggest lump in my throat. I got to the end of the song and just cried. It was so overwhelming. It was a brilliant bonding moment for us all.

On reflection what did you personally gain from such an unusual experience and were you able to make any lasting friendships – or was that not allowed/encouraged?

I gained a lot personally from this project. Mostly to do with how I feel about the theatre industry in general. What we do is very important, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes we do find ourselves in such a bubble of showbiz that it’s easy to forget what else is going on in other people’s lives. I have been very guilty of this in the past, of being totally consumed by musical theatre.

During this process I found myself caring much less about Twitter gossip related to who has been cast in what etc, because I was sharing a space with people who had really hard things to contend with on a day-to-day basis. I won’t obviously share anything that is not mine to share, but there were some tough days for some of the ladies and they did confide in us so we shared those moments with them. Really hard life-changing moments, not always for the best.

As for friendships, I am still in touch with one of the residents. We became quite close during the rehearsals and her journey through the process was amazing. She is so talented and she had absolutely no idea. I want to help her when she is released in any way I can as I genuinely believe she could have an amazing TV career.

You were revisiting the part that took you straight to the West End stage from drama college 11 years ago and not just any part but the main one. How did that come about? Did GSA put you forward and help you, had someone connected with Hairspray seen you in a GSA show, or was it just your own initiative to audition for it?

In my third year we did a professional panel in front of about 15 agents and casting directors and I sang ‘Good Morning Baltimore‘ for them. Little did I know that the casting breakdown had just gone out for Tracy, so one of the agents there, who is actually my agent again now, asked if he could put me in for the auditions. I obviously said yes but did not think for a second I would get the job – I was still in college. But I was incredibly lucky and I found out on April Fools’ Day that I would be playing Tracy in the West End!

I must have just missed you as I started reviewing GSA in 2011. Do you have fond memories of those Guildford days and have you any anecdotes from then or subsequently at the Shaftesbury Theatre?

I absolutely loved my time GSA. I would go back tomorrow and do it all over again. One of my favourite memories of my three years there was when we did animal studies with Ian Ricketts. We had to choose one animal to study and then create a human version of that animal and physically go between the two. We could have chosen anything at all, and I chose a dairy cow. They do absolutely nothing! Me and my friends from that group still laugh at me pretending to ‘chew the cud’ now. It was very amusing. Next time, I’ll be a squirrel or a chimp!

Similarly, were there any amusing incidents or awkward moments at HMP Bronzefield?

We had so many laughs at Bronzefield. My favourite memory was on day two when we were playing a warm-up game in a circle and the assistant director would point at you and give you an instruction. If you hesitated or got it wrong you had to sit down on your chair and you were out of the game. We got to the end and there were two people left standing up. One of them hesitated and we all started congratulating the winner. Then we heard a voice shouting ‘What about me?’ One of the residents was in a wheelchair and the assistant director had forgotten to point to her because he thought everyone sat down was out! She knew this and let it happen so she won by default. We all laughed so much and it took a good five minutes to get focused again. She was such a good sport.

Considering what a flying start you made to your pro career, you must have thought you were well on your way. Did you find it difficult to follow that up, what other work have you done, and have you had any voice/health problems since as you really give those numbers a mighty belt!

I never assumed Hairspray would give me a head start. I knew that a role like Tracy was best suited to someone not as experienced, with a real innocent look at the world. I was under no illusion that after this, I needed to go and earn my stripes. I went into Les Misérables for a year when I finished Hairspray, followed by Wicked for two years. I then did A Damsel in Distress at Chichester followed by Kinky Boots for two years. I was then lucky enough to do a TV job for a couple of months and then Fat Friends The Musical UK tour. Since then I did Light in the Piazza at the Royal Festival Hall and then in LA and Chicago and Evita at Regent’s Park. I’ve had so much fun over the past 11 years and I’m so grateful for every opportunity I have had.

Thanks to my amazing singing teacher Julie Gossage, I have luckily never had any vocal issues, but I do often injure myself. I am soooo clumsy!

What have you done with yourself since Covid-19 ruined 2020 for theatreland? Are you making a living somehow? I do hope life is not too much of a struggle.

Lockdown has been tough if I’m honest. Myself and my fiancée Beth have had to postpone our wedding until next year, and I was meant to be doing Evita again at the Barbican which has been cancelled. However, we have been keeping busy and positive. Lots of quizzes, walks in the woods and we have started a YouTube Channel. It is something I’ve always wanted to do and this has been the perfect opportunity.

When normal service is eventually resumed (if it ever will) what do you think 2021 holds for you. Have you got any plans or offers? And would you like to be in a future Pimlico production if there’s a suitable part?

I would do Pimlico again in a heartbeat! Apart from our rescheduled wedding I don’t have any current plans for 2021. I really want to do some travelling and move house. In terms of theatre, I just want venues to open again. I want to go and see a musical more than I want to be in one right now. To hear an orchestra play an overture would be so wonderful. Keep everything crossed – I have faith that we will be back!


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