We chatted to Becky about starring in Gerry & Sewell at the Aldwych Theatre for a limited two week run from the 13th to the 24th January.
Hi Becky, how does it feel to be part of the West End premiere of Gerry & Sewell?
It honestly feels like a dream come true! Making your west end debut in any capacity is exciting I’m sure but to be doing it in a show that means so much to all of us involved, a show that’s about home, that’s something super special. Seeing the posters go up on the outside of the theatre and all of our names in lights was completely surreal and there’s definitely some imposter syndrome walking through the Aldwych stage door to go to work for the day but determination takes over once were in there, theres no space for uncertainty with a premiere, we need to be ready and raring from the get go. It’s all a gorgeous mix of excitement, focus and pride.
What can you tell us about the show?
Don’t be fooled by this shows small beginnings, it’s a play that hits some hilarious highs then hard hitting lows but it still saves space for some cheeky jazz hands and sequins. It’s follows two lads from Newcastle, a very crafty Gerry played by Dean Logan and lovable Sewell played by Jack Robertson. They are chasing their dream of getting season tickets, something well out of their depth and definitely out of their price range but that’s not gunna stop them scheming their way around the north east and crossing paths with a whole host of crazy characters on the way. But don’t worry if you’re not a football fan, this show is about there journey, the strength of their friendship in the hardest times, The power of keeping hope and community. Its hilariously wholesome and has music, puppetry, a trolly and a toilet, the only thing you might need is your Geordie dictionary.
Can you tell us more about the character you play?
I play Matthew Brabin (plus others), a local tough man with a soft spot for spoken word and his pet pooch penny. Brabin is part character, part narrater, part chaos conductor. He stomps through the show with a small band of hooligans by his side following the lads mission from the side lines as the carnage unfolds. This shows all about people and there stories so you get to follow along with Brabins journey too, his is just a little less football and a little more furry friend. There’s a few others i pop up on stage as too, I’ll keep them hush for now but there a whole load of fun.
What made you want to be part of this production?
The film ‘purely belter’ (based on the book The season ticket by Jonathon Tullock) was a
right of passage growing up in the north east. It’s hilarious for a start but there’s something cool about hearing your own accent and watching the stories of people you see everyday in real life represented on screen. So from the second I knew of Jamie developing this for the stage I wanted to be involved. I wanted to be part of telling the stories of the people that are seen in daily life but likely ignored in mainstream theatre, I wanted to represent my community, the working class, the underdogs and the north east.
Mainly I knew if Jamie eastlake was writing it it was going to be wild and ambitious and I wanted to be part of the carnage, if someone offers me an opportunity to be downright silly I’m going to take it. I am incredibly lucky to have been cast in this show from the start, from its tiny beginnings at a 50 seater above a chicken shop in Whitley bay, through all its transfers and now to here the bright lights of the west end. We all want to be part of it because it’s a little bit us and a little bit of home.
How has it been seeing the show come together?
Organised chaos is the first thing that comes to mind. It’s genuinely no easy feat making a transfer like this work on such a small timescale, and I don’t envy the creative and technical teams behind the scenes making the real magic happen. But walking into the theatre and seeing the set up, the lights ready to go and costumes on the rails is such a buzz. Adding new characters and cast is always lush, it’s the kind of show where you bond instantly because of the themes and closeness of it all and now were in dressing rooms the cast fun is really about to begin!
Logistically There’s been a few things that get turned on there head along the way which happens with any show but there’s something we’ve noticed about this one in particular is that there’s always someone with a connection to the North East happy to help. It pulls people in, and the process of it coming together is very reflective of the shows narrative of a band of underdogs chasing some big dreams and pulling together through thick and thin. I just proper love that. I’m sure audiences will too.
By Emma Clarendon
To book tickets click here.