We chatted to Lucy about reprising her role as Rizzo in Secret Cinema’s Grease the Immersive Movie Musical.
How does it feel to be returning to the character of Rizzo?
This is the third time I’ve played her, and it feels like I’m back with a partner in crime. She’s so familiar to me now, but every time I come back to her, I find something new. The wonderful thing about revisiting a character as you get older is that you not only see her journey differently, but you’re also able to reflect on your own growth since the last time you played her. I think I understand her differently now than I did when I first met her. There’s still all the bite, humour and bravado and I enjoy that side of her very much, but I’m much more interested in her softness now. She’s an absolute gift of a character to play. She’s taught me so much about myself and given me so much courage over the years.
What do you love the most about being part of Grease the Immersive Movie Musical?
The audience. No two shows are ever exactly the same because they’re right there in the middle of it with us. You can have all your tracks and plans, but then someone says or does something completely unexpected and suddenly you’re off on this tiny adventure together. That’s the magic of immersive theatre for me. You’re not just performing at people, you’re creating something with them, and they get to become part of Rydell for the night.
How do you see the character Rizzo?
Sorry for the long answer but I love this question because I have a lot of thoughts. I think Rizzo is incredibly misunderstood. Yes, she’s sharp and funny and fiercely loyal, but I also think she’s a feminist, long before she would ever have had the language to describe herself that way.
One of the things I love about acting is that you also have to become a bit of a historian. Rizzo is an Italian American woman coming of age in 1950s America. She would have grown up during the Second World War and perhaps read of all the darkness that occured during that era, in a country where there was still very real prejudice towards women and Italian Americans, and now she’s living in this very particular postwar idea of America, where there are quite rigid expectations of what a young woman should be, with a huge focus on forgetting all of that darkness humanity is capable of from the war. And Rizzo rejects almost all of the idealism, she is a realist.
Even visually, she doesn’t really conform. Look at the short hair, the black clothes, the lack of the big poodle skirt. There’s something almost rockabilly about her. She feels anti establishment in this bubblegum, all singing, all dancing high school world. She plays cards, she’s incredibly quick, she’s worldly and intelligent, and she refuses to make herself smaller or sweeter to be more palatable. Actually, I think that’s what bonds all of the Pink Ladies. They’re not the perfect 1950s girls they’re supposedly meant to be. Jan is funny and doesn’t perform conventional femininity, Marty is unapologetic about her sexuality and Frenchy has ambitions of a career. They’re all trying, in their own ways, to define themselves rather than be defined. And that’s why I don’t think Rizzo hates Sandy at all. If anything, I think she recognises something in her. Sandy arrives representing this perfect, polished version of Americana, but Rizzo can see there’s another person underneath who hasn’t quite worked out how to break free. So Rizzo challenges her. She shows her who Danny actually is, she exposes her to another kind of womanhood and, in her own slightly brutal way, encourages her to make her own choices.
Rizzo owns her body, she owns her intelligence and she refuses to apologise for either. She’s a feminist. She just occasionally chooses the tougher end of tough love.
What do you love the most about Grease?
I think there’s a reason we’re still obsessed with it nearly 50 years after the film came out. On the surface it’s all incredible songs, dancing, cars, leather jackets and 1950s nostalgia, but underneath it’s about being young and trying desperately to work out who you are. Everyone at Rydell is performing some version of themselves, trying to fit in, fall in love, look cool or pretend they don’t care. That’s pretty timeless.
Do you have a favourite song in the musical?
I’m obviously biased, but it has to be There Are Worse Things I Could Do. It’s the moment Rizzo finally lets the armour drop and allows you to see what has been sitting underneath it all along. After spending so much of the show being guarded, suddenly everything becomes very still and honest. As an actor and a singer, that’s an absolute dream to get to do every night.
How would you describe the show for those yet to experience it for themselves?
Imagine stepping through the screen and into Grease. You’re not sitting in a theatre watching Rydell High from a distance, you’re actually there. You can explore the world, meet the characters, get into storylines, dance, sing and then watch those huge, iconic moments from the film explode into life around you. You can engage as much or as little as you like, but if you’re willing to throw yourself into it, there are so many little secrets and surprises to discover. It’s part theatre, part film, part gig and part ridiculously good night out. And my top tip, take the chance to walk around, because there are hidden scenes, interactions and opportunities to get involved in things you’d never guess were going on.
To book tickets for the show visit: https://greasetheimmersivemoviemusical.com/