Following the recent 15th birthday celebrations for Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre in London, there were some major cast changes with Brighton girl, Brodie McBride, taking one of the lead roles as Lisa, the bridesmaid. Her role, in Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise, marks her debut in the West End and her meteoric rise from being a drama school graduate to star performer in just a few months.
Before popping in to catch the matinee performance I stopped off at Brodie’s dressing room in the Novello Theatre to chat to her about the life of an actress, loving your work and, of course, ABBA…
So this is your first West End show how does it feel?
It’s amazing and so much more than I thought it would be. It’s also quite surreal, and it took a long time to sink in, because I’ve only very recently just graduated – so it’s a really big deal for me.
Who scouted you out, and from where?
I trained at the Arts Educational School in London and we often have agents who come to see the four shows that we put on each year. They come and watch you working and, if you’re lucky, you get called to meetings and things get discussed there. My agent came to see the showcase which is the final show that we did and it was from there that I got the audition.
Our school was great because Chris Hocking, who is Director of Musical Theatre and Acting, gets people in throughout the year so you can get to practice auditions and then, finally, get to do a real one. I got this role through that process.
Do you know many of your fellow students have found roles in the West End?
There’s only a very small percentage, but it will be increasing because there are a lot of new shows coming in soon but most are touring or doing new pieces of writing or fringe stuff and, of course, some are still looking for regular work.
How did you get started as an actress?
I went to Dorothy Stringer School in Brighton and, each weekend, I trained on the CAT (Centre for Advanced Training) scheme at Trinity Laben in London, so I was mainly into dance at first, and it wasn’t until I was 11 and we did Little Shop of Horrors when I realised that musical theatre is just amazing.
I heard that they were holding auditions and I went home and listened to the soundtrack of the show and I was so amazed that it was right then that I realised I wanted to be able to act and sing and dance all at the same time. So I went to the auditions, although I had never really sang before, and I found out that I have a voice and I can sing.
After that I went to the Brit School to learn musical theatre there and that massively opened up my opportunities because, coming from Brighton to London, I never really knew that all of “this” existed. I knew, when I was younger, that I loved to come to London to see a show, but you never really imagine yourself actually being there because it’s such a massively tough business.
You have to work so hard and, even if you do that, you will get knock-backs and you won’t be everyone’s favourite but, every performer is so different and so unique that I truly believe your time will come. I am so lucky that I have had this break, and it may take a couple of years for some people, but you just have to keep going and going because something is out there for everyone.
Now that you are starring in the West End, do you think it will be difficult to stay here?
Oh, that’s tough. It’s very difficult to say because there are so many graduates that come out each year and they are the “fresh batch” of people, the “new faces” that are exciting but, if you keep working hard and you stay on top of what’s happening, knowing what auditions are coming up and planning for your next step. The one thing you can’t do is get comfortable, I don’t think.
What’s it like to be working on such an iconic musical as Mamma Mia?
It’s such a feel good show. It’s the sort of show that the whole family can come to, it’s very enjoyable and it’s really for people who want to come along and have a good time and leave the theatre afterwards feeling good. It makes us feel good performing it and you’ll see and feel that. We all smile throughout because, even if you’re having a terrible day at home, the company are like your family. Everyone is so supportive and that just makes you feel great. Even when we’re not performing you can always hear us singing ABBA songs – the music is just so brilliant.
When you were back in Brighton, as a little girl, did you ever imagine that one day you would be here?
To be honest, I didn’t think that it was possible, but my Mum had always said to me that I had the drive and that performing arts would be the path I would take. That was the only thing that really interested me at school and I would be in all of the extra drama classes and extra singing classes but as I sit here now I am just so grateful. I’ve had so much support from my family and I am so lucky to be doing what I do. I don’t think that I will ever “work” a day in my life because, when you love your job that much, it just doesn’t feel like work.
Mamma Mia is showing at the Novello Theatre, Aldwych, London WC2B 4LD with tickets priced at £65.00, £37.50, £20.00, £15.00 (Monday-Friday); £67.50, £52.50, £39.50, £20.00, £15.00 (Saturday) N.B. Early Bird Pricing – anyone booking four months or more in advance of the performance they are attending (Monday to Thursday performances only) will be able to purchase top price tickets for £45, a saving of £20 on the regular top price, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online, in person at the theatre, or by calling the Novello Theatre box office on 0844 482 5115.
