Myra is middle-aged and
frustrated. Her husband
has gone off with a bimbo,
and so, like a lot of women
her age, she’s trying to find
a new life for herself. She’s
wisecracking, but also
vulnerable. You have to let
the audience see different
layers to a character. Myra
is in this gang of four
women who are going
through everything together.
By the end, you see them
singing and dancing
together. It’s like One
‘Singular Sensation’ at the
end of A Chorus Line.
They’ve all been on a
journey together and they
want to celebrate that. All
the characters have a degree
of pathos. It’s not a facile
show – it’s aimed at making
people laugh and think at
the same time.
What do you think the
characters learn during
the course of Hot
Flush!?
Myra learns to be herself
and that she is worth
something. She’s not just
defined by a man. It’s a
tremendous journey that all
of the characters go through.
The show demonstrates the
strength they all have when
they’re together.
Hot Flush! is a musical
comedy – how did you
find the musical part of
Hot Flush!?
I’ve loved it. I may not be
the greatest singer in the
world, but I can sell a song.
I’ve previously starred in
The Boyfriend and
Thoroughly Modern Millie,
so I know my way round a
musical. I also job shared
the role of Miss Hannigan
with Paul O’Grady for two
and a half years in a
production of Annie. It was
brilliant to dip in and out of
it. Sometimes I get very
possessive about a role, and
I was far happier that a man
was playing my part than a
woman on that occasion. I
knew I couldn’t compete
with Paul, but it was great as
we had very different
interpretations.
Which part of the show
do you enjoy most?
There’s a section in the
middle which feels almost
like stand-up. I talk to the
audience and pick on
someone in the front row. I
would never want to be a
straight stand-up, but I love
doing it within the
parameters of the show.
Hot Flush! ticks all the
boxes for me. It gives me my
stand-up and my musical fix
for the year.
You obviously have a
real love of theatre?
Absolutely. I’m a theatre girl
– I grew up loving it. I love
standing in the wings
waiting to go on and seeing
the scenery change. I used to
do very serious, kosher
acting, but then I went down
the comedy route. That’s top
of the tree for me now. I just
love working with an
audience. I’m a pure theatre
animal.
What other theatre
productions have you
enjoyed appearing in?
Every sor Ё