Exclusive Interview: Ashleigh Gray

I had been sitting on this one for a few weeks now as I was waiting for some VERY special art work to accompany the piece. That however is not ready yet, so when it is I shall promote the interview again with the art added.

This is the first interview that I have done for the site and I hope you enjoy.

PLEASE leave comments below and let me know if there’s anything you would have asked or would like me to ask in the silly questions at the end in future interviews.

So here it is…. my interview with Ashleigh Gray

Wow, it is with great pleasure that I get to interview one of the most talented young ladies to grace the West End stage of Wicked the Musical at the Apollo Victoria, London, Ashleigh Gray.

Ashleigh first appeared in Wicked as Pfannee in 2007 and then from June 9th 2008 was promoted to the heady heights of Standby Elphaba.  Her time as Elphaba had fans of the show calling for her to become the leading lady alongside the Glinda standby Sarah Earnshaw.  These two captured the hearts of the Wicked regulars withtheir renditions of the roles and I was lucky enough to witness a ‘GrayShaw’ show and am happy to announce that I heartily concur with the fans.

Unfortunately Ashleigh left the cast of Wicked on March 27th 2010 and you can read my review here.

Although Ashleigh is better known for her role in Wicked this was not her first stint on the stage and she has worked with a number of big names in shows such as Grease, Taboo, Only You Can Save Mankind, NHS the Musical and Notes from New York.

There’s so much I want to ask Ashleigh and I think it’s only fair that I try to keep things to a minimum, however knowing my impulse control issues… that may not be possible.

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Hi Ashleigh!

Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down and respond to these questions.  There will be some easy questions, some hard and some silly one’s at the end just so folks at home reading this can get to know you a little better.

The Wicked Stuff

 

DAMW: What was your first experience of Wicked the Musical? (Had you seen it before you were cast?)

AG: I’d heard about the show through a few friends of mine when it first opened on Broadway. I went out and got the soundtrack and immediately fell in love withit and decided I had to go and see it, so arranged a trip to New York withmy friend James Gillan. We were bothcompletely blown away by it – seeing the Original Broadway Cast was pretty special. We both sat in the auditorium and said to each other, ‘ I have to be in this show!’ And we were!!

DAMW: What was your initial reaction when you discovered you had landed a part in Wicked? Which of course leads to your reaction to finding out you were taking over as Understudy to Kerry Ellis as Elphaba?

AG: I was absolutely over the moon. I had been working on another show when it first came over so hadn’t been able to audition for the Original Cast. When I eventually did, in 2007 and found out I’d got the part I was so excited! It was my first West End show too, so I couldn’t quite believe that I was going to be in it, let alone covering the lead! I knew of Kerry and was a huge fan of her work so was very much looking forward to working with and covering her!

DAMW: Your first show as Elphaba, that moment when you first ran out onto the stage? Were you frightened? Excited?  Was there a ‘Rush of joy’? (See what I did there?)

AG: I see what you did there! There was all of the above and more! I’ll never forget it, it was a Wednesday (Ash Wednesday, in fact!) and we had done the matinee performance, the standby was on holiday and Kerry had said to me she wasn’t feeling too great. I kind of thought, this could be it, but didn’t want to think about it too much. I finished the show and before I made it back to my dressing room I got the call. I’m quite glad it happened that way because I didn’t have much time to stress about it and within 20 minutes I was sitting in the chair getting painted green! Standing behind those doors waiting for that first entrance was so unsettling. I was so nervous and excited that when the time did come, I ran so fast I almost ended up in the pit! It was a great night!

DAMW: What is your best memory of appearing in the show?

AG: There are so many – that first performance is definitely up there! Performing big numbers like The Wizard and I, Defying Gravity and No Good Deed for the first time in front of an audience was just immense. No matter how many times you rehearse it on stage and in the costumes it just isn’t the same as when you’re out there doing it – witha live orchestra and the audience right there! My first show as Pfannee was amazing too. As I’ve said it was my West End Debut and I had all my family down from Scotland to see it, it was an incredible feeling!

DAMW: Which scene challenged you night after night during your time in Wicked?

AG: I wouldn’t say there was any particular scene that challenged me night after night. I always tried to look at the show as a whole journey – so going on that every night was the challenge. If I was having a particularly hard day though, getting through the Kiamo Ko scene was always tricky. At that point she is just so tired of running and has resigned herself to this ‘Wicked’ lifestyle and then her best friend shows up and offers help and her friendship back. Singing For Good always got me – the lyrics are just so beautiful and if you’re in a bad place yourself it can just send you over the edge!

DAMW: You brought a very well rounded Elphaba to the stage, what was the one personal trait you wanted to bring to the character and did this change from Act 1 to Act 2 as the character grew?

AG: I always reminded myself that Elphabawas just like me and always tried to relate her back to how I would feel if these things happened to me. Regardless of the colour of her skin and her hard upbringing – she’s just a girl who wants to liveher life, do the best with it she can, meet a boy, fall in love, make a career for herself and so when these things keep getting knocked back or taken away from her, of course it’s going to hurt!

I think that Elphabais a very optimistic girl. Even though she has a lot to deal with, rejection from people, including her own father and being judged purely on what she looks like, she never gives up her fight. Especially when she’s told that she’s the one that the Wizard wants to meet and have by his side, this is the most exciting thing ever! So in Act 2 I think she’s definitely on her way to having that optimism knocked out of her. She’s always seen the good in people, even when they haven’t seen it in her.

So when she realises that the Wizard isn’t all that he seems, then she has her sister turn around and blame her situation on Elphaba too she just starts on a downward spiral, ending up of course in her just deciding to go along with all the hype and become what people think of her! It was great to play that opposite in the different acts and then have her true colours and sincerity shine through at the end!

DAMW: Alexia Khadime played a hard/sexy Elphaba in act 2, you still managed to keep a vulnerability to the character, was that intentional?

AG: Yes, I think so. In Act 2, she’s been on the run for a long period of time and is only hearing whispers of what’s going on in Oz and what everyone is saying about her. She spends most of the Act trying to rectify this – going to her father for help and even back to the Wizard to get him to sort it out. She is still very vulnerable I think. It’s not until the end of No Good Deed where I think she realises that all her work has been in vain – and no matter what she does, it doesn’t seem to be making any difference, so she publicly becomes the Witch that everyone thinks she is! And yet, the vulnerability is still under all that and we see it in Gillikin Forest and Kiamo Ko.

DAMW: As we know you left the show on March 27^th of this year.  What have you learned from your experiences with the cast of Wicked and also what have you taken with you from the story that would translate into your everyday life? (Told you there’d be a couple of difficult ones)

AG: I’ve learnt so much during my time at Wicked, it really has been a learning curve and a great experience that’s allowed me to work on and develop many things. It’s interesting being part of such a big ‘machine’ like Wicked and knowing that the show is exactly the same wherever you see it.

I guess the main thing to take away from the story is ‘never judge a book by its cover!’ and always to live your life your way and not to be swept along with other people and their opinions just because you don’t trust your own!

DAMW: In addition to the above, which parts of Elphaba haveyou taken with you? As the song goes “So much of me, is made of what I learned from you, you’ll be with me like a hand print on my heart…”

AG: I think I’ll take a bit of Elphie’s drive away with me. She is a very determined girl and I love that about her! I also love her generosity. She is definitely a role model for anyone, I think!

DAMW: What was your last performance like for you? I wish I could have been there as like others I’m sure you gave it your all.  That pivotal moment during ‘For Good’ where Elphaba says goodbye to Glinda, was that tougher than usual given that it was your last performance? Or even the line “We can never come back to Oz, Can we?”

AG: It was really odd for me because as a standby, you never know when you’re going to be on stage unless it’s a planned holiday date – so I had a ‘last’ date but then was subsequently on a lot more after that. My fake last, as it has been affectionately named by the fans was amazing. I really enjoyed it and had fun during both the shows, really playing around with it and giving it my all.

I did know that I was on again the next day but wanted to make the most of my last few shows. However I played my actual last performance not knowing it was my last so it was a bit strange really. When I last went on with my fellow standby, Sarah Earnshaw, we had a good idea that we’d never do it together so we did get a bit emotional. ‘For Good’ is a killer for that!!!

DAMW: Were any tricks played on you during your last performance by the other cast members?

AG: Not really because we didn’t know it would be my last. However in one of the shows in the last few weeks, I did come up through the trap to find Ollie as the Scarecrow having blacked out every second tooth. He just give me a big cheesy grin and I almost lost it!

DAMW: A lot of fans called for you and Sarah Earnshaw to take the lead when Alexia Khadime and Dianne Pilkington left the show but as we now know that never happened.

How to put this?

Did your contract run out? Was the part offered to you? Did you feel it was time to move on?

AG: I was asked to stay with the company and so I did have the option to renew my contract remaining as Standby. At that point I’d served three contracts with the show and I knew that the producers were looking for some new faces to take the roles so I decided it was time to move on. I don’t regret my decision, even though I miss the show dreadfully! But it is very hard sitting backstage just waiting. I’m quite a pro active person so wanted to get out there and try new things and hopefully come back and play the part in the future!

DAMW: Now all the above is out of the way.  What’s next for Ashleigh Gray? An album release? Another Musical? Maybe a part in an Indie Horror?I know the makers or Mark Macready and the Archangel Murders will be looking for fresh faces to star in their first feature film next year…

AG: Good things I hope! I would love to release an album but don’t really want to go down the ‘musical theatre covers’ route so am looking to work with people on some new material, then we’ll take it from there! In the meantime, there are loads of things I want to do.

The thing about this industry for me is that I decided I wanted to do this as a career, not because I thought it was a particularlylucrative or easy going job – it’s not!!! but I did it because I love it! I’ve always enjoyed being on stage so I’m looking forward to playing and exploring some new characters and worlds in other productions.

The main thing about this business is it’s so unpredictable – so who knows!!!

DAMW: With the rumours of Wicked The Movie still on the cards who for you would portray the perfect Elphaba and Glinda on the big screen?

AG: Well, having seen the Original Cast on Broadway, Idina Menzel and Kristen Chenoweth will always be my Witches – although no doubt for the film, they’ll go for some names. I only hope they get people who can actually sing it! Fingers crossed it’s not another Pierce Brosnan, Mamma Mia situation!

The Cool Stuff:

DAMW: Your most memorable Wicked Blooper? I was there when Sarah threw the hat to you after the fight and it fell short and then sort of rolled away from you on its brim, meaning a mini chase had to ensue… to be honest, I think she threw short on purpose.

AG: I think she did too!!!

Probably the funniest thing that ever happened to me was when I put the suitcase down to sit on it during the Wizard and I; but had laid it on the wrong mark so both me and the case went flying and I had to try and get myself back up semi gracefully while still singing away! I did also turn a bit sharply once on Des Barritt’s line ‘I knew you’d be back!’ so much so that I got caught up in my dress and ended up on my ass again! Hideous!

DAMW: If you could play any role past or present on the West End/Broadway, what would it be and why?

AG: Unfortunately for me, Elphaba really is my dream role, so anything after that is going to be a bit of a come down, creatively speaking! There are however, many roles I’d love to have a shot at – most of them because I’ve grown up loving certain shows and would love to be part of them! I’d love to create a new role in something. I’ve done a few workshops in the past where you get the basic material thrown at you and then it’s up to you to put a piece of yourself and your stamp on it. I love working that way!

DAMW: Fan Bootlegs, do you approve? It’s a touchy subject I know due to copyrights and what not but often shows come and go without a recording.  The London cast of Wicked has never had a recording and some events should be marked i.e. the last and first nights of principal cast members.  Would it not be better for venues to record these special dates and release them for a premium fee digitally so that the profits could go back into the production or perhaps go to a charity like http://www.actorsbenevolentfund.co.uk/ or Help for Heroes?

There would be a lot of regular fans willing to pay £15 – £25 for those recordings if they were available for a limited time.

AG: It is a tricky one. I think it’s the fear of loss of business that makes it so frowned upon by the production companies. If their show is readily available to watch or listen to on the internet perhaps people wont spend the money on coming to watch it!  For me as a fan of theatre,  the whole point of it, is the live element.

There’s nothing quite like sitting in a theatre and watching and sharing a unique performance with a select audience of people. The trouble is, when you get specific ‘special’ performances you want to keep a piece of that forever and share it with others. I can appreciate that but think that nothing can replace the moment there and then as it stands in time. On the flip side, as a performer, it can be very beneficial to see/hear yourself performing, You can learn a lot from it!

 

DAMW: What will you miss the most about not being in Wicked?

AG: Everything really! I love the show and have made so many great friends over the past few years. I will miss being painted green –although I won’t miss the green bits in and around my ears that I always seemed to miss when I washed it off! The show will always hold a dear place in my heart. The character, the costumes, the songs, the flying……everything!

DAMW: What’s the best gift you have ever received from a fan?

AG: I’ve had so many lovely gifts over the years, every one thought out and very much appreciated, so I’d hate to single any one gift out! I’ve got some lovely memories to take away from my Wicked days so If you’re reading this – big thanks to everyone for all the lovely gifts!

Silly/General Questions:

DAMW: What would be your favourite film of all time and why?

AG: I love the film ‘The Wedding Singer’ when I was at college I had in on VHS and it was probably the only film I could watch through, rewind and start right back at the beginning. It’s hilarious! And now a musical – good work!

DAMW: Favourite recording artist and why?

AG: Ooh, I have a few but I absolutely love DSB!!!!!!!! Sarah Earnshaw and I recently re-found our love for the great Dame Shirley Bassey! For me, she is the perfect mix. Classic, classy, powerful, theatrical. She is a legend! I also love Michael Buble – his voice is just gorgeous and he’s not a bad looker too! I have quite an eclectic taste in music but I think I’m a bit of a golden oldie at heart!

DAMW: Your Song of the moment?

AG: Got to be the ‘Glee’ version of ‘Don’t Stop Believin’. It’s brilliant!

DAMW: If you could be an animal what would it be and why?

AG: Probably a cat of sorts – one of those lazy house cats that sleep all day and then go out and play all night!

DAMW: What’s the worst prank you’ve ever played on a friend?

AG: I’m not much of a prankster to be honest – I prefer pleasant surprises.

DAMW: When you woke up this morning, what lyric from Wicked the Musical would best describe the mood you were in at that moment in time?

AG: Well, after the dream I had last night it would have to be – ‘Unlimited, my future is unlimited. And I just had a vision almost like a prophecy…..                                        Watch this space!!!

DAMW: What’s your personal motto? i.e. Look Before You Leap / Life Is like a box of chocolates yatta yatta yatta.

AG: I have a few but probably the one I turn to most is; I don’t know the key to success but the key to failure is trying to please everyone!

I also learned a new one during the last few weeks at Wicked which I think I will take with me; Don’t cry because it’s over, Smile because it happened!

DAMW: And finally… I bet you’re glad this is over, I’m so sorry! I got so excited at the prospect of this interview that I got a little carried away!

Kerry Ellis attended Dianne Pilkington’s last performance (She sat behind me and I geeked out).  Will you be returning to Wicked to check out the new cast as an audience member or will we one day see Ashleigh Gray’s rendition of Elphaba return to Oz?

AG: I still have a few friends in the current cast of Wicked so no doubt I’ll pop back to see them at some point, when they’re all settled in. In the meantime I very much hope that one day in the future I will be dusting off the old paint brush, broomstick and hat and take my Elphaba back onto the stage!

DAMW: That’s it, thank you so much for taking the time to answer the questions and I wish you all the best for the future and I’m sure wherever you go next there’ll be a plethora of Wicked fans waiting in the wings to support you.  Including me!

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Ashleigh Gray will be performing in “Today Is My Day” by Richard Beale at the Prince of Wales Theatre: Delfont Room on May 29th 2010. Doors open at 10.30pm and you can buy tickets HERE. I desperately want to go but the cost of getting to london AGAIN? Insane!!

Other Important links for Ashleigh Gray:

• Official Website
• Official Facebook Page
• Facebook Page to make Ashleigh lead in Wicked (Well Deserved I think)
• Ashleigh Gray on Twitter