INTERVIEW WITH DANIELLE HOPE – MARIA VON TRAPP IN THE SOUND OF MUSIC YOU’VE JUST FINISHED THE UK TOUR OF JOSEPH, HOW WAS THE TOUR AND DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR YOUR SUCCESSOR? It was my first touring experience and it was wonderful. I have made some lifelong friends and we had an amazing time. As for my successor – diction, diction, diction! There are so many words to remember, but just have a good time and enjoy telling the beautiful story. YOUR NEXT BIG PROJECT IS THE SOUND OF MUSIC, STARRING AS MARIA VON TRAPP – HOW DID THE ROLE COME ABOUT? I got involved through Bill Kenwright and I came into the office and did some singing for them and sang through the Maria music, which is just beautiful, and did a couple of scenes. They asked me if this was something I wanted to do, and I said, of course it is! I think it’s one of those amazing roles that is defining, and Julie Andrews is my hero, so to sing anything that she has done is just a gift. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE FILM, WAS IT SOMETHING YOU KNOW FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? Yes. I’ve never seen a stage production but that’s kind of nice because I’m approaching it from a completely blank perspective and it’s all fresh, so I can make it my own. As a child, for me it was Mary Poppins but my grandmother, who I lost last year, we sat and watched How To Solve A Problem Like Maria programme (the 2006 BBC talent show created by Andrew Lloyd Webber to find a Maria for his stage production) and it’s the only programme that I watched any of because she put it on and said to me, ‘you’d be able to do something like this’. I said, ‘no, not me’, and we watched it together every Sunday, and I will really, really cherish this role because it will always remind me of her and that gorgeous experience and memory that we shared. And it’s kind of funny because I did Over The Rainbow (Danielle won the 2010 BBC talent show created by Lloyd Webber to find a Dorothy for his The Wizard of Oz production), and they searched for a Joseph (the 2007 BBC talent show created by Lloyd Webber to find a lead for his production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and I was in Joseph, and they searched for a Maria and now I’m playing Maria, so I think it’s Jesus next (laughs). YOU WON A REALITY TV SHOW AND YOU’VE JUST TOURED WITH LLOYD DANIELS WHO WAS ON THE X FACTOR, AND MATT LAPINSKAS WHO WAS ON DANCING ON ICE – DO YOU THINK TV TALENT SHOWS CAN BE A GREAT CAREER-BOOSTER? I think, with everyone, everyone’s path is completely different, and I planned to go to university after high school and sixth form, but this opportunity came up and it was right for me at the time, and I think it’s one of those things that, if you do it, and it works for you, then it’s brilliant. I don’t necessarily think it’s the best way or the only way, but some of the opportunities that I have had, I would never have been able to have coming from a working-class, non-theatre background that I have, and there are things the reality programme has given me that I never would have had before. So I’m very, very grateful for that. I’ve worked with Michael Crawford on Wizard of Oz, who is now a cherished friend, almost like a family member. He would come into my dressing room every day before the show and we’d have a little five-minute catch-up and he’s a really important man in my life. I was speaking to him last night, he is so thrilled about Maria, and in fact, he came to watch me in Joseph and told me I’d be perfect as Maria, he was just absolutely overjoyed when he found out, and I still always seek his advice on things. So without the programme, I never would have met him, and that’s crazy to me now, but yes, it’s been wonderful. YOU’VE SPENT THE LAST YEAR TELLING A STORY TO THE NATION JUST THROUGH SONG – ARE YOU PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO ACT A ROLE AGAIN? I’m really excited about it. I’ve always loved working with text and scripts and on Over The Rainbow, Sheila Hancock (one of the judges) would always say to me, ‘you’re an actress first and then everything else’, and I truly try and work in that way. And musical theatre is amazing because it’s all about the storytelling, so I’m really excited about it because I haven’t had a script since Dorothy. AFTER PLAYING DOROTHY, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO TAKE ON YET ANOTHER ICONIC ROLE AND FILL SOME MORE VERY BIG SHOES? I’m really, really excited and I think her character, kind of like Dorothy, she’s in that transitional phase, and it’s like the adult version of that and seeking what’s new and falling in love with the Captain and the children and the family. And it’s funny about having shoes to fill because I had massive ruby shoes to fill the first time and then it was on to Les Miserables, which everyone has cherished for over 30 years now. I think at one point I’ll give myself a break and pick a character that no one’s ever done (laughs). But with Maria I’m just going to do my best to tell her story in my way and I’m really excited to meet the cast and start with them. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING A BLONDE FOR THIS ROLE? Going blonde doesn’t scare me, cutting it off scares me (laughs). My hair is waist length now and every hairdresser and every wig mistress I’ve ever met has told me to never, ever cut my hair. I tried the Fantine wig on once and I looked like a different person! I’ve never been wigged for a show so I think I’d quite like to have one because I’ve always used my hair in a show, but with a wig, if you’re having a terrible hair day you can just shove it under the wig and it’s gone! YOU’VE JUST BEEN ON THE ROAD WITH JOSEPH FOR A YEAR AND WILL NOW EMBARK ON ANOTHER FOR THE SOUND OF MUSIC – DO YOU ENJOY TOURING? It’s a really fascinating way of working and I was really keen to tour at this point in my life before I have a mortgage or any real kind of solid responsibilities. And I’m really enjoying it. I do miss London, because I love it, but then again, I’m seeing parts of the country I’ve never seen before, I’m getting to play theatres all around the country, and people who might not be able to afford to get into the West End, can come and watch the show once, twice, three times because it’s an hour away from their home. And that’s really special to me, with Joseph especially as I got play in Manchester Palace and it’s the first time I’ve ever performed in my home town, and I will always cherish that evening and remember it forever. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ULTIMATE MUSICAL ROLE TO PLAY? I would love to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera. Another one of Andrew’s shows and I just know that my dad would love to see me play that and it would be so special for me to be able to sing that for him. He’s a big fan and it’s the first thing he watched me sing live because I was so shy as a child, and I didn’t really start singing until I was 14, and it was the first time I let him come to my high school and watch me perform. And I’ve always thought, if I could just play Christine for my dad. And for myself, I just love Andrew’s music and having worked with him from day one, it would be lovely to revisit one of his shows. Same with Eva Peron, it’s another one of my all-time favourites of his, and what a fascinating woman to play. I was at the press night of the recent production at London’s Dominion Theatre and I loved it, I thought it was a glorious production. WHO DO YOU COUNT AMONG YOUR MUSICIAL INSPIRATIONS? Definitely Julie Andrews, of course! Hannah Waddingham, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz with me, was one of my huge inspirations. I saw her in Into The Woods at Regent’s Park before doing Dorothy, and I was like, wow, that woman is just on another planet, crazy good! Then it turned out she was my witch and got to scare me for the year, so that was really amazing. I like to see as much theatre and film as possible and anything live. I love that everybody is an individual and they don’t have to try and make things different. I’d get asked quite a lot, especially with Dorothy, and now with Maria, how am I going to put my stamp or make my mark with this role.