BWW Interviews: Jodie Jacobs - On ROCK OF AGES, SISTER ACT And New Show HAPPY ENDING

It's always a joy to speak to Jodie Jacobs - previous winner of a BWW:UK Award, no less. After her successes in the likes of Rock of Ages, she's now at the Arcola working on a very different kind of show, 'Happy Ending', alongside West End luminaries including Gemma Wardle and Gillian Kirkpatrick.

"It's like an episode of Scrubs. A really Jewish episode of Scrubs," she explains. "It's very funny - although it's about cancer. It's...an interesting thing."

It sounds it. The press quotes say the show is "savagely funny" - but what does that really mean?

"It's so dark. It has to be funny, otherwise it would be offensive. It talks about the Holocaust, dying, cancer...often you go into a first reading and you'd cry, you feel so emotionally connected to the piece. But we haven't cried, not really. We've just laughed!" she says.

Jodie's role is a small one. "In the script it's a guy - they needed someone to be camp and theatrical!" she laughs. "I play a wig-maker. The lead is a famous stage actress, who's worked with her in the past. And I understudy every girl in the play!"

She's no stranger to understudying, of course (most notably, perhaps, as Sherrie in Rock of Ages) - "In 12 years I've gone on for things I never thought I'd go on for! I was in Aberyswyth [for Sister Act] and halfway through the run they asked me to learn Deloris Van Cartier, the first white Deloris there's ever been!

"It's a funny one. This is a playsical. Even if you were unwell, you could go on and do it, and working with unbelievable professionals, I can't imagine they'd want to give up the role for a night! I wouldn't!"

The show is running at the Arcola until March 7.

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