BWW INTERVIEWS: Lauren Hall Of HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2 LIVE ON STAGE

Hi Lauren, and welcome to BWW: UK. How are you doing?

I'm having the best time. I love it. I never want it to end. It's the best first job I could have asked for.

So you're straight out of college?

Yes. Matt and I were in class together. We missed our graduation because we're on tour in Plymouth. Plymouth is quite far; I thought it would be just round the corner. I'm driving it, too - I wish I was driving it in my sparkly golf buggy, but that would take longer and I might be caught.

The buggy must be the biggest perk of the entire job!

Yes!

What's it like to drive?

It's fantastic. Except one time, it didn't drive, it just stopped. But that was my fault. I didn't check that the lever was down. So I just had to run on instead. It was the Wednesday matinee before press night, so it was just as well it didn't happen then.

It goes quite fast - have you ever had any collisions in the wings?

No, no, we haven't. There are lots of safety checks, and there are always people in the wings signalling to me, which is good.

When did you audition for the show?

Me and Matt were in our final show in college during the auditions.

When did you get the call saying you'd got the part?

THIS is a story. I found out on the Friday night before the final audition, and that was because I had to go back on Saturday to do a reading with the Gabriellas and meet the Troys, because the Troys were being cast on GMTV and we didn't know who it was going to be, and they needed to see how I worked with the other characters. So I found out then, but Matt hadn't found out. So the next day I go to the thing, and they're all like, "Congratulations! And you'll be working with your friend Matt as well!" And I was like, "What? Are you serious?" And I wasn't allowed to tell him, because it had to be done through his agent, to make sure it was all professionally done. The director was there that day, and I told him, "Matt doesn't know yet, and I'm going to a party tonight, and he's going to be there, can you tell him?" He actually rang Matt from my mobile, and said, "Hey Matt, it's Jeff, will you be our Ryan?" We were just going crazy, it was absolutely amazing.

It must be lovely working with your close friend.

It's so good. It doesn't feel like it's just me and Matt, though, because everybody in the cast is so nice, we've made new friends. It's quite a lot of people's first jobs, so everybody's in the same boat. Everyone's so nice. It's a really nice company.

That's good, as you'll be living with them for the next year!

Yeah, it is a good job. But we're having such a good time, it's fantastic.

What's stage door like?

Actually, the children are great, I love it! I love going out there and meeting them all. Sometimes it's the mums who are scariest! Yesterday I was having a photo with two really small children, and their mum was taking it on her phone, so I was crouched right down. And then her phone started ringing! And she said, "Oh, hang on," and answered the phone! So I was still crouched down, smiling away in the rain, and all these other children are waiting around! I'm generally the last one out because my hair takes a long time to take out, so they'd all been waiting for me.

I was going to ask about your hair - is it clip-on extensions?

Yeah! She puts rollers in my own hair to give it more volume, and it's easier to hide the extensions then. She matched them up to my hair colour, which is great. I love them. I want to wear them all the time, but I can't! All my friends say I should keep it.

You have the best costumes as well, because they have so much sparkle on them.

I have AMAZING costumes.

I love the one with the pink mesh tail for Music In Me.

At first, I was like, this is crazy, but apparently it looks amazing from the auditorium, but she's supposed to be wild and adventurous with what she wears, because she's just so confident. My favourite one is the white dress at the end. I feel like a princess in that one, especially with my hair.

Had you seen the film before you auditioned?

Yes!

Sharpay's nicer in this, isn't she?

Especially at the end. I think that's important. Sometimes when I go out the stage door, people are like, "I don't like Sharpay, she's really mean," but if she didn't have that resolve at the end, then I think she would be a typical horrible mean girl. I feel like the audience warm to her more because of that, which is good. I don't want to be hated by everyone. In the film, she has the same story, but it's extended. A lot of it is to do with Mr Fulton, who's a more important character in the show. Les Dennis is the nicest man I have ever worked with. He really is fantastic. I think the final scene between Fulton and Sharpay rounds it off really well.

Were you at all like Sharpay when you were at school?

No! I was in the drama club, but I was never mean! I never had to have all the leads. I had two lead roles at school - Sandy in Grease, and Blousy in Bugsy Malone. But I was in the ensemble in The Wizard Of Oz; I choreographed Annie; I auditioned for Miss Hannigan and didn't get it, which is fair enough! It was never like that. My school was fair, and my Drama Department was fantastic. I owe a lot to them.

High School Musical 2 Live On Stage is touring the UK now.

To post a comment, you must register and login.