BWW Interviews: Jenna Russell About URINETOWN, GUYS AND DOLLS And Candy Crush...

Hello Jenna! Welcome back to BWW:UK - it's lovely to be talking to you again and to have you back in the West End!

Thank you!

Right, first things first - are you OK? I understand you fell off the stage last week...

Yes, I fell off the stage. I wanted to keep quiet about it because I don't know whether the producers were happy with it - I slipped, hit the deck at speed, and if we were at the St James I'd fall at a few people's feet, but yeah...I fell over backwards, head first, grabbed the lighting rig, it's a five-foot drop, hung like a bat for a bit, while thinking, 'Am I injured?', just holding my bodyweight. I realised I was bruised but nothing else. So I did a lot of karate-chop action at the audience, trying to make it look like it was meant to happen, and had one of those Spinal Tap moments as I ran through the doors dramatically like I was in panto - and then couldn't find my way back to the stage. Eventually I did, ready for my next operatic singing on the stage, so I didn't really miss anything at all, I just ran back on! It's a shock! But I'm fine. Now we're all being super-cautious. 30 years in the business and I've never fallen off a stage in all my life.

Probably when you're a teenager you might bounce if you hit the floor, but those of us over a certain age...

Exactly! It was a good lesson for me and my over-acting.

I interviewed Matthew Seadon-Young last week and he said that you have a Candy Crush addiction.

I've got these ridiculous games on the iPad, but I don't ask anyone to give me more lives. I'm not boring like that. But yes, I can often be found in a corner with a bit of Candy Crush going on. It keeps me quiet. Some people do crosswords. I do Candy Crush.

So how are you guys settling in at the Apollo - apart from the stage being taller?

Great! I've looked at the show - the bits I'm not in - I think it's glorious in this space, really, really beautiful. It's always the way. I've done quite a lot of shows in small spaces and you worry if you lose something by putting them into a bigger theatre, and they always just slot in beautifully, especially a show like this - the attack of the show and the performances are so large that it suits a bigger house. You felt like you were in Urinetown at the St James, now you feel like you're watching. I think they always had their eye on it - they were hoping for good enough reviews to bring it into town, so I think the design always had the idea that it would go into a bigger theatre. The audience response has been wonderful, Matt is doing a brilliant job - gorgeous, kooky and funny.

Yes - the plan must have been to build up a reputation for it as it's not particularly well known over here...

I think they did a similar thing in New York. It worked so well. It's interesting, when you're in a smaller theatre, you get a particular type of audience who are desperate to see a show, and in the West End you get regular theatregoers, and one's worry is they won't respond in the same way, but it's been great. I saw it on Broadway - I never had an issue with the title or anything, I just thought, 'Oh, I'll go and see the show that everyone's raving about,' and I loved it. It's a great tale - funny, heartwarming, and if you've ever seen a musical, the ironic take on the musical form is so witty and clever.

When you see a show, do you lose yourself in watching the show, or do you think, 'Oh, I'd like to play that part or sing that'?

Oh, not at all! It's odd, isn't it? When I saw Urinetown, I'd gone over to see a friend in Medea on Broadway, and my husband and I were staying in New York for a week, and we went for tea with Michael John LaChiusa, and I asked, 'Are there any new musicals to see?' and he said, 'Go and see Urinetown, it's great.' I think it's different when you see stuff abroad - there's nobody you know in it, so you can immerse yourself in it. I was constantly surprised by it - something quirky would happen, or a certain performance would pop out, it's so out there and brave!

On a slightly related note, then, did you see Guys and Dolls down at Chichester this summer? [Jenna was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance as Sarah Brown in the most recent West End production of the show.]

No, because I've been working! I'd love to have seen Clare Foster. I saw her when she came to see a play I was doing at the Almeida. You can get a bit scared [playing Sarah] because everyone else is so funny, and she said it's odd feeling like you're the straight man. I said, 'Yeah, but then you go to Havana!' For me and Ewan McGregor, for us that was so heavenly. We were quite straight up till then, and then let rip and never left the stage for 30 minutes. It's so beautifully written - the way the character reveals herself after a few drinks. It's just perfect. And I'd love to see Sophie Thompson, who I think is extraordinary - hilarious and heartbreaking, she can turn it on a dime - and one of our greatest actresses - I can't imagine anyone giving a better Adelaide.

Urinetown, starring Jenna Russell, runs at the Apollo Theatre.

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