BWW Interviews: Olivier Award-Winner Leanne Jones Of TICK, TICK...BOOM!

Hi Leanne! I saw your tweets about being excited to be "cast against type" in Tick, Tick...Boom! - why would you not normally expect to get a part like this?

I guess it was always drilled into me, right from drama school, that if I was going to be a bigger girl, that I'd only be cast as character roles. At college I played Aunt Eller in Oklahoma and Big Tim in Rags; in singing concerts, I could be whoever because we were choosing the songs. And funnily enough one of the songs I chose was Come To Your Senses from Tick, Tick...Boom! When I heard that the Union Theatre were doing TTB, my initial thought was, "Ooh, can't wait to see that." I never thought they'd think of me as the role is normally played by a slim, leading lady type; not a chubby round the edges, Tracy Turnblad type! I think it's very refreshing that Damian Sandys, our director, has cast Jon in the show as a black guy, and me for Susan; it just means the piece can be about real people, and I think when people come to watch, at first they'll think, "Hang on a minute, this isn't right", but the minute the piece begins they'll have open minds and understand, like us, that anything goes! I mean, who wrote the rules, right?

You've said that TTB is one of your favourite shows - whose previous performances are you drawing on in your own characterisation of Susan?

I only saw the Menier production of TTB, and the gorgeous Cassidy Janson was playing my role. I'm really just taking it all from the text, though, which I believe is always the starting point for a performance. The writer wrote something for a reason, he didn't just stick it in, so I'm just trying to make her a real person. She's an ex-dancer, who I think has not 'made it' and taken to teaching children, which is why she's not got her dancer's body any more - well this is what I decided as my character's history, so I could justify myself being a dancer; I don't look like a ballet dancer, that's for sure! I'm just drawing on my own personal experiences with relationships, and trying to keep her as truthful as possible. She's a real home-maker, or wannabe, and I know that as a woman I certainly have those aspects in me.

You've done a fair bit of cabaret and concert work recently, including your own one-woman show - that must be incredibly fun to put together and get to sing your favourite songs?

Putting the songs together for Have You Met Miss Jones? was so easy, I basically just went through my back catalogue. One of them was Come To Your Senses from Tick, Tick...Boom! Never thought a few months down the line I'd be singing that song in the show itself! It was so fun to share my favourites with an audience, and for people to hear me sing other styles of music. I'm so grateful to everyone who supported those shows, thank you to everyone who came! Watch this space as next I'd like to make an album...

What's Miranda like?!

She's strict, you know, if she doesn't like something, she'll tell you. She's given me a couple of voice lessons in the past. I mean, she's very sweet, but every time I sing for her, I get really nervous. Miranda's voice is just a gift from a higher being. We can all learn so much from her if we let her. I'm so excited to be singing with her in her show at The Leicester Square Theatre On Thursday 27th June and Thursday 3rd June. Please come along and be inspired by her talents.

What will you be up to next?

I'm going to Dubai in July to work on a Hairspray workshop over there, which is so exciting! Got some other things hopefully coming up but I really can't say at this stage what... watch this space anyway! See you all at Tick, Tick...Boom!

LeAnne Jones is playing Susan in Tick, Tick...Boom! at the Union Theatre.

 

 

 

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