Q&A: Laura Benanti on Bringing NOBODY CARES to the West End

Tony Award winning Laura Benanti, will make her London debut on Tuesday 2 September at Underbelly Boulevard Soho transferring direct from a sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival with her one-woman comedy show Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares.

The show is a rare opportunity for UK audiences to see a Broadway star in such an intimate setting, and shows off Laura's serious comedy chops. Nobody Cares charts her journey from an 18-year-old ingenue to a recovering people pleaser with all of the missteps, marriages (three!) and perimenopause along the way. BroadwayWorld had a quick catch up with Laura ahead of the show.

How did you first get started in the world of theatre?

When I was in high school I won an award from a prestigious regional theatre called the Papermill Playhouse. They would see the high school theatrical productions in NJ and have an awards ceremony called the Rising Star Award. I had not been a child actor so this really was the beginning of being introduced into a profession world. In 1997 there was a revival of The Sound of Music. They recommended me to the casting director of that show, Jay Binder. I auditioned for Liesle and instead they cast me as the understudy to Maria (at 18 years old) and I took over the role a year later. 

What inspired you to create Nobody Cares?

Audible reached out to me and asked if I might be interested in writing a one person show. I began working on it and it turned into essentially a stand-up show with original comedy music written with Todd Almond. 

What was the creative process like for Nobody Cares?

I have two children so much of my writing would happen in my head while ferrying them about! My husband was a great contributor to the piece. We would put the kids to bed and I would go through what I had written that day and we would brainstorm and refine. I also worked with Todd and our director, Annie. They are such extraordinary artists. 

What was it like to perform Nobody Cares in Edinburgh?

To spend a month at the biggest theatre festival in the world was thrilling. We had a sold out run and the most incredible audiences!

So you have any favourite memories from performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

How proud my children were of me, and how excited they were to see my posters everywhere. 

What do you hope audiences take away from Nobody Cares?

I hope they laugh a lot and come away with the feeling that ultimately we’re all going to be alright. 

Read our 5 star review of the show at the 2025 Edinburgh Festival here.

Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares is at Underbelly Boulevard Soho on 2 September