“Term 3” Edition
Editor’s Note
Jago Cahill-Patten - Editor and Creator of The Green Room Magazine
Dear all,
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the last Green Room of the’ year! This edition has been a much bigger task then previous ones, covering the term three small shows, ‘If/Then’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘See it. Say it. Sorted.’
From articles on the evolution of ‘Beauty and the Beast’; to an exploration of motley crews in the media, the writers cover a wide range of topics. There are also two reflections on ‘If/Then’, along side a range of cast and prod team interviews. There’s a lot of good stuff in here!
There are many thanks I have to make. Firstly, to the writers, who took time out of their busy schedules (and sometimes at very short notice!) to create wonderful articles and beautiful insights. Matt, Eugenie and Aaron thank you so much! Without your passion, magazines such as this couldn’t happen. Next, to all those who let me interview them – you took time out your shows to speak to me, so to Melina, Jake, Aza, Jacob, Eve, Lewis, Harry, and the cast of SISIS, thank you! Thank you to Miri, Elliott and Eve, who helped schedule time for me to do interviews or gave me photos from the productions. Without your help, doing something like this would be a lot harder!
A massive thank you to my sister Zelda, who has done the cover, as well as all the artwork inside. She’s done the art across all editions and for me, it is a highlight seeing her bring the magazine to life with her wonderful drawings. Thank you so much!
Lastly, a thank you to this year’s Musical Theatre president Jordan, who green lit my magazine proposal and has been helpful every step of the way, and treasurer Eva who spent hours transposing every PDF edition to website format. I hope you enjoy this edition and I’ll see you next year for another great ArtsUCL year!
All the best,
Jago
Table of contents
Reflections on If/Then: My First Small Show‘If/Then’ Interview – Assistant DirectorWhat does “If/Then” mean to me‘If/Then’ Photo Wall‘Beauty and the Beast’ Interview – LumiereFolktales and Adaptation: A Tale As Old As Time?‘Beauty and the Beast’ Interview – Gaston and Lefou‘Beauty and the Beast’ Photo Wall‘See It. Say It. Sorted’ Interview – Creative ProdI’m at the piano in King’s Cross: a love letter to motley crews, chance encounters, and transport hubs‘See It. Say It. Sorted’ Interview – Cast‘See It. Say It. Sorted’ Photo WallIf/Then
Reflections on If/Then: My First Small Show
By Jago Cahill-Patten
I’ve done three shows this year with Musical Theatre Society. Each has been an impactful experience for me. Each one I am proud of and so grateful to have been involved with. This term I was in ‘If/Then’ and as opposed to an article about the show, I’d like to share what this show has meant to me. Whilst everyone in the cast, crew, prod and band have unique experiences, I’m sure aspects of my experience resonates with them.
I found out I had a part in ‘If/Then’ in late March, with the show and our rehearsal process being somewhat far off. The show for me in this period was more of an abstract concept - exams were far more pressing and the main focus of my concern. Despite this, I remember seeing the cast list and being excited. Of the 7 other cast members, I’d had the pleasure of being in shows with 4 of them and either knew or watched the remaining on stage and I’d worked with 3 of our MDs. I had a feeling it was going to be a great show.
Fast forward to after the Easter holidays. I was still majorly in exam mode, which limited my ability to rehearse. Ultimately I did roughly an afternoon of rehearsals a week. Funnily this led to Elliot and I learning our duet for the show (‘Best Worst Mistake’) separately. This wasn’t much rehearsal time but was all I could manage. The high of ending an exam and then getting to create/ hang out with people I really like was just amazing. I got to stop thinking about my degree, get out of my flat and instead get perplexed by strange harmonies (especially the song ‘Surprise’...) and help devise duet choreo. I love Musical Theatre and this community in ArtsUCL, so spending my free time with ‘If/Then’ was a privilege.
By the 16th May, my exams were over and we were less then 2 weeks from the first show. I had a lot to cover in that time. Everyday was spent rehearsing and getting to know this amazing cast and production team. It was all fast paced and exciting - doing photo shoots in Coal Drop’s Yard, debuting ‘Best Worst Mistake’ at Curtain Call, trying to absorb this immense amount of information. We all spent so much time together, we got close super quickly. I find it interesting how you can shift from not knowing someone to developing a meaningful relationship with them in a matter of days. I felt I was able to deepen relationships with the members of the show I’d known previously and create really lovely friendships with those I hadn’t known before.
Within 10 days we were in Mully’s (our venue for the shows) - we’d done our sitzprobe 2 days prior, so everything was moving very quickly. ‘If/Then’ is an ambitious show (23 songs, dual timelines etc) and we were adapting to the venue; getting used to singing with the band; and dealing with the joys of mic cords. It was such an exciting (if stressful) time. I’d call it exhilarating!
I think everyone in the cast was living in the world of ‘If/Then.’ MT shows usually take around 7 weeks to mount and I feel this one (at least from my perspective) was condensed into 2 weeks. In a whirlwind of no time, we created a show which we’re all proud of. This show covers so much - love, loss, the making and breaking of relationships. It’s about duty and what we should prioritise in life. And how there isn’t a rule book of priority - you can choose love, or you can choose your career. Even if you choose one over the other, it doesn’t mean you won’t achieve it all at some point. It’s about the choices you make in life but more importantly how nothing is set in stone. As Liz says, “we’re always starting over.” There is a whole life ahead for you to shape, form and make your own.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people this year through ArtsUCL. They’re fun, thoughtful, hilarious and have a good work ethic. It’s people like this (whether in cast, prod, band or crew) who make it possible that a show like ‘If/Then’ can be put on in such a short time. Thank you to everyone who worked on the show - we pulled it off and we should all be proud.
The Interviews
I sat down with our lovely AD Melina (30th May) to talk about the show. Warning, this interview with contains some spoilers about the show ‘If/Then!’
Jago: So I'm with Melina who was part of prod for ‘If/then’, assistant directing,
very exciting. First thing, I know you’ve done cast before. I’ve seen you on stage – brilliant. Have you done prod before?
Melina: I have done prod before. I’ve been a main producer for a small term show last year, ‘Big Fish.’ I’ve also been AMD for vocals this year in ‘Lift.’ I’ve helped direct freshers musical. Generally, I’ve done prod things in the past but I’ve never done directing. Assistant directing a small show [‘If/Then’] was an amazing, very different experience. It’s the part of prod which is the most creative. Producers deal mostly with the logistics and getting props and doing the money. While musical directors have to do the music, the band. The directors have a lot of the creativity. So I got to add my own creativity into how ‘If/Then’ would be directed by adding to the vision Aaron and Vanessa already had.
Jago: That’s really fun –‘ you like the more creative aspect of being on prod?
Melina: I think so yeah. I love telling stories, I love bringing stories to life. Listening or telling stories is the thing which most interests me as a person. So I think assistant directing was a great choice.
Jago: So you’d do it again?
Melina: I would 100% do it again.
Jago: You’re doing it with another show right now!
Melina: I’m assistant directing for ‘Beauty and the Beast’, which, also has a lovely, lovely prod team. I would maybe even go for main director of a show if I found a show which really spoke to me and I really wanted to bring it to life at UCL. I would 1 00% fight to be a director for that one. Currently I haven’t found one. But if I do find one, absolutely!
Jago: You should, that would be so cool – I would want to be in that show. What’s your style as an AD?
Melina: I think I will try to push you out of your comfort zone, especially if you’re very different from the character you’re playing, I’ll try my best to push you out of your regular acting style. For example, with Elliot, when he had to be confrontational, I would make him yell at me. I need you to be in a place where you can feel comfortable to yell at the other actor. Because it’s acting. You need to be comfortable in that space to do that. The other thing I do, is I like to break down characters with actors. I feel that if you sit down and discuss why this character is doing this, it helps you understand them much better and then that comes out in the way you’re delivering lines or the way you’re delivering physicality on stage. That’s why we did a lot of character work in ‘If/Then’ because these characters, we don’t get to know much about them from what they’re telling us but if we sit down and try to explore them, more or even if we make some stuff up about them, so we have a way to bring them to life and make them our own, I think that is very helpful.
Jago: Also, because this is a show about two time lines, it’s set over 5 or 6 years, it’s actually really useful to be able to fully understand the characters. So you know who they are, what’s important to them and you can really bring that to life on stage. Are there any moments which you’ve added to the show which you’re particularly proud of?
Melina: I really liked the way Bonnie and Gabby did their duet ‘Love While You Can.’ We did very heavy character work for that one. Especially trying to understand what are Anne’s intentions in that scene, how is Kate responding. One of them is moving with intention, the other one is moving with emotion. We have to differentiate that. So I’m very proud of how that duet went. ‘Best Worst Mistake’ as well – I love it, it’s one of my favourite numbers.
Jago: Thank you!
Melina: I remember that rehearsal. It was so fun. Me and Vanessa had so much fun doing it.
Jago: We were giggling a lot!
Melina: And the whole small choreography parts, like the leaning and the playing around, I love those moments.
Jago: What would you like people to take away from the show?
Melina: I think ‘If/Then’ dealt with a lot of issues and made a lot of social commentary. I think one of the main things is with the two different time lines Elizabeth is experiencing. One message I would like people to receive is that even though there are two time lines with two very distinct results, it’s possible to find a balance. For example, in the Beth timeline, at the end of the show she ends up meeting Josh in that timeline as well. It hows you don’t have to choose between career and love life. You can have both. And the show goes very deep into personal relationships. Not just romantic relationships but relations with friends, co-workers. There are so many different kinds of relationships and not all of them have to be romantic. They can be platonic, complicated. They can be hard to handle when it comes to moments of crisis. When Josh dies, how does that effect Liz? OR when Anne cheats, how does a that effect Kate and their relationships with other people? I’d say the other things is relationships between people are very complicated. The relationship a person has between their love life, personal life and work is not black and white. Personal relationships with other people can be messy and just because of one fuck up, doesn’t mean you should end the relationship with them. I think the show is meant to make you a bit uncomfortable at times. It’s meant to show you that there is a lot of pain and grief and it’s okay to be angry. But at the end of the day you have to face it, you cannot just keep avoiding it and you have to make a decision about it and you’ll be better for it at the end. No matter what that decision is, you’re going to have a good ending in the end.
Jago: That’s very insightful. Last question, how do you feel now the show’s over?
Melina: I’m very much already in the post-show blues! Because I love this production so much. I went to as many rehearsals as I possibly could, I did a lot of personal work with members of the cast, like one-on-one sessions. Because it’s a small production, I feel I connected so much with these people Both on prod side, band side, cast side, everybody involved. And we were so tight together as well, even though not all of us knew each other already. Some of us met in this production as well. But we got to know each other, we got to have fun.
Jago: I feel we grew close really, really quickly.
Melina: Yes we got close very, very quickly because you were an 8-part cast. We were a very tight prod team already. So like the connection was so amazing, I’d definitely going to miss it now that some people are leaving. I’m very proud of everyone in the show and everything they achieved. And I’m so proud of the reactions they got as well. Like we have some very harsh critics in ArtsUCL and we got so much praise from those people and that is the biggest reward. I love when people really enjoy and appreciate the work everyone has done.
Jago: It’s been really fun and thank you for all the work you’ve done on the show!
Melina: Thank you!
What does “If/Then” mean to me?
By Aaron Reyes-Bordado
From its very title the show is about exploring the very common thoughts that people, especially people in university, tend to have about their lives. The lingering thoughts in the back of our minds about “If only I had done X task, then Y event could have occurred” or “If I had gone to X location then I could have met Y person”. In my opinion, the idea of wondering about all the potential roads that your life could have taken if you had changed just one tiny event or decision is what makes “If/Then” such a wonderfully beautiful show.
In all honesty I had only heard of the show via a friend (shout out to Victoria Lee) and was only familiar with the song “What the Fuck”. But after listening to the album, reading the script and having spent countless hours with my wonderfully talented co-director Vanessa Chan blocking and scheming over this show I genuinely believe that it’s one of the sincerest musicals about being alive and I will do my best to explain what I mean by this. Also, as a little side note, in my opinion the entire score of this show is one of the most cohesive and the most beautiful contemporary musical theatre scores to have been written.
The show at its very essence isn’t particularly about anything given that the plot revolves about exploring the two different lives that one woman could have had led based on a single decision. There are no dragons or evil villains or barricades or revolutions to overcome in this show, in fact I’d argue there is no real antagonist within the show except the challenge to keep moving forward through whatever life throws at you and to celebrate all the little things. Moreover, throughout the musical it is revealed that neither life that Elizabeth and her friends could have lived is inherently better or worse, each of the two timelines possessed moments of great highs and great lows reflecting the reality of every person on this earth. Leading on from this, the constant timeline switching throughout the musical I think proved an interesting challenge to direct, but I believe it is through this constant comparison of the two timelines in the show that the musical highlights the beauty in the mundanity of life. The most prominent example of this can be shown in the song “A Map of New York” where the character Stephen sings about the wondrous nature of the city around them, and the New Yorkers sing to Elizabeth about all the precious memories (both good and bad) that they have of the city. Another beautiful song that I think perfectly reflects the aim of “If/Then” celebrating life is “Always Starting Over”. The song is about Elizabeth struggling to move on from the death of her recently deceased husband Josh and throughout the song she recalls all the happy memories she had shared with him along with promising to move on and look after their children. Besides the song being so beautifully written, the idea of beginning over and over again as you reach new points in your life is such a profoundly universal experience. I think there have been many points in many people’s lives where we have all had to grow and adapt to our new circumstances, whether that be a new job, starting at university, graduation, starting a relationship and many other wonderful and beautiful things.
On a more personal note, this show has meant a lot to me as my final production at ArtsUCL. I am a self-described “overly anxious overthinker” so to encounter a protagonist like Elizabeth in “If/Then” who struggles with all the challenges of just getting by every day made me instantly connect with the show a lot. Also, I only really managed to get properly involved in musical theatre and performing arts once I got to UCL and I am so thankful for the wonderful and welcoming community that enabled me to abandon my degree and spend so many countless hours doing theatre. This show was truly a joy to direct and for all its challenges it was overwhelming fun to its very conclusion. Here’s me now getting a little bit sappy, I am so thankful for my wonderful co-director Vanessa, my amazing producer Maya, my phenomenally talented musical directors and assistant musical directors (Megan, Charlie, Ronan and Pearl), the most amazing assistant director Melina, our hard-working assistant producers Francesca and Tom who respectively created promo and scheduled our chaotic show. Thank you to our wonderful band who absolutely slayed and provided the most gorgeous music to listen to (Jess, Yicheng, Dan, Arseiny, Roberto, Akshay, Libby, Kai, Will, Neha, Joshua, Sean, Haidee). Finally, to our wonderful talented and chaotic cast who made me both laugh and weep with joy at every performance and rehearsal: Bonnie, Elle, Gabby, Beth, Elliott, Ben, Jago, Aaron; I adore you all and thank you for being part of this show. May we all continue to enjoy all the highs and lows of life and embrace the joys of “always starting over” and remember to not be lost in the “what-ifs”.
'If/Then' Photo wall!
‘Beauty and the Beast’
Pictures I snapped over Easter break at Disney World!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jake (21st May), the Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast.
Jago: Hello I am with Jake, before we launch into ‘Beauty and the Beast’, you’ve done quite a lot of stuff with ArtsUCL this year. I know you’ve done, I think Musical Theatre, Drama Soc, Shake Soc, so could you tell me a little bit about that?
Jake: Yeah of course, so the first thing I did this year was ‘Chess’ the Musical as evil Russian Molotov, which was so much fun, a great intro to ArtsUCL. Since then I’ve done quite a few other shows. I’ve also been in ‘Producers’, I was involved in the New Writing Festival and I have directed a Shake Soc piece quite recently called ‘A Yorkshire Tragedy.’
Jago: Very cool that you’ve done both directing and acting. Was that your first time directing?
Jake: It’s my first time directing at UCL, I’ve done some assistant directing in the past. But first time properly leading the whole thing.
Jago: Do you have a preference for directing or acting?
Jake: I think I’m probably more of an actor. But I also do really enjoy directing and would like to do some more directing in the future, potentially Musical Theatre Society.
Jago: Can you tell me what your role is in ‘Beauty and the Beast’?
Jake: I am Lumiere, the French maitre d’ candle stick. So I am leaping around the stage being extravagant and flamboyant, and speaking French.
Jago: And building on that, most of the show Lumiere is not a person, he’s a candle. What’s been your process for becoming a candle and how do you convey that to the audience?
Jake: Well it’s a lot in the physicality, my arms are very upright the entire time, at kind of right degree angles. In rehearsals I’ve been having my fists clenched the whole time to prepare myself for the fact I won’t have hands I can use to gesture. I need to use my whole body to gesture because there’ll be candles covering them. So it’s been interesting working out the full physicality and how to move as if I’m a cartoon rather than an actual human being. But it’s been lots and lots of fun.
Jago: And Lumiere, he’s a very iconic character. What’s it been like recreating him?
Jake: It’s been really, really fun. ‘Be Our Guest’, Lumiere’s big moment is really iconic and so much fun. It’s been a bit of a struggle getting the accent consistent and not slip back into a Russian accent like in ‘Chess.’
Jago: Yeah, you’ve done a lot of other accents at ArtsUCL this year. ‘Be Our Guest’ Molokov’s version.
Jake: Yeah maybe I’ll have to do that in the dress rehearsal and see what happens haha.
Jago: There are 3 small shows this term with Musical Theatre. Is there anything which particularly drew you to ‘Beauty and the Beast’’?
Jake: Well I was always a Disney child. Lumiere is one of those characters who’s just so iconic, he’s a favourite of mine. My family all really love ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and it just seemed like a really fun show to do. All 3 shows though are going to be really amazing - I’m really excited to see the other two.
Jago: Yeah it’s going to be fun to see them all. What’s your favourite Disney film?
Jake: Ooh that’s a good question. I’m probably going to go with ‘Tangled’.
Jago: Ooh that’s a great one.
Jake: That scene with the lanterns actually sometimes makes me cry, even having watched it multiple times.
Jago: Aaw I feel everyone loves Tangled’ but it’s a bit underrated.
Jake: Yeah I agree.
Jago: But it’s one of the best Disney films.
Jake: One of the best for sure.
Jago: I love ‘Sleeping Beauty’ as well. What’s your favourite bit of the show?
Jake: The easy answer is ‘Be our Guest’ but I also really, really enjoy all of the stuff the other people do like the ‘Mob Song’, ‘Gaston.’ The whole cast is really funny and it’s really, really enjoyable to see everything come together so I’m not sure if I can choose a solid favourite.
Jago: I’m hearing the whole show.
Jake: Come to the show!
Jago: And right now ‘Beauty and the Beast’ is selling very well, the final show is sold out [at the time of publishing, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ did a sold out run.]
Jake: It is sold out, it just sold out today which is insane.
Jago: Is there something in the show which you’re particularly proud of?
Jake: I’m pretty proud of my physicality, I think through the process of all the rehearsals and all the scenes, it’s a massive change from other stuff I’ve done so far at UCL, that I’m really proud of how I’ve been able to adapt to the character and not use my arms as I would normally. So it’s felt like it’s paid off doing that.
Jago: I’m guessing a lot of the show is going to be quite heightened and stylised. And then I guess when you become human the contrast will be a nice payoff.
Jake: Yeah it’s going to be really interesting seeing that.
Jago: So how are you guys doing the costumes, how’s that working?
Jake: Well we haven’t got all the costume pieces just yet but they are coming together [I can confirm they came together - the costumes were amazing!] A lot of the budget has gone into costumes.
Jago: I can imagine. If you could describe the production in 3 words what would you say?
Jake: Party, extravagant and beautiful.
Jago: I like that, I’m really looking forward to ‘Beauty and the Beast, I think it’s going to be a great show and good luck with it.
Jake: Thank you very much!
Jago: And thank you for chatting to me.
Folktales and Adaptation: A Tale As Old As Time?
By Matt Todd
Beauty and the Beast; the classic tale about an intrepid young woman who against all odds falls in love with a cold-hearted beast. Most of us will know the tale as old as time, immortalized by Disney in their 1992 or 2017 adaptations. But how is it that fairy tales find their way into popular culture? What continues to drive us to these mythic tales of good versus evil? And are the stories we know accurate to how they were first written?
This tale took life in 18th Century France – written originally in 1740 by Gabrielle- Suzanne de Villeneuve. In this take, the Prince was left in the care of an evil fairy when the widowed Queen [his Mother] was forced to go to war – he is still turned into the beast. Despite this, the more interesting alteration is Belle’s backstory. She is not the father of a poor inventor – quite the opposite in fact – she is actually the offspring of a King and a good fairy. This makes Belle royalty, and she goes home not due to her ailing father, but homesickness. If you cannot tell, this version is quite convoluted and dense. Do not fear, however – sixteen years later one Jeanne- Marie Leprince de Beaumont takes another crack at the fable. Luckily for all of you, she refines it to become a quintessential fairy tale, this time reflecting social norms and political change occurring within France. Beaumont’s version is the one we know right now. Despite the two conflicting versions, the purpose of the story remained consistent. Quick, a bit of backstory to preface this. Beauty and the Beast – both versions – wanted to entertain people whilst also teaching them morally desirable messages. This is due to the intellectually minded, moralistic tendencies from European Enlightenment trickling into French literature. In this case: not to judge people by the way they look. A message that still resonates 275 years later – why else would this story prevail if not? That is the pattern, right? Centuries old tales persist because they house some universal/pervasive truth about things such as the human condition, our collective culture, or the world we inhabit. This is how fairy tales remain a cornerstone of our inherent culture. But have these stories retained all the elements they initially set out with?
Spoiler alert: No. At this point in our journey, we move to the 20th/21st Century, more specifically the emergence of the film and television industry. 1923 – landmark year – the founding of the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, this would become the Walt Disney Company. Yes, enter the Titan-esque force that is Disney. They have successfully carved out their niche adapting a multitude of fairy tales, and continue to do so, both within the animation and live action spheres. Their adaptations consistently remain true to the core message of the source material – they never try to radically change that – yet they either streamline or cut out whole story beats of the original. Aladdin originally has two genies – Genie of the Lamp and Genie of the Ring – and was set in China, the Evil Queen (from Snow White) attempts to eat Snow White, and do not even go anywhere near Pocahontas. Truly some of the original stories are bonkers when you take a close look. Adaptations of the Brothers Grimm tales are pretty commonplace among local theaters, with yearly pantomimes often sticking closer to the original rather than Disney stories and of course in Musicals themselves [Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella].
Beauty and the Beast, more importantly, is a victim of the adaptation process. Some alterations are minor, some more substantial and will have you reconsidering your whole childhood – I have selected some of my favourites. There is no Talking Furniture in the original. The Disney Adaptation took inspiration from a 1946 French film adaptation in this department – yes, beloved Lumiere and Cogsworth did not exist (possibly missing the best characters if you ask me!) The rose took a very different meaning in the original too. Initially the Prince is cursed by the wicked fairy who raised him when he denies her proposal of marriage, the rose instigates this change compared to the ticking clock it presents in Disney’s version. Speaking of Villainy, there is none aside from that fairy in the original, Gaston is yet another colourful character created by the wonderfully talented people at Disney. Presumably, when they simplified the Spell, they needed a clear embodiment of evil and chose to target toxic masculinity with their portrayal of Gaston. These alterations, although drastic to what we perceive to be the story, are the exact changes necessary to keep the core of that story alive within children’s minds. It is a natural evolution. How many of us remember the suave Lumiere, or the brute that was Gaston? Changes to stories can be a good thing. No piece of work is ever truly finished, there are always things to improve on. One thing I praise the 2017 adaptation for is its exploration of how Belle’s mother died during an epidemic of the Black Death in Paris. Something not only historically accurate, but also in support of Beaumont’s intentions in her adaptation. Now this is not a hard and fast rule. Disney has had its share of sloppy adaptations that seek to gloss over key elements of stories to make them more palatable/appealing to contemporary audiences.
The concern has been levied that adaptations from the likes of Disney are ending the purpose of these stories. However, it’s not such a simple issue. I would assert the mere existence of fairy tale adaptations and the abundance of demand there is for them proves this otherwise. Disney continues to update these stories based on what is ‘in’ at the time. Right now that is live action remakes. 2023’s The Little Mermaid made double the amount of money compared to the original at the worldwide box office – within the film industry it was a flop yet it still made more than most films. For Beauty and the Beast, the 2017 Live-action remake made $1.263 Billion at the worldwide box office. 1992: $420 million worldwide. Though it is crude to focus on the economic aspects of this, the switch from animation to live action, or animation/live-action onto a Broadway Musical underlines the demand there still is for these stories and their continued dominance within our popular culture.
Of course, creatively there may be areas in which Disney and other companies could improve to consistently adapt these stories to remain true to the original. And, yes, you could argue Disney is simply repeating their previous hits to generate profit. But if you put that all to one side you focus on the fact that Disney continues to bring these stories, these wonderful characters and fabulous messages, to younger generations. If this is the case, how is it possible to argue they are trying to erase their purpose? Fairy tales are there for everyone; no matter race, gender, sexual orientation or creed they are there for you to enjoy. So go on... let these stories take you somewhere magical.
I sat down with Aza and Jacob (31st May) to talk about playing the iconic duo of Gaston and Lefou!
Jago: I am with Aza and Jacob from the cast of ‘Beauty and the Beast’. They play Lefou and Gaston. Very exciting. First question, what are you looking forward to most about the show?
Aza: Doing it in the JBR. I’m excited for people to see what we’ve been cooking up and honestly I think it looks really, really cool. The choreography and everything looks really sick so far. I just want people to see it.
Jago: I’m so excited to see it.
Jacob: it’s gonna be good.
Jago: How have you guys found working together?
Jacob: Horrible.
Aza: Oh wow okay okay!
Jacob: No, it’s been really easy actually working with such an astonishing Lefou.
Aza: Wow.
Jacob: I feel the dynamic has really worked from the start. Our interactions haven’t really been that difficult to work out. It’s gone quite smoothly.
Aza: It’s been really easy. I’m glad he’s Gaston.
Aza: Oh shut up.
Jago: Building on that, did you guys always have your sights set on these specific characters?
Jacob: Yes. Yes. I heard ‘Beauty and the Beast’’ was going on and I was like I want to go for that. What’s the most fun sounding role? And it’s just really an entertaining part to play. It’s a bit of a challenge as I have to overcome the unbelievability of being a slim build but it’s a lot of fun to do that. I’m not in all the scenes but all the scenes that I’m in revolve around me and that’s really fun for my ego. So I always wanted to do this
Aza: For me I went in wanting Babette because dancy, sexy, flirty. That is so me right. But then when I was looking through the extracts, I realised none of them were fun except for Gaston’s. So I read Gaston’s and they were like ‘out of all of these characters, who would you like to play the most?’ I was like, ‘I feel Lefou and Gaston would be fun to play and I feel I’m too short to play Gaston’, so they were like Lefou.
Jago: I’m very excited to see this duo on stage. I be wrong but I feel I haven’t see you [Jacob] in MT before. Is this your first MT show at UCL?.
Jacob: I did two galas, just to dip my toe in the water but this is my first proper show with Musical Theatre Society here. It’s actually my first MT show since school. I did one when I was 13 and that was the last time
Jago: What did you do?
Jacob: ‘Into the Woods’ and I was a steward, so I didn’t even do anything.
Jago: Are you enjoying UCL MT society?
Jacob: It’s really fun. Really good atmosphere. Cause I hadn’t got into MT at the start of my time at UCL, I was a little intimidated by what I saw from the outside. But as soon as I actually got into the crowd, it’s actually such a really wholesome vibe to be in and I’ve really enjoyed it.
Jago: It’s a good community and I think because there’s 3 shows right now, I feel it’s all interlinked which is nice.
Aza: Yeah!
Jago: And do you do any other ArtsUCL stuff?
Jacob: I’ve done three shows with drama. And I’m the secretary for the rest of this short week for Drama society. So that’s where I’ve mostly been residing.
Jago: And Aza, this is your third show of the year. You did ‘Chess’ which is quite a dramatic show, and then ‘Carrie’ which is a very dark show and now this is quite a bright, fun show. Do you have a preference for the kind of shows you like being involved in?
Aza: I wasn’t on stage for ‘Carrie’ [Aza was the choreographer] but choreography wise, that was my favourite to do. It was the most my style I think. Just personality wise I feel like Disney, I get to smile a lot which is really fun.
Jago: It’s a really smiley show.
Aza: It is! So that’s been really fun and I feel that’s helped. We just enjoy rehearsal so much more because I’ve been smiling at everything.
Jago: If you could describe your characters in 3 words what would you say?
Aza: One of them is definitely loser. I’m gonna do hopeless, loving, loser.
Jago: Loving towards Gaston?
Aza: Yeah, if it’s not love, then why would I stay with him for so long. That is true love and it made me blind.
Jacob: I think mine would be delusional, sexy, egoist.
Jago: I like that. That’s really good. Thank you so much guys and I can’t wait to see the show it’s going to be amazing!
Aza: It’s going to be so slay!
Bed & Breakfast Photo wall!
See It! Say it! sorted! TBA soon on website but see it here in the meantime