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Exclusive: Neil Sean Meets the Star of 42ND STREET, Lulu!
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Nov 3, 2022
Lulu returns to the West End after 30 years to join the cast of 42nd Street, the dazzling and romantic homage to the world of musical theatre in the iconic role of 'Dorothy Brock' in this five star production. In this exclusive interview, she reveals why she took the role, acting lessons and the dramatic part she wants to take on next!
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Hi, it's new Sean here on your entertainment news
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We're in the splendor of the beautiful theatre Royal Jury Lane. Of course, with the equally beautiful Lulu
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who's currently starring in 42nd Street. Remember though, Lulu? Yes. If you miss it, you miss out
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Don't miss Lulu today on your entertainment news. 42nd Street Lovely to see you again
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Nice to see you again. The splendour of this beautiful Theatre World, Jury Lane
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You're taking on another, you're a woman of many challenges, I know this
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I know. But tell me about your character, Dorothy, who's not particularly nice at the beginning, is she
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You know, it's very, I love Dorothy Brock. I love being Dorothy Brock
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because I, part of it is because I'm not a young woman
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I have been around the block, I've been up, I've been down
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I've been way up, I've been way down, and I've been thrown from pillar to post in life
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as most of us find, you know, through our life. And I see this in Dorothy, so I see
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her multi-dimensional character. So that's one of the great things about being Dorothy
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And she starts off the diva and struggling. It's the 30s. It's very difficult
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Everyone's fighting for their lives. So she's tough and she's got to get the show on
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And then at the end, because of an accident, she has to hand the baton to the young ingenue
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And of course, at the start, she would never have done that. But at the end, because she also gets her man
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she has an epiphany. Yeah. And then she can become funny and soft
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She finds herself. I mean, she's funny during, she's acerbic during the thing
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But this whole show is just like a feel good factor. You know, you get, I mean, I didn't even know
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if I wanted to do another musical, but when I came to see this musical
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I was so charmed by the whole thing, as everyone is when they leave
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They want to come back. Everybody wants to come back again. I don't know anyone who's just come once
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I was gonna ask you that. You came to see the musical and then obviously they said would you like to do this
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Was it like a difficult decision or do you think, yeah I will do that or? Well I think they asked me first and I said
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well I don't, you know my, I have a lot of friends
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who every new musical they want to see, I don't really. I'm not a big musical fan
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Which I suppose actually means that this one has to be, you know like it has to be good, this is good
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But I think also because I'd started taking acting classes last year and studying acting
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When they said, my manager said, I don't think she wants to do another musical because she's done
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And her big thing is gigs, rock and roll, writing music, recording, rhythm and blues
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But I said, well, let me go see it. And when I came, I was, as I said, I was charmed
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and I think this is, if you're going to see a musical
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this is the one that you will leave feeling uplifted and like you want to come back again
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Do you know, I'm stunned really that you said you act in lessons because I mean, I've loved you for years as you know
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and I mean, comedy, Adrienne Moe, brilliant. You know, you can do so many things
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Was it like a refresher thing for you to think? Because when you're a rock star, as it were
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I saw you here performing, is it like, I now need to go back into that body to find the actress in me
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You know, that sort of thing. You really do. I think that's a very good way of putting it. I had never had training. I've never had, I've never trained to be an actress
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And so I don't really think of myself as an actress. But now I'm kind of getting a little bit more of a feel for it
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Of course, any proper actress out there will go, who does she think she is
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But you know what I mean? I have a, I like the idea of it
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And I was asked a couple of years ago to read for two different series
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Just the night before, they said, would I come in in the morning? And I thought, well, I don't know how to prepare for this
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But I thought, oh, who cares, I'll go in. Of course, I didn't get the parts. And thank God it was, my music is my thing
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So I wasn't absolutely heartbroken. But I thought, you know, fail to prepare, prepare to fail
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I should do some work and learn how to read as a as a for a part I should maybe study so I could
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you know I been studying yoga and meditation I been studying the Vedas Kashmir Shaivism Patanjali Yoga Sutras Since 1984 I have studied you know read every self book there is
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I've kind of educated myself, you know, because I came out of school very early
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And so learning to act is a skill that you really, you know, it's us
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and I've worked with a great teacher. So that included with the time at this right now
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I saw, I was charmed, I thought Dorothy brought challenge. I love a challenge as you just said
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Yeah, I think you're, yeah. Now you see, I have to remember, I think the last time, dare I say
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it's a few years back that we met when you were in a musical and I loved it was the mystery of Edwin Drute
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which was at the Savoy I think. Yes. But pre-Mint before they did it open, you know what I mean
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Yes, yes, I played Princess Puffa. Yeah, it was pretty, I loved it though, honestly
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Yeah, it didn't last here. I mean, I think for me, it was kind of simply
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we know a lot about girls getting dressed up as men. And this was another girl dressing up as a man
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and it was kind of half, I don't know, anyway, it didn't quite work
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but it was also a great challenge. But after that, I thought, well, I've done it. I don't really need to do it again
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But you know what the lesson here is? Never say never. And you were with one of my friends, because I thought you two worked so well together
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the lovely Ernie Wise, who was kind of just after Eric, wasn't he
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So was that a big thing to work with him, because I know you've been on their show. No, I'd worked with him many times
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You just sort of like... The thing, the challenging thing was to play Princess Puffer
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But the show wasn't much of a success, but of course playing Adelaide in the National
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Theatre's production of Guys and Dolls and working with Richard Eyre was..
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That was really an amazing experience because he is a brilliant director and the show, like
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this one, is absolutely foolproof. You know, it is, if you can talk about musicals, it's one of the greats
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And Miss Adelaide, because they talk like that all the time, had to say, Nathan
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Well, Dorothy is not like that. Dorothy is much more, don't say a word
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Do you like being bad Lula on stage? Because she is pretty, we won't give too much of it
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she's pretty evil when she first comes on isn't she? She's a diva darling
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Yeah I love it. How do you, because you're a lovely girl but how do you, do you have to go
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Oh darling I've got all those facets in me. But who hasn't
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In the dressing room do you think right, think Dorothy now, you know going to this because when
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you hit it. I walk in there there's all these pictures of 30s divas, Gloria Swanson, Yeah
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Bette Davis. And I, yeah, you have to get into the mode, have to think completely differently to doing
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my own gigs. Yeah. Yeah. And I like, I love discipline. I actually feel kind of free when I'm in a very disciplined situation
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And I like structure in my life. I love a challenge. I think if you do the work where people leave the theater after having, you know, every
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life is difficult, people leave a theater or an arena, stadium, and they're like, oh
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I feel much better. I think job well done. And that's what this does
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That's what I get from my gigs. That's what I require from myself and my band
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And that's what they require from this show. and the dancing, the tap dancing, the costumes, the sets in this
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I mean, it's huge. There isn't a bigger show in town. It was the biggest chorus line, the biggest orchestra, isn't it
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When you are, I mean, I know, you know, people say, oh, no, you're a group
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but people are coming because you've got so many fans, so many diehard fans. Of course, anything you do, they come to
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So when you're there and you're going on like tonight, do you, you were nervous before before
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Are you are you quite well versed now at this, shall we say, teenage years
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I think when I first started I felt like the new girl in school
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And 30 years is a long time not to be in a company like this
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And it's very structured. The whole show moves like a fast train
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And if you don't keep up, you're left behind. And that's not a good place to be
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I want to be authentic. So I am very conscientious. And I think at the beginning I was nervous
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I couldn't really sing properly because I was nervous. You know, with everybody
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People would be shocked to find that about you though. Yeah. Because, you know, I know that you are... Until I got a feel for it, to fit it
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Because you're not Lulu the singer. You are now Lulu the character singer
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I'm a, you know, I'm Dorothy Brock. I'm not Lulu. Of course from the studies that you know the small studying that I done the limited studying that I done and continue to do when you act I believe a part of it and this is how I look at it is that I playing this character
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but in finding the truth of the character, I also have to bring something of myself
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and that's maybe something that's similar in this woman. and then the things that are not similar
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I have to understand them and be able to play them truthfully
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It's quite a challenge, quite a challenge to be authentic and to be in integrity
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I have to ask because, as you know, I love your music. You've written many great songs that I adore
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One of my all-time favourites is I Could Never Miss You More Than I Do
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Loving you like this so I can never miss you. It's such a lovely song. I can never miss you more than I do
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Oh, God, Albert. More than I do, baby. Oh, my God. That's one of my favorites
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But I'm amazed that nobody's remixed that and grabbed it because it's such a modern, you know
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I don't mean to do it, but it's a modern song. We all relate to the lyrics. It's everything you want, isn't it, in a song
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When you're recording things yourself, apart from the ones you write yourself
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and there's somebody who presents you with a song, do you know instantly whether you think this is a hit
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or this is, I like it, I just like it. Do you know what I mean? That's got a lot to do with it. You've got to like it yourself
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And I mean, if you've been around as long as I have, you sometimes have a little feel for what might be appealing to other people
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But what is going to be hitting the charts, it's always been a gamble
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Always. Is that how you see it? But I have songs that haven't been hits
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I go into, there can be a thousand, two thousand people in the theater and they all know the song
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And they can sing along and I can do it the same night, the next night, the next night, the next night
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The song you just mentioned was a huge hit in America, but it didn't mean anything here
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This is where I heard it, you see, and I thought, wow, you know, such a brilliant tune, and it's always been one of my all-time favourites
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but I know what you mean. When you go to your shows, the energy that you've got, though
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I mean, I have to talk about your energy on stage. Is that adrenaline pumping
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Because when you come off, you must be shattered. I mean, it's a lot of energy
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I wear myself out. Yeah, yes. So tell me, as you say, we're now starring in 42nd Street
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you've got this gorgeous Tom Lister next year. Oh, Tom is absolutely brilliant
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Beautiful. He's brilliant playing Julian. Hateful. I hate him. That must be harder because he's a lovely boy
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I'm supposed to hate him. Yeah, I was going to say. No, he's just, he's just, he's, what is the word to describe Tom
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Well, it's a little bit of battle of the wills. I'm the boss
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He thinks he's the boss. I think I'm the boss. I want him to know I'm the star of this show, Mr. Marsh
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And he thinks he's the big cheese. So it's a battle of wills between Tom and I
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I love the way you talk about as well the period that it's set. Because in a funny sort of way, we won't get political, but with Brexit and all the uncertainty
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The period that this show's set is all uncertainty. All these kids are desperate for this job in the chorus line
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They just need a job, like we all do in showbiz, don't we
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Is that, do you think, what resonates, I think, with some of the people today? We're in uncertain times, aren't we
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I think, yes, you can relate to a lot of things. We can all relate to a lot
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The love interest, the desperation to get a job, to feed your kids
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to have a place to live, to make a wage. That's always been, but in the 30s, it was desperate
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I'm fighting for my life, and everybody in this show is fighting for their life
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So it's pretty serious. You go out feeling great, but really and truly, there's a very serious line runs through this
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I mean, I totally adore it, as you know, but I want to ask as well, is there any, because you say, as we all know, you've had a long career
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You started very young, sweetie, but you've had a long career. But is there any sort of role that you still think, you know, why I'd still, you know, because people, I think particularly more in England, pigeonhole you in a character
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Whereas in America, you can be, you are a businesswoman, but you know, in America it would have been easier to become a businesswoman, actress, singer, dancer or whatever
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Is this something where you think, you know what, I still, I wouldn't mind, you know
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If I had to choose an acting part? Yeah. I think almost there's all any Tennessee Williams female characters are
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What's appealing about that though? What does that, what do you like? tremendous depth, the fact that they've lived a life where they express themselves, very
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deeply vulnerable very vulnerable I don like to be vulnerable I don like it I like to be in control I know it insanity because nobody in control I don always like to show that I vulnerable
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but of course the older I get, I realize that I am very often vulnerable
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and I think Tennessee Williams, just the writing, just saying those lines, oh my God
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And you've liked him for years, I presume? Yeah. But there's many, I don't even, I think there's a couple of others, but you know, let's see, I mean, a modern thing would be good
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I mean, you're great in comedy, but you know, I mean, and I love the way you sort of debate yourself in things
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You're so cruel to yourself, but that's what comedy is about. I'm very tough on myself. Yeah, but you've got to just strip away and laugh at yourself, you know, your own humour
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That's so important. Yeah. I think in life it's very important to laugh at yourself
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Very important to laugh at yourself. And musically, you know, I know you had a new album out recently
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And as I say, I saw you on the tour. You never seem to stop. Because you've got your skincare range, which is doing incredibly well for you, I know
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But do you sit down and how does Lulu plan her time
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Because you never seem to be not doing something. I turn on QVC and you're there at midnight
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How does she do this? Looking good, I might add, you know. I'm crazy
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I think I'm still waiting to be discovered, really. I think that's my problem
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I still don't think I've been discovered. And I think also with the acting thing and being on stage
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I love accents. You asked about Tennessee Williams. I love to talk with a certain accent
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I would love to play one of those parts where I talk like that
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But I also, I mean, I love all accents. I love all accents
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And are you able to pick, because clearly you can do that well, but can you pick them
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up if you're with someone for long enough, you start to talk like well. Absolutely. I often mimic people and they think I'm sending them up, but I'm really just
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in my head thinking, can I do that accent? That's a nice, I like that accent. South African
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the South African, I don't have that yet. I've got to get that. But you're trying
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Birmingham, I can do. We will offend everybody. Should you kick out
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Finally, let me ask you. So what's the discipline of, you know, when you're in this show
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you've got to be strict because, you know, everybody's relying on everybody to turn up every night
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You've got to look after that voice because you can't afford to get a cold. You can't afford to get tired
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And, of course, I had a cough for the first three weeks of rehearsals. Yeah. Is that a living fear for a singer, though
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Sometimes it's stress brings those things on. But if you're in a big company, somebody's got it
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you're going to get it. Yeah, yeah. It's like kids when they go to school. Somebody in the closet's got a cold, they're gonna get cold
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So what do you do to look after yourself on a big run like this? I try to be quiet. I meditate. I find still time
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And I, as I say, I try not to talk. I don't get on the phone until about 11 or 12. Yeah
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I don't speak on the phone. That's the worst thing for the voice
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And I just don't chat relentlessly like I'm doing now. I'm doing a favour for David
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I said, I don't want to do all that. I don't want to do all that. You have to. It's part of the job
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Part of the job. And people want to see you and then they will come and see you in this. It's great, isn't it? I think it's pretty packed
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I think it's hard to get tickets for the show. Which is what you want. Yeah. I mean, that's what you want, isn't it? Yeah
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But, you know, it helps when you put you outside. Yeah. That's what happens. I think the show does pretty well without me
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I don't think I'm the big deal. Trust me. When I told people you were in the show, people, oh, oh, you know, so you know that people are in the show
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Although I have had people, I've had guys come from Chicago, they say, oh my God, Lulu, we just couldn't believe it
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We've never seen the show, but we heard you were in it, so we just had to fly over
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Doesn't that make you more nervous, though? Oh, that's so nice. Yeah, but don't you think that was nervous
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Because they've flown all the way from school, you know, oh, I better be good tonight. I've been on already. I've been on, thank God
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They said it was okay. Well, Lulu, it's lovely to see you as ever
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Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you
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