From soap star to stage starlet
The piano is hot and Emma Barton is ready for the real razzle dazzle of Chicago, writes Colene McKessick
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FROM the streets of Walford and the infamous “caff”, to the glamorous surroundings of 1920s America, and its murdering, cheating starlets – Emma Barton couldn’t have made a bigger transition.
Currently treading the boards in Chicago, which opens in Aberdeen next week, Emma is a million miles away from her sweet-natured character Honey in EastEnders, as she dons her lacy black minidress as Roxie Hart.
“It’s very different, it’s difficult to imagine two more different characters,” said Emma.
“Thankfully, I have had excellent feedback, which is fantastic. It’s good for me to be doing something completely different. I’ve had people come up to me and say ‘I didn’t realise it was you up there’, but that’s probably because I had a baby bump for the majority of the time I was in EastEnders.”
Though people may be shocked to see Emma in the role of Roxie, an adultress who is jailed for murdering her lover, and who dreams of being a stage star, she has been singing and dancing for as long as she can remember.
“I trained in musical theatre and I absolutely loved it, but I wanted to do some TV too,” said Emma.
“So when EastEnders came along it was the perfect opportunity. I’m lucky as I’ve really had the best of both worlds.
“I was at drama school when Chicago was launched in the West End and the buzz was immense. We were all singing Roxie songs and I remember thinking it was the one part I wanted more than anything. I’m so lucky to finally be doing this. I love every minute of it.”
The transition from long days in a studio filming EastEnders, to hours in dance studios has been a welcome one for Emma.
“It was easier than I thought it would be,” she said.
“We had three weeks of rehearsals before hitting the road, and I thought ‘wow, this is tough’. I found muscles I didn’t know I had. From not doing any dancing for years it feels good getting back into it. It’s certainly more fun than going to the gym.
“It is exhausting, but in a different way from filming. In TV you get tired of filming the same scenes over and over, and it’s draining filming emotional scenes.
“This is physically tiring, doing eight shows a week tests you. I love singing too, my mother was a singer and I used to sing a lot when I was younger, but I have to be very disciplined now. I can’t talk too much during the day, I have to drink plenty and get lots of sleep. You really have to look after yourself.”
Taking to the stage in the role she always longed for is a dream come true for Emma. Chicago is one of the longest-running musicals, and thanks to the film version starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renee Zellweger, a whole new generation has been introduced to the stage spectacle.
“I think people can recognise issues from today in Chicago, especially the idea of people being willing to do anything to be famous,” said Emma.
“It’s a timeless piece and so many of the themes are relevant today. The music and the choreography are out of this world, there’s nothing else like it. Roxie is fab to play because she’s feisty and snappy, yet quite vulnerable too. She’s naughty which I love because it’s so different to anything else I’ve played.
“I absolutely love doing We Both Reached For the Gun, it looks so amazing on stage, and I think that’s the point that really captures the audience.
“Although everyone is dressed in black, it’s one of the most vibrant shows you’ll see. Gary Wilmot is fantastic as Billy Flynn, and I think people do get a surprise when they see the two of us up on stage, and I like that element of it.
“When I took the role I felt pressured to do well,” she said.
“Because my name is out there because of EastEnders, I felt that I had to prove myself and impress people. It was quite daunting, but now that I’m six months into it I’m loving it, and remembering why I became an actress – because I love live theatre, and there is no better live theatre show than Chicago.”
Chicago opens at HM Theatre on Monday, November 16, and runs until Saturday, November 21. For tickets or more information call 01224 641122 or visit www.boxofficeaberdeen.com
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