Cinderella star Carrie Hope Fletcher has said Andrew Lloyd Webber was determined to stage his new show “come hell or high water”.
The production, which is being staged at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, opened last week with an audience capacity of 50% after the impresario rejected the Prime Minister’s offer for the show to be included in the live events pilot scheme.
The composer was part of a group which launched legal action seeking to force the Government to publish the Events Research Programme results in the hope it would pave the way for a full reopening of the entertainment industry.
Well, we are finally here, opening our doors to the public. A smaller audience than I had hoped for but an audience nonetheless. Thank you for everyone’s patience, and to anyone who had hoped to come tonight, Belleville can’t wait to welcome you very soon. – ALW@ALWCinderella pic.twitter.com/qeYBDpPZih
— Andrew Lloyd Webber (@OfficialALW) June 25, 2021
Written by Promising Young Woman director Emerald Fennell and starring Fletcher in the title role, the musical is described as a “complete reinvention” of the classic fairytale and is based on an original idea by Fennell.
Fletcher told Hello! magazine: “Andrew is humble and kind and full of fascinating stories.
“I couldn’t believe it when I went to his house and he stood there with a kettle asking if I’d like a cup of tea.
“Throughout the pandemic he’s said, ‘We’re getting this show on the road come hell or high water.’ Now we have.”
Fletcher said she appreciates that the show reverses the narrative that you have to change your appearance to be loved, adding: “I’ve grown a thick skin. My motto is you should never take criticism from people you would never go to for advice.
“When Cinderella tries to look different to make the prince love her, it doesn’t work. He loves her for who she is in the first place. That’s a wonderful message for young girls.”
Fletcher also recalled how she was bullied at school and her brother, McFly star Tom Fletcher, paid for her to attend a private college with a performing arts centre.
She said: “Tom was protective and wanted to get me into a happier environment.”
The full interview is in Hello!, out now.