{"id":139644,"date":"2018-06-11T16:09:33","date_gmt":"2018-06-11T16:09:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/english\/i-blagged-it-how-a-west-end-understudy-saved-mamma-mia\/"},"modified":"2018-06-11T16:09:33","modified_gmt":"2018-06-11T16:09:33","slug":"i-blagged-it-how-a-west-end-understudy-saved-mamma-mia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/english\/i-blagged-it-how-a-west-end-understudy-saved-mamma-mia\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I blagged it!’ — how a West End understudy saved Mamma Mia!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"StephImage copyright Steph Parry <\/figure>\n

When Mamma Mia! found itself without a leading lady following a leg injury during the first scene last Thursday, it looked like the show would have to be cancelled.<\/p>\n

Especially because, wouldn't you know it, both understudies had fallen ill.<\/p>\n

But never fear - help was (literally) just around the corner. <\/p>\n

Mamma Mia's general manager had remembered that one of the show's previous stars - Steph Parry - was currently working as an understudy in 42nd Street, which was playing just down the road.<\/p>\n

He called Steph, to ask whether she could step in, and within just 18 minutes of Mamma Mia! being halted, she was on the stage playing Donna - the role made famous in the film of the same name by Meryl Streep.<\/p>\n

Image copyright Getty Images
Image caption Mamma Mia first opened in the West End in 1999 <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a stand-in for two of 42nd Street's leading roles, she was sitting in the dressing room at the Theatre Royal on Drury Lane when she got the call.<\/p>\n

The theatre is a hop and a skip from the Novello Theatre, the home of Mamma Mia!<\/p>\n

"The general manager told the audience: 'I'm really sorry, unfortunately Caroline has injured herself and is unable to carry on in the show and we have no understudy - however, we do have a lovely lady who will be carrying on for her shortly,'" Steph explains.<\/p>\n

When the understudies took charge<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Welsh actor Owain Arthur took over from James Corden as the gluttonous minder Francis Henshall in One Man: Two Guvnors in 2012<\/li>\n
  • David Tennant's stand-in Edward Bennett received a standing ovation when he stood in for him as Hamlet in 2008. As well as being the stand in, Bennett had been playing the role of Laertes<\/li>\n
  • Natasha J Barnes had to step into Sheridan Smith's shoes for several weeks in Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    "At the time, I didn't know [the audience announcement] was going to happen. It meant they were totally on my side and any nerves just went. They were willing me on."<\/p>\n

    But how on earth did she remember it all - the steps, the blocking (where to move) and the songs? (Although to be fair, we could probably all manage the latter - this is Abba we're talking about).<\/p>\n

    "Last time I played the role I was on a cruise ship and it was the US version of Mamma Mia - the blocking and choreography are different, even the script is slightly different," says Steph.<\/p>\n

    Image copyright Getty Images <\/figure>\n

    "I didn't have time to worry, I just needed a wee! I remember sitting on the loo thinking about the lines for the next scene. After that I had no need to think, I just had to trust that it was somewhere in the back of mind. It was worse, the more I thought about!"<\/p>\n

    She says the dancing was the biggest challenge.<\/p>\n

      \n
    • 6 shocks from the Mamma Mia 2 trailer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      "The choreography was the biggest wing in the whole of my life - I blagged it!" she says, adding: "The cast were great, I knew they were on my side."<\/p>\n

      And there were other challenges - she only knew one or two of the actors.<\/p>\n

      Image copyright Getty Images <\/figure>\n

      "Jacqueline Braun, who plays Rosie, I'd never met before. She came up to me just before I went on and said: 'I just have to say hello, we're about to play best friends of 20 years, nice to meet you!'"<\/p>\n

      So how has she managed to carve out a career as the go-to understudy?<\/p>\n

      "My whole career has been [like that] - on my second night in Wicked I had to go on as Madam Morrible. My costume wasn't ready and I didn't have a wig!<\/p>\n

      "Ten years ago I was in the Pyjama Game in the Union Theatre - the lead role Babe lost her voice on the afternoon of the opening night, they had asked me to understudy the role but not officially. <\/p>\n

      "So I had to go on with a script! The next day, the director said I had to learn my lines for that night because 'Time Out were in'."<\/p>\n

      And the jobs kept coming.<\/p>\n

      Skip Twitter post by @ThatStephParry <\/p>\n

      \n

      Oh wow!! You were there - what an AMAZING audience you were!! The support was insane! Thank you x https:\/\/t.co\/h0QQOJPZm2<\/p>\n

      \u2014 Steph Parry (@ThatStephParry) June 8, 2018<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

      Report <\/p>\n

      End of Twitter post by @ThatStephParry<\/p>\n

      "You get known as someone who is reliable. I'd love to be a leading role, that's where I'd like to be. But what's great is you do get the moment to save the day. Moments like that are so special."<\/p>\n

      And last week's performance was a particular career highlight.<\/p>\n

      "It was like nothing I've ever experienced in my life. At the end of Winner Takes It All, I felt like Celine Dion!"<\/p>\n

      But Steph says she is genuinely surprised by all the media attention.<\/p>\n

      "I didn't think it was anything special, I just did what I did. The publicity has blown me away." <\/p>\n

      Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Image copyright Steph Parry When Mamma Mia! found itself without a leading lady following a leg injury during the first scene last Thursday, it looked like the show would have<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":139645,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-139644","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139644","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139644"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139644\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139644"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139644"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/freeonlinetranslators.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139644"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}