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Sabrina Aloueche Q&A - The Answers
Recently I announced that Sabrina Aloueche had very kindly agreed to answer some questions posed by members on WWRY-London's message forum. Well, the questions have been asked and the answers are back! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sabrina for agreeing to answer the questions - long may she continue to rock! A list of the questions asked is below:
- How do you find the energy to produce such stunning performances each time?
- How does it feel to have fans?
- How do you do your hair and makeup?
- How did you find the changeover from Eponine to Scaramouche?
- What's the scariest/funniest thing thats happened to you on stage whilst doing the show?
- How do you manage to cope with the pressure of playing Scaramouche after Hannah Jane Fox and Jenna Lee James set the standard so high?
- What runs through your mind when you're just about to go on-stage?
- What is it like when the audience is rather quiet and they take a while to catch on with some of the gags in the script?
- Is there any part of the show that makes her nervous or she worries about?
- How old were you when you made your professional debut and what was your first professional engagement?
- What is your favourite part of the show?
- What is it like performing songs, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You, that are known throughout the world?
- If there was one stage show, film or TV show she could perform in, what would it be?
- Scaramouche is one of my dream roles to play. Do you have any ideas about how to play the character for me?
- After We Will Rock You, what role would you most like to play on the West End?
How do you find the energy to produce such stunning performances each time?
With the help of the entire theatre! The entire company are responsible for boosting eachothers energy levels every night. From the moment Radio Ga Ga starts playing and the gaga kids start moving forward on the platform you can here their cheering back stage before their mikes are even turned on! Moments like this continue throughout the show!
It's such a buzz to hear the excitement that goes on without fail every single night. Working alongside my fellow cast members, it is hard not to begin to rely on them to boost you up when you're feeling run down, they're all so much fun to be around! As a company we all gel so well on and off stage and it really does make coming into "work" something to look forward to all day! Having Ricardo Afonso as a partner helps - we bounce of each other so well!
The audience play a huge hand in it also - every night we have a different crowd to perform to - about 2000 different personalities that we meet each time- always makes for a totally raw performance!
How does it feel to have fans?
I always assume they are fans of the show and not me personally...! But it is nice to hear such positive responses to my work. Scaramouche is a hard nut to crack, and following in the footsteps of Hannah Jane Fox and Jenna Lee James was never going to be easy! What they both achieved with the role was incredible. Every one has been really welcoming though and it's always a pleasure to meet fans of Rock You!
How do you do your hair and makeup?
At about 7pm I head up to wigs to have my scary bush attached to the old nugget! It takes about 5 minutes! After that I head back down to my dressing room, stick my music on full whack (sorry to Lain who's dressing room is right next door to me!) and start applying my makeup!
I always listen to the same songs, in the same order - a little tradition of mine (OCD alert ...), and I need about 15 minutes till I have the completed look! Scara's makeup is quite simple. I have basic face base, black eyeliner, purple eye shadow, and purple blush!
I have been told on numerous occasions to keep the glitter to a minimum, but sometimes accidents happen, and I end up looking like I've sneezed into a pot of glitter two minutes before going on stage.
How did you find the changeover from Eponine to Scaramouche?
Hard! They are two extremely different parts, yet I share similar characteristics to both funnily enough! As an actor you tend to find similarities between yourself and the parts you play.
The most challenging thing for me was within the script learning. I remember reading through the script the first day I got it and thinking "How the hell ..... ?"! there was so much to learn! And I hadn't even looked at the songs at that point! (although to be honest, being a fan of the show, i knew the songs two years before I got the job!)
There is virtually no script in Les Miserables - it is all score work, the entire story is told through music. Eponine and Scaramouche have one thing in commmon. They both have the passion to fight for what they believe in. That is where the similarities end!
What's the scariest/funniest thing thats happened to you on stage whilst doing the show?
Well, I'd like to say my scariest experience was opening night - but I don't remember any of that - I was so nervous I think I must have gone into a state of shock. Line Freezing has to be right up there on both lists however! it's so funny when it happens to others around you, yet when it happens to you... not so much! Performing The Show Must Go On for the anniversary show was very scary! Such a huge experience.
During my time in Les Miserables I seemed to be a magnet for all things that could go wrong on stage, from falling out of various cubby holes, to almost diving head first into the orchestra pit at the curtain call, another example would be having a battery operated fan wedge itself into my wig backstage during the finale, so when Eponine comes to take Valjean up to heaven, she had a brightly lit neon pink fan whizzing around her head.. so far however in Rock You things have been a little clear sailing- touch wood.
How do you manage to cope with the pressure of playing Scaramouche after Hannah Jane Fox and Jenna Lee James set the standard so high?
I have brilliant directors. What they say is gold to me! The vision they have for Sacramouche is exact - they knew exactly what they wanted. It wasn't going to be a carbon copy of the previous Scaramouche because that was personal to that actress.
Every person who plays that role, including covers, have their own version of it - their own take on the character - and even though we all have the same charactistics to work on for Scara, we also have our own personalities that breathe life into the part, making it our own.
What runs through your mind when you're just about to go on-stage?
About a million different things! Every night I pace before going on! I'm a pacer! Just before my entrance for Break Free, I'll be pacing backstage back and fourth, I must look ridiculous but it's all I can do to stop running on stage early! I always try and to stay in focus and concentrate on the first scene I'm about to do! I suffer from nerves everytime, but the moment the song starts I'm fine!
What is it like when the audience is rather quiet and they take a while to catch on with some of the gags in the script?
Obviously being in a show like this one, the audience do play a HUGE part in the energy of it. That doesn't mean to say we give any less or any more depending on the audience reaction - we bring the same consistent energy onto stage every night come what may! You can't hear a smile as one of our cast members once said, and by the end of the show it is obvious that however quiet they are, they loved it!
Is there any part of the show that makes you nervous or you worry about?
Who Wants To Live Forever for me is the hardest song, the scene is so draining as it is so emotional to perform. I don't think i work up as much of a sweat in any other song/scene! For this reason it is the hardest for me as I want to do it justice every night. It's my favourite Queen song too!
How old were you when you made your professional debut and what was your first professional engagement?
I was 8! Young Cosette in Les Miserables, don't remember too much of my time there but I do remember thinking that I'd never be able to do anything else other than that with my life after my first opening night!
What is your favourite part of the show?
I do love Crazy Little Thing Called Love purely because we have nearly the whole company on stage, all of us doing our own thing, all of us having our small ad-libbing and interactions with each other, it is a 4-minute party on stage and I love the energy it brings!
What is it like performing songs, such as Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You, that are known throughout the world?
Performing We Will Rock You is always such a buzz for me, as it's the first time in the show I get to stand right at the front of the stage and check all of you guys out! I love it! We're singing it out to you, and the whole audience are singing it back! It's such an awesome feeling!
Performing Bohemian Rhapsody fills me with pride everytime too - I sometimes wish I could watch it from the audience as the different harmonies and the light displys that go on is simply staggering. I remember our first rehearsal of that song - it has gone down as the all time favourite rehearsal day for many of us in the cast!
If there was one stage show, film or TV show she could perform in, what would it be?
I have many stage shows I would love to be in! Rent is a favourite of mine, as is Wicked, Miss Saigon, Blood Brothers, Chicago ... If ever a stage version of Labyrinth came to town I'd be on the phone to my agent quite sharpish!
Scaramouche is one of my dream roles to play. Do you have any ideas about how to play the character for me?
Be ballsy, she's not afraid to stand up for herself. Scaramouche prides herself on being different, of not conforming to the gaga way of doing things! If it makes her unhappy and unpopular that's OK, being happy is not as important as being an individual and having your own identity! She suffers for her art you might say!
Don't be scared to use all that attitude, we all have it in us! She uses a lot of her sarcasm as a way of hiding the fact that she isn't happy with herself. She's different but she's also lonely, and meeting Galileo for her is a breakthrough because even though he's a bit of an eccentric head-case - he too is different and she has someone to talk to and a as a result she becomes stronger as a person, and happier with it!
After We Will Rock You, what role would you most like to play on the West End?
I'd never jinx myself by giving that one away! There are many roles I would love to play, I would also love to create a new role in an original company!
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