|
|
|
|
Following a passionWith the popular power of television
Carley Stenson is perhaps best known for her time playing Steph
Cunningham in Hollyoaks but that is only part of her story. Since departing she has
built up an impressive collection of lead West End roles including
Princess Fiona in Shrek: The Musical,
Elle Woods in Legally Blonde: The
Musical and The Lady of The Lake in
Spamalot. Now in her first touring role she plays Christine
Colgate, The American Soap Queen, the mark Freddy and Lawrence are
hoping to swindle out of $50,000. “She enjoys it though I think. She
gets the pleasure of hanging out with these two fine men. It’s good fun.
Spamalot to this . . . it’s not too dissimilar, very tongue in cheek.” Lancastrian Stenson hails from the wonderfully
named Billinge Higher End on the border between St Helens and Wigan and
has been performing
“I was always into musical theatre, I trained in ballet and all that jazz since the age of three, and I started auditioning for television roles in and around college and I got Hollyoaks. "I did that for 10 years, but my passion for
musical theatre was still there and I wanted to get back into it. “I was singing with my girls (Emma Lori Thomas,
Emma Schofield and Catherine Rouse ) as well, we formed a group called
Diamond and toured and we did anything the corporate companies wanted –
‘we want the Andrew Sisters, we want Diana Ross, we want this or that’
and we went round the country singing whatever they wanted and then I
left Holloaks and got Legally Blonde.”
Stenson has made TV appearances since but her
passion has always been musical theatre. “I you could have television
programme like Nashville, a British Nashville that would be my dream, to
incorporate the three of them the singing, the dancing and TV with a bit
of diversity.”
She sees herself as fortunate with the roles she
has done but has big ambition. “I would love to create a role, to be the
first person to be cast in a role, to have a new show coming out and to
have that freedom to really play with it and find it and create it. “I have always been interested in the story and
the character and it doesn’t matter what format. I did the Edinburgh
Fringe two years ago and I didn’t mind it was in just a little hall that
seated a hundred people because the script was good and the character
was good and it appealed to me. “So even if it was a play in a little hall in
Scunthorpe, if the show was right and I really enjoyed the character
then I would go wherever. I would not matter if it was a radio show, or
TV show, or a musical or a play; as long as I enjoyed the character I
wouldn’t mind. “At the end of the day when I am doing a show I
just want to impress my parents, my little nieces and nephews and my
boyfriend and if I can impress them then then I am happy, and the bonus
is you get people you don’t know as well. “I always think would my niece like this show, or would my mum be proud of me in this and as long as I get the buzz off that and I tick those boxes then the rest is a bonus. Just go where the good script is and I have been lucky enough to do that. "And I love this opportunity to see the UK.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels starring Michael
Praed, Noel Sullivan, Carley Stenson and Mark Benton runs at the New
Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham from Tuesday 5 may to Saturday 16 May
before embarking on a national tour Tour Details - http://www.scoundrelsontour.com/
Noel Sullivan - from Arias to Alex Mark Benton - living the dream |
since
she was about three.