Interview with Victoria Elliott, This Is My Family
Conducted by Emmie for Theatre and Tonic
From 23 May to 12 July, This Is My Family makes its long-awaited London debut at Southwark Playhouse Elephant. Celebrated for championing new British musicals, the venue sets the stage for this heartwarming and sharply funny production, which first premiered in Sheffield in 2013. Today, we're joined by Victoria Elliott to delve into the show, its journey to London, and what audiences can expect.
Can you tell us about the character you play in My Family and what drew you to the role?
I play Sian – the mad aunty of the family. Tim (Firth) describes Sian as chaotic, irrepressible and voluble (I had to google voluble, it means she talks a lot!). Let’s just say it’s very well cast! I feel so much connection with Sian. She is almost 40, and her life doesn’t look like she thought it would. She’s searching for something to give her life meaning – a new man, a course in psychology, a motorbike. But she’s so funny and brilliant. I wish I’d had an aunty like Sian!
How did you prepare for your role, and were there any particular challenges in embodying this character?
Genuinely the preparation for the role has all been based on the text. Tim writes characters so brilliantly that you can just use the script as a set of instructions. It’s been fun bonding with the cast and creating a family vibe, particularly Gemma Whelan who plays Yvonne, Sian’s older sister. We’ve had so much fun in rehearsals.
For our readers who don’t know a lot about this production, can you share what This Is My Family is about?
It’s a Musical Comedy by Tim Firth about a family on the precipice of change. 13-year-old Nicky (played by the fantastic Nancy Allsop) wins a competition to take her family on holiday – she can go anywhere in the world, and she chooses to go back to the British camp site where her parents first met in an attempt to bring the family back together at a time where they seem to be growing apart.
Tim Firth is known for his heartfelt and humorous writing—what do you think makes his work, especially This Is My Family, resonate with audiences?
Because his work is about ordinary people. He’s such a scrupulous observer - he really gets people in such incisive detail, but always the characters are written with such love and care. I think he’s an optimist – all of his characters are flawed, but essentially good people trying their best. We love to see it because we hope we are it. The idea of a family is universal – whether you’re from a conventional family unit or not, there is something to connect with in this show.
How would you describe the music in the show and do you have any particular favourites?
The songs are so great – unusually for a musical, there are no big choral numbers with harmonies etc – the songs are sung through which somehow makes them feel more connected to the characters. The singing seems to come out of the truth rather than…’and now for a big number’. I find it very moving. My favourite song that I sing is called ‘Sex’. It’s basically a conversation between the two sisters about how sex changes in a relationship over time. It’s so fun to sing!
Are there any scenes in this production which are particularly emotional or challenging, and how are you approaching it?
There’s a particularly emotional scene, which I’m actually not in. It’s a scene between the four core family members Yvonne (Gemma Whelan), Steve (Mike Jibson) and their two kids, Nicky (Nancy Allsop) and Matt (Luke Lambert). It’s quite a simple scene where they’re reminiscing about when Yvonne and Steve first met, but there is so much emotional complexity and tenderness in it – there’s this beautiful shadow of how you think life will turn out compared to how it does turn out, and how to bridge the gap between those things with love and acceptance. I literally SOBBED the first time I saw it I rehearsals – the performances are so gorgeous.
What kind of conversations do you hope this production will spark amongst audiences once they’ve seen this?
I just hope people go away knowing that Musical Theatre can be relevant and hugely entertaining in a very real, very human and (most importantly) funny way. The story is quite a ‘small’ story really – a family go on holiday - but all life is in there: ageing, disappointment, love, family, relationships – how to derive extraordinary meaning from an ‘ordinary’ life.
What has been your favourite part of working on This Is My Family so far?
Genuinely just going to work and getting to sing songs and play every day with such an excellent group of people. I don’t take for granted what a privilege it is to be in work right now.
Finally, why should people be encouraged to book tickets to see the London premiere of This Is My Family?
Most of all, audiences can expect a really good night out. The cast are wonderful, the music is fantastic, the show is funny and heartwarming. It is the perfect antidote to the world right now!
This Is My Family plays at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 23 May - 12 July 2025.
