INTERVIEW | Leanne Henlon, The Big Life

Set in London during the 1950s; Ferdy, Bernie, Dennis and Lennie arrive from the West Indies full of expectations and aspirations. The Big Life returns to the stage for the first time in 20 years after its Stratford East premiere and subsequest West End transfer. A joyful and uplifting production, where the story of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost meets that of the Windrush generation in a fun-packed Ska musical that’ll have you dancing in your seats. We caught up with Leanne Henlon who stars in the revival to find out more!

1. To begin with, can you tell us about your journey into the theatre industry?

My journey was quite an interesting one, definitely a God-driven one. I graduated from drama school during the pandemic so I was a 2020 babe and then I received the audition for seven methods of killing kylie jenner at the Royal Court and that was my first job out of drama school! It all happened in 2021 when theatres were opening back up and from there it just kept rolling so I did Jitney at Leeds Playhouse and then at The Old Vic Theatre. After that, we finally took seven methods [...] to New York after a Covid cancellation and last year I was in a show called Hot In Here at the Gate Theatre. So in my short career so far I’ve been very blessed to be a part of some amazing shows and all different types of roles that have stretched me in many different ways.

2. What gravitated you towards auditioning for this production when it was announced? How did you find out about its return?

I had a friend who was auditioning for The Big Life - when she told me about it I thought ‘Oh my goodness. It’s Windrush. I’m Jamaican. I definitely want to get in the room for this’. I’ve worked with Tinu before and I think she’s just an incredible director so I was really excited to be auditioning for something that she would be working on - her vision and the way she works in the room are so fantastic. I also have family who are a part of this history and I was really excited about the conversations that could be had. If I can get my nan to watch this I think she’ll absolutely adore it. I’ve also never done a musical before but this one made me think ‘If I’m going to do a musical, this is going to be it’. So really exciting!

3. For those that don’t know a lot about The Big Life, can you tell us a little bit about the musical?

The Big Life is a ska musical loosely based around Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost. It’s about a group of people coming to England, a part of the Windrush generation, trying to set up a new life and the trials and tribulations that come along with that and about them trying to find love in the midst of it all. So it’s a bit of a rom-com!

4. This is a revival production, are there many big changes that have been injected into it?

Come and see! If you’ve seen it before, expect to see something that is slightly different in terms of staging but still as amazing and truthful and beautiful and funny.

5. You play Mary, how does her character play importance to the storyline?

I don’t want to give too much away but I would say Mary is a diligent worker who’s been here for a while and has really settled into London life, while also facing the difficulties of supporting her family. She’s always yearned for love and when it comes her way, accepting her feelings and giving herself the opportunity to love and the joy and vulnerability that comes with that can be hard. For Mary that comes out in a way which seems like she’s pushing people away.

6. There’s a fantastic cast involved. Including the likes of Karl Queensborough, Juliet Agnes and Gabrielle Brooks - what has it been like working creatively with these people in the rehearsal room so far? What has the energy been like?

There is the most fantastic and incredible cast involved in this show and I feel so privileged to be a part of it. I feel like a beautiful space has been curated of support, love and joy and it feels pretty much like a family. I’m so grateful to be able to watch and learn from these individuals. As i mentioned this is my first musical so there’s been a lot of ‘Ah! Teach me about that! How does that work? What does this part of the process mean?’ which has just been ever so joyous and hopefully I’ll get to do more things like this again.

7. What can audiences expect from this musical that maybe they don’t get from what is already out there?

My instincts are to say, come and see! You’ll see what’s different. But it’s a ska musical so the type of music is already different. There’s something that’s kind of like slapstick about The Big Life which is completely different. And just the amount of infectious joy in this musical.

8. If you weren’t playing the role of Mary, which other character would you play and why?

I would love to play all the characters - and not even in a greedy way! Just that there’s so many fun aspects in each of them that I’d love to explore.

9. So far, which musical number is your favourite to work on in this show?

This is kind of a tricky one to answer. Probably Be Good To Yourself - just because I really enjoy singing it and I love the meaning behind it.

10. If people haven’t booked their tickets yet, why should people come and see The Big Life?

I would say if you haven’t booked your tickets yet, book them for all the reasons I said above and more! It’s going to be a great night. I feel like some of the best shows are helped by the atmosphere and the vibe that is curated around it, so all the exciting conversations you’ll have before and after the show. I also think the show is perfectly placed in Stratford East - the community around that and the people that will see it.

If you want a night of joy, laughter, and something that you can leave feeling like ‘Wow that was really refreshing!’ then I definitely think The Big Life is for you.

Catch Leanne Henlon in The Big Life at the Stratford East from 16 Feb until 30 March 2024.