All About Manchester

Stage queen

Stepping into the shoes of Eva Peron is a daunting task, but one that Louise Dearman is managing with flying colours in Bill Kenwright's new stage musical Evita. The fabulous leading lady talks to All About Manchester about playing one of the most fascinating women in history.

Evita opened to rave reviews and standing ovations at the Empire in Liverpool a few weeks ago. And your performance has been showered with superlatives by stage critics. How much work does it take to appear so effortlessly confident?

Oh, I don't know about "effortlessly confident". It's tough, especially when you're reviewed at every venue, because I care about what people think and what people say, not just as a person but also as a member of the cast of this show. So of course I get nervous − more so on opening nights, but every night I have a little bit of butterflies. It's a very demanding role so I have to take good care of myself to perform well. I can't go out partying or drinking. I usually get home early and watch a DVD in bed. I try to get as much rest as possible and eat healthily, so it takes quite a bit. It may look like you just walk in every day and do the show but it's not quite that simple.

Louise Dearmna, Eva Peron, All About Manchester

When Madonna played Eva Peron in the film version, she said she had to get vocal coaching. How difficult is it to hit the right notes in this musical compared to other shows you've starred in?

Before Evita, the most vocally demanding show I did was Jekyll and Hyde, which was very much a big power ballad show. This show is completely sung through; there's no dialogue so you don't get a break from singing. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber is a genius − the music is so stunning and it really does heighten every emotion in the show. But he also writes to a massive range so it's the toughest I've had to sing − it's using every single part of my voice, and it's very challenging to have to do that every night. I'm lucky; I've had very good vocal training so I know how to use my voice to its best without damaging it. Some people go for it in the wrong way and end up shouting, which could damage a vocal chord.

There are undoubtedly many actresses in musical theatre who would give their right arm to step into the shoes of Eva Peron on stage. Do you feel that this is a dream come true for you?

It's an incredible role. A massive role. It's very, very demanding vocally and emotionally but following in the footsteps of the likes of Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone and Madonna of course in the movie, I was absolutely chuffed to bits to get the part. As soon as I knew that it was coming out on tour I wanted to be in it. Luckily somebody from Bill Kenwright had been to see me in a show I was doing in London called Make Me A Song and they asked me to go on an audition the following day. It all happened very fast. I had two auditions with Bill Kenwright, got offered the role on a Saturday and started rehearsing the following Monday. There was no time to think but there was no way I was going to turn down a role like this. It is a dream role for any female actress and I'm having the time of my life playing it.

Eva Peron had an amazing rags-to-riches story. What do you think drove her to become the most powerful woman in Argentina?

Eva Peron was a phenomenal woman. She absolutely fascinates me. She had a lot of ambition and I think initially she was driven by her desire to be famous. She became a radio actress to start with and she seduced her way to the top. She dated the right people to get to the places where she wanted to be until she finally met Juan Peron at the charity concert for the massive earthquake that happened in Argentina. And that was when she got a taste of political power.

Opinion is split about whether she married Juan Peron because she genuinely wanted to change things or simply because she wanted power for herself. But she did something that no other woman like her had ever done before. She made it possible for women to vote, which until that time had been completely unheard of in Argentina. She became this iconic figure, the Argentineans' Princess Diana, and when she died there was a phenomenal reaction from the working class people.

She died in her 30s from cancer of the uterus so she didn't quite get to be where she wanted to be. She had all that power and yet in the end she became this weak, defeated figure. It's an incredibly emotional story and very, very moving. It doesn't matter how many times I watch the movie, at the end I'm gone. I defy anybody who watches the show to not be moved.

Is she easy to relate to now, more than five decades after her death and after all the changes that women have gone through since then? And are there still lessons to be learnt from her life?

I think so. In this day and age, with the tabloid press being what it is, people are too quick to pass judgment on certain women in power, just like Eva Peron was criticised. I don't believe that she did it all for fame and power. I think she was fame hungry initially but she threw her heart and soul into a good cause. And I think there are women out there who would like to do something to change situations but until they get to the point where they have a certain amount of power and public admiration they are not able to do it. If becoming famous is a means to that end, I think good on them. If they are doing something good you can't really put them down.

What's your favourite moment in the show?

I have loads of favourite moments. I love the balcony scene, where I sing 'Don't Cry for me Argentina'. And I won't lie, I'm a girl, it's because I'm in a massive frock on a balcony and it's kind of a princess moment. But then I love the scenes in the end with Mark Heenehan, who plays Peron − it's so easy to get completely swept up in the moment. And Seamus Cullen, who plays Che, is fantastic. Although we don't have a relationship as such during the show, we have a couple of moments and at the end we do a duet which sums up how we feel about each other and each other's social class.

We all expected you to be great in this show, given your impressive track record, but has anyone in the cast surprised you with their performance?

No, no surprises really. I think we have such a strong cast. Everyone is passionate about the show and puts their all into it. We have a guy called James Waud, who plays Magaldi, who has never acted professionally before − this is his first job out of college, and he got it in a local audition. He's been growing and growing and getting stronger and stronger. He's got all his friends and family who live up here in the theatre pretty much every night − you can tell that they're in because every time he sings there are screams from the audience. It makes for a great atmosphere.

The show opens in Manchester this month, and you've been here with touring shows like Guys and Dolls and Grease before. How do you find the local audience?

It's just brilliant. Manchester is one of my favourite cities. I'm not just saying that, I absolutely love it. It's a great city and we usually get a great response from the audience − they're not scared to make a noise and tend to really show that they enjoyed the show.

Is there anything in the pipeline for you after Evita?

I'm doing this until the end of November. The show then has four weeks off and continues next year. I don't think I'll be doing this next year; I'm just contracted for this half. Then I'd like to move on and get my teeth into something else. Nothing's been confirmed yet but I'm sure something will come up; it always does.

Evita is currently playing at the Opera House in Manchester until July 5. Tickets cost £8.50 − £32.00 and you can book by calling 0844 847 2295.

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Stage queen

Stepping into the shoes of Eva Peron is a daunting task, but one that Louise Dearman is managing with flying colours in Bill Kenwright's new stage musical Evita. The fabulous leading lady talks to All About Manchester about playing one of the most fascinating women in history.