The Metropolis

One Minute With Kira Morsley of Phantom

Gavin Mecaniques | Tuesday 28 May, 2013 12:41

Actress Kira Morsley gives Snipe the lowdown on the (other) Phantom in London.

What is Phantom? Phantom is a musical by Maury Yeston Arthur Kopit based on the French novel ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ by Gaston Leroux.

What would surprise someone coming to see this Phantom? Just how different it is from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version and how awesome the ensemble sounds in the intimate space!

Is musical theatre more challenging than normal drama? Musical theatre is not that different from ‘normal’ drama, in that we have the same acting challenges you would without the songs. That said, the music is technically difficult in places, so working it thoroughly first is important.

Has Andrew Lloyd Webber come to see it? No he hasn’t, but we’re still hoping! We’ve had a great variety of people come to see it, from curious locals to hard-core fans, which is great!

What’s your favourite song or lyric in the show? ‘You Are Music’, which I get to sing with our Phantom, Kieran Brown. It’s a tough sing, but sounds gorgeous!

What actors inspired you? Any actor that can affect you inspires me, but I do have a special place in my heart for Dame Judi Dench. If you’ve seen her heartbreaking performance of ‘Send in the Clowns’, you’ll know why.

How did you become actress? I was one of those kids who was forever putting on shows for my family, but I actually trained quite late. It took me five years to get into drama school – proof that persistence pays off!

The strangest acting job you’ve done? My strangest job was straight out of drama school, when I worked in Macau (China) for a year as a singing Venetian gondolier. It was a totally artificial world and completely bizarre!

What’s your average day? That’s so hard because there’s no average day! Mostly they consist of singing in the shower (it’s the best!), checking out what auditions/shows are coming up (Facebook and twitter are essential) prepping for auditions, teaching singing and working at my day job.

What shows can you recommend? Support Fringe theatre! There’s always some great shows around that won’t cost you a fortune! Right now, go see Avenue Q at the Gatehouse and The Next Thing You Know at the Landor, and of course, Phantom!

What do you love and hate most about London? I love the sense of history here – you just don’t get that in Australia. Also the sheer variety of people you encounter. I hate that everything’s so expensive, and call me a hypocrite, but tourists do my head in!

What’s next for Phantom? We’d really like to continue the journey, so if anyone out there wants to fund a transfer, let us know!

Phantom is running until 31 May at the Rose and Crown Theatre: click here for more info.

All images copyright Gavin Mecaniques

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