bonnie & clyde; an exclusive look in the rehearsal room
details
spill the mtea’s first media call invitation! in rehearsal with bonnie and clyde the musical.
1st ever UK & Ireland Tour
Adama Entertainment
original creatives
music by: Frank Wildhorn
lyrics by: Don Black
book by: Iran Menchell
for this production
this production is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston (Associate: Libby Watts), with set and costume design by Philip Witcomb, and musical supervision from Katy Richardson, with Nick Barstow as an associate (in musical supervision).
Original Arrangements and Orchestrations by John McDaniel and (additional) by Jen Green.
Lighting Design by Zoe Spurr, Sound Design by Tom Marshall and Video Design by Nina Dunn.
Wig Design by Darren Ware, Casting Direction by Jim Arnold CDG, Musical Direction by Issie Osborne and Consulting Musical Supervision by Mike Dixon.
cast in rehearsal
Catherine Tyldesley as Blanche Barrow
Alex James-Hatton as Clyde Barrow
Katie Tonkinson as Bonnie Parker
Sam Ferriday as Marvin ‘Buck’ Barrow
Jaz Ellington as The Preacher
plug-ins
You can find more information about the show, cast, creatives, as well as touring venues and dates here:
https://bonnieandclydemusical.com/
I had the pleasure of witnessing exclusive performances of some of the show’s biggest hits such as Dying Ain’t So Bad and You’re Goin’ Back To Jail which can be found in full here:
https://youtu.be/bsqNNFBnYVE & https://youtu.be/yMi7y6Mzp30
Additionally, head to the spill the mtea Instagram for more snippets of Bonnie & Clyde In Rehearsal before they hit the road! (including Raise A Little Hell and God’s Arms Are Always Open) here: https://www.instagram.com/spillthemteapodcast/
spilling the mtea with the cast
settle in for a stagey read as I dive into the insightful Q&A I had with the leading roles of Bonnie & Clyde’s UK Tour!
Jaz Ellington as The Preacher
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the rehearsal process? Have you discovered anything new or unexpected about your artistry throughout?
A: 100%, This is a completely different dance from getting the mic and singing on stage with your band, it’s completely different. It is a mind-fry! It has definitely stretched and challenged me and shown me that ‘Jaz you can do stuff like that!’. In rehearsal, it has been very cool to immerse myself in a new lane and just be able to coordinate with everybody.
Q: I am fascinated about your transition from jazz and soul into the musical theatre world. What similarities have you found between the two?
A: In terms of singing, you are doing something completely different. In this instance, it is fortunate that I feel like I am playing myself because I grew up in church. For me to sing these songs, it almost feels like I have sung these songs before. I am blessed to be in that kind of position that I can just walk into it.
Q: If you met your character in real life, considering Bonnie and Clyde is a real story that has certainly been glamorised and commercialised, is there something that you’d like to say to them?
A: It’s a little different because I go to church I am always around the Preacher. And so, the way that we would interact would be talking about issues and things that are going on and he would just be so encouraging. If I were to say ‘I’m playing you!’, I would ask him ‘When you are going through things, what do you say to yourself’? When it starts raining on your head, what do you do for yourself when it’s really painful? What does that look like?
2. Sam Ferriday as Marvin ‘Buck’ Barrow
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the rehearsal process? Have you discovered anything new or unexpected about your artistry throughout?
A: Every rehearsal process is very different but I think with this one, it’s the bond of the company.It might sound a bit cliché but I genuinely think there is a really lovely energy in the room. Hardworking and everyone just wants to tell the best story they possibly can. I feel like everyone is so talented and is a blessing. The show is quite dark, gritty, thrilling and that requires a lot of emotion, passion and stepping up to that.
Q: Do you have a favourite song?
A: I would probably say ‘When I Drive’! It’s such a fun song, there’s a lot of drama and it can be quite dark at times but there are also lighter, joyful moments within it. I also love when I sing ‘You’re Goin’ Back To Jail’ it’s a lighter, funnier moment for the audience to take a breather.
Q: You played Ted in a previous production of the show and of course, there’s so many differences as well as similarities to Buck; But I was particularly interested to know how has the dynamic towards Clyde changed. Ted shows a lot of angst towards Clyde, in contrast to Buck being his brother.
A: I don’t know if that answers your question but what is really interesting is when you’ve got for example twin brothers and there’s sibling rivalry. Like when one may do better than the other but the one that is a bit more silent is actually better at something than the other. And it’s not necessarily jealousy but it’s just this consistent rivalry that goes through. I think there were little moments of that which I could tap into for Buck on Clyde. He completely loves Clyde and is always at crossroads between Blanche; straight and narrow, religious life, at home, or the thrill on the road with his brother. But there are similarities there because Ted as well, it’s like Clyde is kind of the guy he wants to be. He is very aware that Bonnie likes this guy and Ted looks at Clyde and probably wishes he could have a bit of his spark, a bit of that energy. What is it about that guy? Why are you picking him and not me? You can do better than him, you could go for the good guy but you go for him…
3. Katie Tonkinson as Bonnie Parker
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the rehearsal process? Have you discovered anything new or unexpected about your artistry throughout?
A: I think, I may have surprised myself with the stamina of the show. The ability to keep the story growing! I have quite often done shows where I am on for a little bit and then you leave etc. Whereas when you are on for the whole show and see the progression of her journey, it is really nice to think I am building more of my character as the show goes on. It’s a good challenge for me but I’ve really loved it. And if you go off for a little bit and then come on, you really have to think about how much time has actually passed in the show, where are we, what’s our relationship now? Is this a year later or a week later?
Q: I have thought about this for Bonnie since the first time I saw the show; Why do you think, personally in playing this role, she is not speaking up in the violent/argument scene? There is so much talk about female empowerment in the show and her being her own woman to pursue her dreams and goals. It feels like at that moment we see a vulnerable side of her and she is not quite ready to stand up for herself.
A: I think it’s the first time she sees Clyde acting in a way she doesn’t agree with. It is not necessary for him to push her out of the way etc. And actually, the potential of them starting afresh and maybe having a life together that is not full of prison and danger and robbery and crime, is maybe quite appealing. I think she is listening to Blanche and thinking ‘Well maybe I could have that’ and is using that time in that scene to contemplate something she hadn’t thought of before. Because when she first meets Clyde he has just gotten out of prison and he’s like ‘That’s what I am, that’s what I do’, without it being much of a deal to him. And her ex-husband is also in prison so my interpretation of it is that I think after meeting Clyde and initially thinking ‘ Oh my goodness he is amazing, I am so in love with him’, this is the first time she is wondering if maybe she would want what Blanche and Buck are talking about.
Q: If you met your character in real life, considering Bonnie and Clyde is a real story that has certainly been glamorised and commercialised, is there something you wish you knew about her that the script or the songs haven’t told you just yet? Anything you might want to tune into with her?
A: We don’t see it, we only see up to when they resign themselves at the end and they are going to die (spoiler alert) but I would actually love to know in their heads if they knew it was inevitable. In those final moments when they saw people come out with guns what were they thinking? I would be so intrigued to know if it was a ‘I’ve signed up for this I know it’s coming’ or if it was a moment of complete panic or a moment of ‘we are going down together’.
4. Alex James-Hatton as Clyde Barrow
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the rehearsal process? Have you discovered anything new or unexpected about your artistry throughout?
A: I think for me this is the first time I am stepping into something this big. Learning how to pace myself and finding a character that rich, in such a short amount of time. I am grateful that I did a lot of work before I started but there is always more. What questions should you be asking yourself, how far should you be pushing yourself? It’s been a really good, rewarding learning curve.
Q: What do you think actually happened to Clyde in prison? We see that turning point in his character before ‘Raise A Little Hell’ and we see that sense of his vulnerability in the cell. That massive switch of energy and that dark side really comes into play. What are your thoughts?
A: I think factually, we know that he was sexually abused in prison so that is already enough to turn anyone into a dark place. One thing to know is that he was so young. He was a big fish in a small pond in his town and with going to prison, all of a sudden he is the small fish. I think it’s the repetition, it’s being beaten up every day, being sexually harassed, sexually harassed by a gender that he wouldn’t usually associate himself with. I think also if people come see this show, they will see we use projection a lot and there are more tweaks and a few more nods to that, to make it a little clearer for people to tap into. The whole show whether it’s love or hate or death, it’s all extremes. So I think it’s finding the truth behind each of those different types of extremes.
Q: If you met your character in real life, considering Bonnie and Clyde is a real story that has certainly been glamorised and commercialised, is there something you wish you knew about him that the script or the songs haven’t told you just yet? Anything you might want to tune into with him?
A: I would like to know personally, if he did kill anyone that wasn’t in the authorities. Because we are told and we believe that he didn’t kill anyone that was innocent. I’d like to know if that is true before he does in Act 2, because I trust the good Clyde until it all goes sour, and I would like to know if that trust was misplaced or not.
5. Katherine Tyldesley as Blanche Barrow
Q: What is your biggest takeaway from the rehearsal process? Have you discovered anything new or unexpected about your artistry throughout?
A: Because this is my musical theatre debut, as performers we cover ourselves in self-doubt sometimes. What if I’m not good enough, what if this or that happens? And so I think the biggest thing I have taken away from this, under the guidance of our amazing director Nick Winston, is that you just tell a story. Stay true to the story and everything will look after itself. Songs and monologues are set at a pitch and you have to remember that as a performer; that’s what helps to keep things real. In this show, there are no filler songs and everything is very intentional, I think it is incredibly well-written.
Q: I have been wondering this about Blanche since the first time I saw the show about a year ago. She is one of the most complex characters in the show, I’d love to see everything just from her perspective! There are so many layers to her. How do you feel about the ending? The fact that the person that always tried to do everything right is the one who ends up paying for everything. How does that sit with you personally?
A: For me, as an actor, Blanche is a gift of a part because a lot of the script from the musical and the film was taken from her diaries when she went to prison. They were incredibly informative and our Blanche is slightly different from the real Blanche, I actually think she is a lot stronger. For me, for her to kind of take the wrap at the end of the show, being the only surviving member, it cuts deep and you feel incredibly sorry for Blanche in that moment. But actually, she is the show’s moral compass, she tries to do right and if you look beyond that, if the story were to carry on, you see that she does remarry, she carries on being incredibly devoured with her faith, she never waivers from that and she does find a good life. She does have the white, picket fence dream that she always wanted. And I think that was almost her reward.
Q: If you met your character in real life, considering Bonnie and Clyde is a real story that has certainly been glamorised and commercialised, is there something you wish you knew about her that the script or the songs haven’t told you just yet? Anything you might want to tune into with her?
A: Oh gosh, that’s such a great question. I feel like there are so many things that I could ask her! If I were to stay completely true to the diaries, we’d have a very, very different Blanche. That Blanche was very dependent on male company, her entire life was about being with someone, and she couldn’t be on her own. Whereas I feel that with the Blanche that we have, her love for Buck is incredible and she lives for him but she has this inner strength that you know if the worst should happen, which it does, she would get through it. She would get through it. I would love to sit down with the real Blanche and ask what she thinks of the show and what her truth would be on top of that. Historically, the show is incredibly accurate, she might well turn around and go ‘You know what? that’s me’, but I have a feeling, our Blanche is a bit stronger.
(Q: A different side of her that could have potentially come out from a different point of view?)
I expect it probably did come out as she got older. Because let’s not forget the kids, they were really young and so she was very dependent, she hadn’t found herself. Whereas I feel the Blanche we’ve created is a bit more sure of herself.
(Q: Maybe the Blanche she was aspiring to be?)
I am sure she became that Blanche. There are some brilliant audio clips of her as an older lady and she has got that, she has got that in her voice and she is very sure of what she is saying. I think that’s the Blanche we have.
A special shoutout to Stage Door Joe for having me as an associate. I had such a wonderful and insightful time getting a glimpse of this show’s magic.
Wishing this production of Bonnie & Clyde a run the world will remember.
