|
Lesley
Joseph is just about to start rehearsals of the bittersweet comedy
The Gingerbread Lady - in which she plays Evelyn Meara, a recovering
alcoholic who is welcomed home by her daughter and some old friends.
It's
a big role with both comic and tragic moments for Lesley in the
Neil Simon classic - and she's looking forward to getting her teeth
into it.
"The
thing is that I'm actually playing an alcoholic in this production
so I don't need to do that much research," she joked.
"But
obviously I've been observing friends and seeing how they react
after a drink - it's actually quite difficult to play a convincing
drunk.
 It's
really very meaty. It's quite a strong storyline and all signs
are that it's going to be excellent..  |
|
Lesley
on The Gingerbread Lady
|
"Some
people just need one drink to set them off while others you can't
notice that they're drunk at all."
Lesley
said there would be a month of rehearsals before the play opens
in Cambridge on 8 June and tours for eight weeks, including a week
at Milton Keynes from 19 July.
"The
rehearsals start and for the first two weeks you don't know what
you're doing," she explained. "You feel like you want
to run a mile as nothing is hanging together then things get even
worse than you could imagine and you don't know how you're going
to get through things.
"Then
the day before the production opens something happens to make it
work and when it opens, it's just the best feeling in the world
and you don't believe that you ever thought it wasn't going to work."
Dark
underbelly
Evelyn
is a former lounge singer who's just returned to her New York apartment
after a 10 week stay in rehab. With the help of her lovingly anxious
daughter, Polly, and two best friends, she faces sobriety's challenges
with laughter and tears.
Lesley
said the play had depth to it: "It is a comedy, but unlike
many of Neil Simon's plays it's got a very dark underbelly. His
plays are usually very upbeat and funny, but this one is very dark
in some places. It's quite sad and tragic.
 |
| Lesley
as herself |
"It's
really very meaty. It's quite a strong storyline and all signs are
that it's going to be excellent. There's some great characters and
a really good cast."
Lesley
has a massive list of stage credits to her name including The Vagina
Monologues (West End and tour) and Miss Hannigan in Annie (West
End and tour). But she says the role of Evelyn will be a challenge:
"It's a cracking big lead and quite scary. I've not done such
a big part before and if it works - it will be fantastic.
"It's
a powerful part. Evelyn is quite a mentally fragile character."
It's
a far cry from the role that made her a household name - Dorien
in Birds of A Feather. The gossipy, sex-obsessed Dorien was a snobbish
Jewess ostensibly happily married to accountant Marcus but actually
indulging in a flurry of flings with muscular toy boys. Alongside
Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson, Lesley played Dorien for nearly
10 years with about 100 episodes.
Dorien
legacy
She
says people still remember her for the role - and she doesn't mind
as she loved the part: "Dorien was a great character and I'm
very happy that playing her gave me the opportunity to do things
like The Gingerbread Lady.
"I'm
very grateful to Dorien as through her, I showed that I could put
bums on seats in theatres and so I can work."
But
she doubts whether Birds Of A Feather will fly again.
"I
would love to do one more episode, five years down the line to see
what would have happened to all the characters. But I don't think
it will happen.
"It
was almost a soap opera. People liked it like EastEnders - it was
more than just a sitcom."
Now Lesley feels people know her for more than just Dorien - and
for her roles on the stage, which she feels is her forte.
 |
| Birds
Of A Feather team |
"I
love the stage. I think it's more an actor's medium while television
is more a director's medium.
"The
camera looks at what it wants to look at while with stage you can't
get away with much - it's more immediate and slightly more dangerous
- the ball's far more in your court."
After
the tour, Lesley said she is going to take some time off before
turning to the stage for her favourite genre - pantomime. "I
love love love it. It's great stuff and really dangerous and usually
do it every year. Last year I was in Newcastle."
And
did she stick to the changes to her appearance dealt out by the
legendary Trinny and Susannah on the television programme What Not
To Wear?
"I
was quite pleased to do it as I was at a point when I wanted to
change my image. They could be quite rude but it was fun.
"I've
kept my hair coloured - but I've left my eye make up on - as if
I would take it all off like they suggested!"
| Aimee
n Fliss, Walsall |
Tuesday,
17-May-2005 15:17:04 BST |
 |
| We
love Les. We saw her in Millie, and think she's the greatest
person in the world. We really want to meet her!! X |
| bruno
bouyer, nanterre paris suburbs |
Saturday,
27-Nov-2004 14:26:57 GMT |
|
| I
LOVE YOU SINCE I FIRST SAW THE BIRDS YOU CHEER ME UP STAY AS
YOU ARE LOVE FROM YOUR FRENCHIE ADMIRER |
|
