Meet the Cast of Rent: Grace Mouat

"She is a junkie and HIV positive"

Grace in rehearsal with Freddie Cox and the company (Photo courtesy of Front of House Photography )

Name: Grace Mouat

Character Name: Mimi Marquez

Tell us about your character: Mimi is a 19 year old erotic dancer at the cat scratch club. She is a junkie and HIV positive. She falls in love with Roger but life ends up being on the line by the end of the show.

Is there anything in your own life that helps you connect with your character? Firstly, we’re the same age! I also think our traits are similar in optimism and making the most of every day as she earnestly expresses in the song ‘No Day But Today’.

What’s your favourite song in the show and why? My favourite song is 'Seasons of Love'. Before I started rehearsals for this production I just saw the same as one of those good old iconic musical theatre songs that you always do in choirs, etc, etc. But then I realised there is so much more than that and it is actually asking what the proper way is to quantify the value of a year in human life and the most effective way is to ‘measure in love’. It’s ridiculously heart-breaking and beautifully written.

What other shows have you done? Over the summer I played Susan in Terry Pratchetts ‘Soul Music’ at the Rose Kingston Theatre in Kingston which was the best experience of my life. The show was such good fun and the creative team were super inspiring. Then I also did Pantomime over Christmas with my wonderful bezzie Mrs Francessca Mckean who is playing Maureen so we are back together for more backstage antics... watch out.

Can you recall a particularly memorable on-stage moment? I love curtain calls, they are always the part I remember the most.

Can you remember the first time you thought “I want to be in theatre”? I’ve always been interested in singing, etc. but I don’t think I was completely certain until I was about 13/14 and started seeing shows in London. I think the first was Wicked and I don’t understand how that can make any audience member not want to be painted green belting F’s at the Apollo!

What are you enjoying most about being part of Simply Theatre? I love everyone at Simply Theatre. It’s my first show with them and I just feel so welcome and humbled to be in with a group of such a wonderful, warm cast and creative team.

Is there room in your life for anything else apart from singing, dancing & acting? I am very into fitness, occasional meditation and down time and I have a job in a restaurant as a waitress and in the kitchen. All of which, I believe, keep me grounded when I need a break from the ‘stagey world’.

Rent runs from Thursday 17th September until Saturday 19th at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking - You can book here.

No Day But Today

Meet the Cast of Rent: Alex Kirkham

So let's meet some of the actors in the show...

"He’s a big softy who definitely wears his heart firmly on his sleeve."

Alex Kirkham in rehearsal (Photo courtesy of Front of House Photography )

Name: Alex Kirkham

Character Name: Tom Collins

Tell us about your character: Collins is a HIV+ computer genius and philosophy professor who was recently expelled from New York University, possibly because of his passion for bohemian culture, rebellion and anarchy. He’s a big softy who definitely wears his heart firmly on his sleeve. Collins adores his friends and isn’t afraid to fall in love. 

Is there anything in your own life that helps you connect with your character? I feel that I have a few things in common with Collins. I have definitely enjoyed a healthy dose of rebellion in the past and I’m also (sadly) a hopeless romantic.

What’s your favourite song in the show and why? My favourite tune in the show is ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ because it’s sassy, funky and incredibly cheeky. It’s completely character driven and will definitely raise the roof in our production!

What other shows have you done? Oliver! (Mr. Bumble), Into the Woods (Baker), Oklahoma! (Jud), Sweeney Todd (Beadle), Anything Goes (Mr. Whitney) to name a few.

Can you recall a particularly memorable on-stage moment? A memorable on-stage moment for me would probably be back at sixth form, happily receiving a ‘pie to the face’ in an Anything Goes dress rehearsal, whist wearing an expensive costume hired from the National Theatre’s costume store. Whoops.

Can you remember the first time you thought “I want to be in theatre”? I knew I wanted to tread the boards after being taken to see Christmas Panto at Theatre Royal Windsor as a child. I think it was Cinderella.

What are you enjoying most about being part of Simply Theatre? Every person at Simply has been incredibly welcoming and friendly since day one. The banter is also infinite and extremely entertaining. It’s lovely to be working with a group of like-minded, ridiculously talented and hilarious people!

Is there room in your life for anything else apart from singing, dancing & acting? I’ve just finished my music degree at Chichester, so I now (scarily) find myself in the ‘real world’. I’m really into writing and directing, and I’d love to go travelling at some point soon.

Rent runs from Thursday 17th September until Saturday 19th at the Rhoda McGaw Theatre, Woking - You can book here.

No Day But Today

Coming to a stage near you - RENT!

As New Yorker’s would say - Rent is a musical with balls!
(Photo: Elly Fenton, Jamie McNicholas & Matt Hough give it some attitude in early rehearsals, courtesy of Front of House Photography)

Simply Theatre’s production of the Pulitzer, Olivier & Tony awarding musical RENT, at Woking's Rhoda McGaw Theatre, is now just six weeks away, with tickets already selling briskly.

Rehearsals started a month ago and already everyone knows what to say, what to sing, where to be and when! That’s just as well, as our director Alison Lawrence has just taken time off to take another of her productions to the Edinburgh Fringe and musical director Paul Ooi currently on professional tour. It’s another indication that with Simply Theatre you get amateur theatre at its most professional But the cast still have work to do - now it’s down to memorising lines, working on characterisation, tuning interactions and polishing performance.

There are over 30 in the performers as well as a skilled team of musicians, technicians & backstage support. We will be introducing you to some of them here over the next few weeks.

We are hoping for a sell-out so book early - You can book here.

No Day But Today