Get yourself comfy and join Alicia and I for a chat about all things stagey!

Hi Alicia, how are you? For anyone that doesn't know you - can you introduce yourself, and tell us a little bit about how, and why you got into acting?

Hi, I’m very well thank you! So, I’m Alicia Belgarde, I’m 23 and I’m a Musical Theatre Actress. I started off at a little dance school in The Midlands doing dance shows each year and then moved into doing Am-Dram which is where I found my passion for Musical Theatre. I started getting singing lessons and then went to an amazing sixth form which pushed me to audition for drama schools.

When you were growing up, did you always know that you wanted to be on the stage?

It wasn’t until I was about 15 that I realised that it was possible for a girl like me from The Midlands to actually make it. It was just a hobby until I did it full time at sixth form. 

Over the past few years, covid has had a devastating impact on the industry, and unfortunately the Bring It On Tour ended after it's London run, instead of embarking on the planned UK tour. How is life now the Bring It On tour has ended?

Life immediately after Bring It On was incredibly hard. The cancellation of the tour was a shock to us all. Not only because we absolutely loved performing the show every night but to be honest with you, it was also because we thought that we had an extra six months of solid income and employment . It was a very scary time for us all as we were once again thrown into the world of unemployment. To go from performing in front of sold out audiences each night to going to job interviews for coffee shops/restaurants/office jobs is so hard. But it also makes you incredibly grateful for the time that we had in the show. 

How did you prepare for the role of Eva in Bring It On? Not only does she seem the complete opposite of you personality wise, but she also is such a physically demanding role!

I was in the gym consistently for 6 months leading up to the show as I knew that my stamina would have to be through the roof!

In terms of the character, it seems absolutely insane but I would watch documentary after documentary about serial killers  I actually got so invested in looking at the way that they talk and the way that they behave. Just the small things like how they move their face and eyes when they are talking about certain things. Guy, our director, and I discussed where we wanted to go with Eva and we decided that she would eventually become a serial killer. Well that’s how we wanted it to appear anyway. That’s how we found the comedy in it - because she is so psychotic! 

The Bring It On cast (including yourself) was exceptional. Do you have any standout memories or moments from the show?

My absolute favourite moment was our first read/sing through the show. I remember looking around the room and thinking how lucky I was to be in a room so full of talent and kindness. We all instantly clicked. Coming out of covid, we were all just so grateful to be there and it made the process so special. 

With your acting, dancing and singing skills, you are most definitely a triple threat. If you had to only choose to do one for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

My heart will always be with dancing. It’s what I started in and what I feel most confident doing! 

What is your go-to musical theatre audition song?

I tend to try and match my song as close as possible to the role I’m in for so I’m often learning songs specifically for auditions (this is absolutely crazy behaviour and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone ). My song I sing most though, is I’m Not Alone from Carrie.  

Regardless of gender and age, who would be your dream role to play and why?

It’s funny because Eva was my dream role for such a long time! I would love to give Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street a go but would also love to do Mamma Mia and Hairspray! 

Believe in yourself and your craft. You have to know that you’re good at what you do to convince a casting team that you’re good. 

I know you've just landed your next musical theatre job. Could we have a hint as to what the show will be? Or any news on when we'll find out? I can't wait!

Ooooo I shouldn’t! Okay, one clue is that I will be playing even younger than Eva. I’m unsure of when the cast announcement will be but I start rehearsals at the very end of May. 

My blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it be and why?

My absolute favourite book, call me cliché, is “All That She Can See” by Carrie. I think it would make an amazing musical. 

Thank you so much for chatting to us Alicia. I'll be watching out for cast announcements in May! Good luck in the future, and I can't wait to see what you do next.