Hi Holly, how are you? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page today! Would you mind introducing yourself and telling us how you first got into acting?

Hello, my name is Holly Liburd and I’m currently playing Diana Ross/ensemble in Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations. I always knew from a young age that I wanted to do something creative with my life whether that be singing/song writing or acting. I remember seeing Wicked for the first time and thinking wow I want to be her (Elphaba, of course!). After that I started looking into how I could get into acting and that’s what led me to train at the Urdang Academy in London and eventually leave with an agent, which I felt so lucky to have.

How was the rehearsal process for Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations?

Rehearsals for Ain’t Too Proud have just been amazing. The show tells the story of the life of the Temptations through Otis Williams’ eyes and watching how brilliant the cast have been and how hard everyone has worked together has just been incredible. I feel so lucky to be a part of a show that shows the real history of how a black group in the 60s rose to fame and all the ups and downs that come along with it.

You're taking on the role of Diana Ross. How have you prepared for the role?

Playing Diana Ross is an absolute privilege as she’s such an icon. Preparing for the role I watched a lot of videos of her performing in the 60s and 70s to try and capture the way she moves and carries herself as she’s so unique in what she does. I’ve also had a lot of help from our amazing creative team who are a dream to work with. It’s been a lot of fun getting to step into her shoes and I hope the audiences have fun watching it.

From Hairspray, to The Bodyguard, to Dreamgirls, you've already been a part of some incredible shows. Is there a particular show or role you'd love to tackle that you haven't had the chance to yet?

Every show I’ve been in I’ve absolutely loved. I love being part of an ensemble because you really feel like you’re part of a team and we always have so much fun on stage together. There’s not a particular show that I’m looking to do, but I’d love to be in an original cast for a new show and to be able to originate a role. That’s always been a dream of mine.

If you could give one piece of advice to any aspiring theatre actors out there, what would it be?

If I could give a piece of advice to any aspiring theatre actors it would be to believe in yourself and trust the process. Don’t compare your journey to your friends and just have fun! Remember that we do this because we love it, so try not to lose that love.

A question I ask everyone we chat to - my blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it be and why?

This is a great question! I love The Hunger Games and have always had this idea of it being made int play where you get to see Peeta’s side of the story so that’s definitely something I would watch.

And finally, why should people book tickets to see Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations?

People should book tickets to see Ain’t Too Proud because it’s full of life, love, highs and lows, and the songs are all bangers that you’ll want to sing along to. It’s such an important part of black history, that still influences us today so I’m very excited for audiences to come and see what we’ve been working on.

Thanks for chatting to us, Holly! You can catch Holly in Ain't Too Proud at the Prince Edward Theatre, now.