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

I am good thank you, incredibly grateful to be rehearsing this show! So my name is a Tsemaye Bob-Egbe and I’m a Nigerian-British actress, singer, writer and performer. I have a background in medicine but had a huge love for theatre and acting, so decided to pursue acting after attending open calls for The Lion King in the West End. I eventually applied to drama schools and graduated from the MA Music Theatre course at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I was incredibly fortunate to book jobs straight after drama school and have been working ever since. 

You're set to open this month as Viola in Play On! (a Twelfth Night inspired musical) at the Belgrade Theatre before embarking on a UK tour. Can you tell us about the show and the character you play?

So the show is set in 1940s Harlem and my character Viola, a talented artist, wants to pursue her dream of song writing but discovers she's fighting as a woman in a man’s world. So through her gender-fluid cunning, she embraces a more masculine alter-ego, “Vyman” and embarks on a journey of mistaken identities, self-discovery and romance. 

What attracted you to a jazz musical inspired by the iconic Twelfth Night? Shakespeare and jazz music sounds like a match made in heaven!

I knew straight away I wanted to be a part of it as soon as I saw the breakdown for the show. My agent messaged me the very next day with the same sentiment! The music is incredible and the concept really works! It is the story of a woman who wants to pursue her dreams and is willing to do all it takes to get there and I love and admire that. Also she gets to grow whilst on this journey and it really is beautiful to play. 

If you could play any role, regardless of age or gender, who would it be and why?

In this show (Play On!) I'd love to play Jester. He is comedy gold and has the best lines. “End of Lesson”. Outside of the show, it always changes but maybe Christian in Moulin Rouge just so I can sing Roxanne. 

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?

Oh gosh I read so many books, mostly fantasy which I don’t think will translate well on stage. If I could pick a book I’ve read recently, it would be The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Imagine the glamour, the love, the passion. It’ll be a hit! 

And finally, why should anyone reading this book tickets to see Play On!?

It is a production showcasing black joy in every way. It is funny, uplifting, vulnerable and a testament to the realities of us as complex human beings. It’ll make you smile from cheek to cheek and the singing?!?! Wow! You do not want to miss this!

You can book tickets to Play On!, here.