The next interview in our stagey chat series is with Beki Ann Elcock and Caitlin Marklew. The duo are kicking off their Sweet & Sour: The Ultimate Tribute Tour this month in Doncaster. You can book tickets to see Beki and Caitlin take on Sabrina Carpenter and Olivia Rodrigo on their UK tour here.

Get yourself comfy and join us for the next segment of Stagey Chat!

Hi Caitlin and Beki, how are you doing? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page today! Would you mind introducing yourself and telling us how you first got into becoming a tribute artist?

Caitlin: Hey! I’m fantastic, thank you for having me. I’m 25 and from a small town in Derbyshire. Prior to this I have had several performing jobs from being a Lead Vocalist for Live Business to a Singer/Dancer with RWS in Mexico and many more. I love everything about Olivia Rodrigo from her music to how she is as a person.

Beki: Hello! I’m great thank you so much for having me. I’m 28 and from a small town in Yorkshire, I had already been performing as a singer\dancer for several years for Universal Beijing resort, Disney Cruise Line and many other contracts. I’m a huge fan of Sabrina Carpenter as a person and a musician, so when I saw opportunity to become a tribute to Sabrina I knew I just had to go for it, and here I am!

You're currently set to embark on a UK tour from March, with Sabrina Carpenter & Olivia Rodrigo inspired show, Sweet & Sour: The Ultimate Tribute. Can you tell us more about the production?

C: I am super excited to start the tour being able to perform in some amazing venues where I have been an audience member. But now being able to perform at these places with this amazing show is a dream come true. Olivia and Sabrina fans will see some connections to the artist and their shows. On one hand you will have Olivia’s rock anthems and emotional ballads and on the other you will have Sabrina's fun and witty pop style which gives the audience the best of both.

B: Yes I’m so excited to get started with the tour and can’t wait to perform in some incredible venues, fans of Sabrina and Olivia will notice some nods to the artists and their shows, it’s a perfect contrast between Olivia’s punchy rock vibe and Sabrina’s fun pop style, so fans will get the best of both.

How did you come up with the idea of Sweet & Sour: The Ultimate Tribute? And more importantly, how are you going about choosing songs for the set list?

C & B: We worked closely with Rob and Katy from 22 Productions to curate the show and carefully choose the setlist with songs that the fans know and love allowing a smooth run to a fantastic show.

I assume you're Livies and Carpenters - what songs are you most excited about performing live? And who else do you look up to in the music industry?

C: I am 100% a Livie! It’s a difficult choice as all her songs are so good and I LOVE singing them all. I would probably have to say I'm most excited for Vampire as I can pour so much emotion into it. As well as Vampire, I'm so excited for Get Him Back as it’s such a rock anthem that all the fans can get up and dance to and I can have a lot of fun with it. I would have to say Adele is someone I look up to as her voice is incredible and versatile while putting so much raw emotion into her music. I’m also a massive fan of Beyonce because the way she commands the stage is on another level.

B: Sadly I look up to everyone as I’m 5 foot tall...and I ABSOLUTELY am a Carpenter, it’s definitely a hard choice as they’re all great to sing for different reasons, but I remember when ‘Please Please Please’ was released and I played it on repeat, I also have to say ‘read your mind’ because its so fun to sing and it’s such a BOP! In all seriousness, I look up to Lady Gaga as she’s such a powerhouse and so versatile, and she’s a shorty too! I’m also a huge fan of how Freddie Mercury could hold an audience and his presence on stage was incredible.

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

C: I would have to choose Bridget Jones’ Diary. I love the fun witty humour in the story and the film is a huge success. The show would have people laughing, crying and really connecting to the story. I also think the songs that you could curate from the book would be amazing! It definitely would be on my list of shows to go and see.

B: I would have to choose Coraline, I love the story and I think the concept could be adapted to stage very well, taking nuances from the Tim Burton film version, it would be very fun and exciting to watch!

And finally, why should people book tickets to see Sweet and Sour: The Ultimate Tribute?

C: We have worked incredibly hard on this amazing show embodying the traits of Olivia and Sabrina bringing their contagious energy to the stage. Fans who love them and their music will have a fantastic time. But also anyone who wants an entertaining evening, singing and dancing to amazing music with an incredible band, dancers and effects will also have an unforgettable night.

B: We’ve really worked hard on capturing the essence of Sabrina and Olivia and bringing their energy to this show, so anyone who’s a fan of them and their music will love it! But also anyone who wants a fun evening, singing along and dancing to great music with an amazing live band, dancers and effects, this show is for everyone to enjoy!

You can book tickets to the UK tour of Sweet & Sour, here.

**photo credit: Alt Studio**