Hi Martha, how are you doing today? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page! Would you mind introducing yourself to our readers and telling us how you first got into the industry?

Hi Stage to Page! Thank you for having me, I’m doing really well. I’m currently in the Other Palace finishing off ‘50 First Dates’ the musical and rehearsing for Lovers Actually at the same time so I’m pretty tired! But it’s a good tired!

I first got into the industry after graduating from the Royal Academy of Music in 2017. And then from there I’ve just been chipping away, auditioning, workshopping, not getting jobs and luckily getting a few! My advice for anyone looking to come into musical theatre is to get a side hustle that you actually love, and just keep going!

You're set to play Tiffany/Judy/Peter in Lovers Actually at The Other Palace this Christmas. Can you tell us about the story and the characters you're playing?

We’re sticking to the plot of the film in most places, Tiffany is the loveable Martine McCutcheon character who falls for the PM, Judy is the Joanna Page character who isn’t always clothed, and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has been reimagined slightly - so you’ll have to come and see what we’ve done!!

Is it daunting or exciting to be doing a parody of one of the most-loved modern Christmas films of all time?

I think it’s both. I adore the film, so I’ve been careful to sneak in a few Easter eggs for die-hard fans to find. We’re paying homage to a Christmas classic but also adding some spicy bits for the Christmas crowd. I think the 4 of us are mostly excited, we’re having a lot of fun in rehearsals, we’re all growing abs of steel from making each other laugh.

How does it feel to be performing Jodie Prenger and Neil Hurst's writing? Jodie's becoming quite the Christmas regular at The Other Palace!

Jodie and Neil’s script is completely fantastic, and I expected no less after their incredible Homo Alone last year. I’m such a fan of Jodie too!! A real pinch-me moment to be able to perform her work.

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

Oooh well my favourite book is ‘The Secret History’ so I would love to see it in any form.

And finally, why should people book tickets to see Lovers Actually?

We’re selling out fast!!! Ah, it’s gonna be such a fun night at the theatre. We’ve taken one of the most iconic Christmas films and packed it full of hilarious Christmas songs, uncanny impressions, and some pretty filthy jokes. There’s audience participation, a fully stocked bar and all the festive cheer you could ask for.

You can book tickets to see Lover's Actually, here.