Annie

Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Tuesday, January 12, to Saturday, January 16

CHIGWELL’S resident man-eater is taking on a very different role as the musical Annie comes to Brighton for 2016.

In the touring version of the evergreen Broadway favourite Lesley Joseph is donning the dowdy costume and taking on the drinking habits of Miss Hannigan - the woman behind little Annie and her fellow orphans’ hard-knock life.

She talks about sharing the role with Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, playing a villain and the best Birds Of A Feather series ever.

The Guide: This isn’t the first time you’ve taken on Miss Hannigan is it?

Lesley Joseph: I last played her about 15 years ago. This is a lovely brand new production – it’s very fresh and different. This tour is much more choreographed.

Is that extra choreography down to Craig Revel Horwood also performing in the same show?

Craig was doing the show in the summer in between Strictly Come Dancing when I was doing Birds Of A Feather. Now I’ve taken it over.

I think it was more the choreographer Nick Winston who has taken Annie from being a musical where the ensemble do more movement rather than the real whalloping. Nick isn’t that sort of choreographer. Perhaps in the initial talks Craig said he wanted to do more choreography, I don’t know, but Nick is very much that kind of dancing rather than just walking from one spot to another.

Before I was directed by the man who wrote the lyrics, Martin Charnin. This production has shown much more of the Depression – it’s not twee in any way. It’s a real nitty gritty production.

Was it odd job-sharing with Craig?

It’s funny, when I left Annie before the role was taken over by Paul O’Grady. My job has been shared by a man in a frock! It goes back to the days of Shakespeare when men played women. In the West End we’ve got David Suchet as Lady Bracknell, and Miss Trunchbull in Matilda [currently played in London’s Cambridge Theatre by Craige Els].

Craig didn’t play her like a man in a frock – he played her as a woman. It took a couple of minutes to adjust, but then you forgot about it.

You are one of four Miss Hannigans on the tour [Jodie Prenger and Elaine C Smith also take on the role], and there are several ensembles of children – is it strange having that constant change within the cast?

In the New Year there’s a whole new set of children – but it’s exciting and quite a challenge. One of the Annies is staying, but they grow too tall. Me being quite small makes it harder, it’s okay for Craig as he’s so tall. It would be funny but not quite right if all the children were bigger than me.

Are you enjoying playing a villainous character like Miss Hannigan?

Without Miss Hannigan it would be almost unbearable, it would be so wet. Every tale needs a villain and she is a lovely villain. She’s kept in fear of losing her job. She’s in the city, dumped with these kids who she hates. But she’s very important to the story as a counterbalance.

I try to play her as real as possible – I don’t sugarcoat her. She isn’t particularly pleasant, but you do feel for her because of the situation she’s in – she has no life really.

I have always played stronger characters. One of the main reasons I wanted to do the role is to perform the song Easy Street with Rooster [Jonny Fines] – it’s wonderful.

Would Miss Hannigan really do anything for money?

I don’t think she would do anything until Rooster comes in. We are in austerity and there are a lot of people going through hard times. This story is set in the Great Depression, and I don’t know if you can equate that with what is going on here and now, although it is tough for a lot of people at the moment.

Why do you think Annie remains so popular?

Annie is a musical people flock to see – there has to be a reason behind it. The music is fantastic. It’s one of those musicals like West Side Story – if you put it on people will want to see it.

It’s a feelgood thing – it’s the reason it is so popular. For children it’s a musical like Matilda which they can identify with as they are in it.

Was it hard to get away from the sugary sweetness of the film?

This production is very much set in 1933, at the height of the Depression. Everything about it isn’t sugary sweet – it’s very much a story of America in the Depression. There’s no money, no jobs, everyone is on their uppers. Sometimes I think you forget about that when you think about Annie.

When you get to Daddy Warbucks’ house, where he’s rich and everything is laid on it could get sweet, but we don’t play it like that – his factories are still closing down. I think this production does work against what people think of Annie as a whole – although it does have a happy ending.

Does the social commentary work well with the musical?

People often say the reason they love pantomime is because they can come and leave their problems at the door for two hours – they’re taken away into the world of magic.

I wouldn’t like anyone to leave Annie thinking ‘aren’t we in a terrible situation’ – we are living through different times in more ways than one.

Wasn’t that social commentary a big part of why Birds Of A Feather was such a success?

I think that’s why Birds Of A Feather lasted so long. There are only so many times you can do 1-2-3 laugh-type comedies. Birds Of A Feather was akin to a soap – and I think soap tells a story of everyday people and their day-to-day problems.

Birds Of A Feather always took a social stand by wanting to show more than just the humorous side of life. It always dealt with storylines which went underneath the relationship between the three of us. It was a bittersweet series and that’s why it had such a longevity.

The series we have just recorded [which started on Thursday, January 7] is the best we have ever done – it’s full of bittersweet moments. So many sitcoms are about funny situations and over-the-top people – Birds Of A Feather was never about that.

Starts 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees on Wed, Thurs and Sat, tickets from £12.50. Call 08448 717650.