Angélique in Songs From A Hotel Bedroom
Multi-award winning actress, singer and recording artist FRANCES RUFFELLE originated the roles of Eponine in Les Miserables and Dinah in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express and starred as Roxie Hart in Chicago. She has released five solo albums and has appeared in the films Secrets & Lies and The Wildcats of St Trinian’s. Her TV work includes Sky One’s football drama Dream Team.
Frances performed at the Edinburgh Festival 2010 with her one-woman show, Beneath The Dress and released her new album, Imperfectly Me, in September.
Luckily for us she's managed to squeeze in a quick interview and here are the results:
Have you always been a Kurt Weill fan? I have loved the songs I have heard before and I have recorded his ‘Alabama Song’ on my new album ‘Imperfectly Me’ but having this opportunity to hear and get to know more of his work has made me become a big fan!
Do you have a favourite song? My favourite song from the show is ‘Foolish Heart’… I am so in love with it and its sentiment. “Poor foolish heart crying for one who ignores you poor foolish heart flying from one who adores you!”
What about his operas and/or musical theatre productions? I am just discovering them now through learning the songs for this show
Is there anyone like him today? He is unique!
Have you performed Weill songs onstage before? Only the Alabama Song… I perform it in my one woman show Beneath the Dress
You and Kate Flatt worked together on Les Miserables - what’s it like working together again and how do you complement each other?
I loved working with Kate on Les Miserables she is brilliant at physical theatre… She has an incredible visual mind and I just get her! She is very positive and encouraging to work with and that always me feel comfortable and confident when I create
Describe your character, Angelique. She is a lively French cabaret singer who worked in night clubs to support her poor family in Paris.. she flees France after the war as she was romantically involved with a Nazi….she has many affairs but craves a steady relationship. She meets Dan an American composer and falls in love and he helps her career but she is desperate to settle down instead she is touring endlessly and he is always away writing for Hollywood and they have to settle with short times together in hotel bedrooms.
How do you research and/or prepare for each different role? I give my self questions and I have to find answers that make up my characters history in this case the clubs she would have performed in in the forties.. where was she born.. her family.. what she carries with her in her bag her suitcase even what she has for breakfast!
‘Songs From A Hotel Bedroom’ is set in New York City, 1949 – what do you like best about New York? I love the crazy energy and the dirtiness ( when it used to be dirty!) and so many creative people live and work there it inspires me when I am there but I never call it home not even when I have been there working for a year… it feels transient which is how my character Angelique would feel!