Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back!
Back to the Future was one of the most anticipated new musicals of the season, with a tryout run in Manchester wetting the musical theatre worlds appetite before its West End transfer. Unfortunately, after only a few weeks at the Manchester Opera House, the show closed. Having been in Manchester recently myself, it's sad to see the front of house still covered in the show's artwork following the quick closure it had but with the news of the show officially making its West End premiere on the 20th August 2021, we couldn’t be more excited!
Rosanna Hyland will be reprising her role of Lorraine Baines in the West End production after being in the show in Manchester. Her other credits include Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Alice in I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road at the Jermyn Street Theatre, Betty Hapschatt in Shock Treatment at the King’s Head Theatre, Hope Cladwell in Urinetown at the Apollo and St. James Theatre (Now the Other Palace), covering the role of Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Swing in Sister Act at the London Palladium and covering the role of Julie Jordan in Carousel at The Savoy.
We chatted to Rosanna about the return of the industry and advice she would give to others and something she’d like to continue with is carrying on with the positive perspectives we’ve gained throughout this time, “Watching our industry go dark for over a year reminded me of why I love theatre and how I still choose it over anything else, but it was also an exercise in creating a full life without the job I love most. It was also an opportunity to get perspective on things that were causing me anxiety that were truly a waste of energy!”
On the topic of the industry, it's been through a much-needed shakeup over the pandemic and when talking to Rosanna about it she tells us how there is huge potential to make some rapid shifts, but ‘potential’ is not necessarily good enough. “It hinges on us remembering that awareness is not enough, it has to translate into action. I hope that change manifests in the form of structures and policies that support the people who need it and that we begin an era of genuine inclusiveness, respect and equality.”
Whilst we spoke about the pandemic and what Rosanna had been up to she seems to have found a lot of positives in the time given to her and “was fortunate enough to have some silver linings” but insists that she doesn’t “wish to sound flippant about a global pandemic that we are still in the wake of”. Having started an Etsy shop, she also found time to explore a bunch of different and new forms of exercise, fixed up her garden, sang more and even found time to delve into the world of nutrition science! How's that for trying new things?!
Talking to Rosanna about the return of theatre and what she’s most looking forward to she replies “I can’t wait to hear that overture blasting out the from the pit!” And we couldn’t agree more, that buzz and feeling of a live orchestra in a theatre is like no other. She also goes on to say she would have loved to been at the opening of Come From Away, the show recently reopened at the Phoenix Theatre. “it’s about a community pulling together in a time of need and I think that would hit home more than ever.”
Back to the Future is one of the handful of shows reopening the West End and as one of the new musicals opening this year, it couldn’t be a more exciting time for the world of theatre after such a dark period. Rosanna Hyland and her wonderful colleagues at Back to the Future are sure to blow your socks off so get yourself down to the Adelphi Theatre from the 20th August to catch this new and super exciting show!
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