The Corona Diaries: Vivienne De Vil

These recent times have been some of the hardest challenges we've faced and as a community, it hit us pretty hard. However during these difficult times, here at Pocket Size Theatre, we wanted to spread a little positivity and share some peoples experiences because we are all in this together. Each day we'll be speaking to our friends in the industry to share their experiences with you all so take a read and see how people are getting through these hard times.

Let's stick together, share the love and get through this as a community!

*Some information mentioned in this article may be out of date due to the progress of the current situation. Please keep that in mind when reading* 

Vivienne de Vil is an international Musical Theatre star. She made her West End debut in the original cast of The Phantom of the Opera. Notable roles include Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music (Royal Festival Hall); Sally Bowles in Cabaret (Donmar Warehouse, West End); Fantine in Les Miserables (Tokyo); Mary in Mary Poppins (Czech Republic); Betty Haines in White Christmas (Broadway - Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical) and Harriet Hope in the gender-swapped production of The Iceman Cometh (National Theatre). She has performed with the likes of Sir Elton John, Liza Minnelli and Susan Boyle in concerts all over the world and is Patron of the Arts for the Tunbridge Wells Amateur Theatre Society. In 2018, Vivienne returned to the stage with her one-woman show With One Look, receiving rave reviews for performances around the UK, including the Underbelly Southbank. Vivienne currently resides in Holland Park.

On Monday 16th March 2020, The Society of London Theatre announced the closure of all Theatres in London. This followed suit with regional venues. Where were you when you found out and what was your initial reaction? 

Unfortunately, darling, I’d been tucked up in bed with mild symptoms of the you-know-what for a week! I was still recovering when the news broke that most shows would not take place that evening. I think we can all appreciate that this is an incredibly serious threat, and the cancellation of large events (including my world tour) is absolutely necessary to prevent the spread of the virus, but I felt incredibly sad. Theatre is so resilient. It keeps spirits up and provides an escape. Without that, the pandemic suddenly seems much more real.

INTERVIEW: Vivienne de Vil, who is about to bring her one woman show to the Underbelly on the Southbank

Vivienne de Vil, Broadway veteran and confidant to the stars, is bringing her one woman show to the Underbelly at the Southbank this summer. In the show she celebrates some of the most iconic women of Musical Theatre; From Streisand to Minnelli, Paige to LuPone. With One Look is an intimate evening of untold stories and the songs these women made famous featuring live musicians, read our ★★★★ star review here. We managed to catch her for a brief few minutes to chat to her about this wonderful show. 

Tell us a bit about your solo show at the Underbelly at the Southbank

It’s a celebration of some of the most iconic women of Musical Theatre, with little known stories from their careers, and the music they made famous. It’s also my big return to showbiz after a nasty divorce!

What inspired you to put together this show?

I’ve written and performed several solo shows throughout my career, but this show is much more intimate, and gives the audience a chance to get to know me better. And, being such a close friend of so many stars means that I’ve got a lot of stories about their lives that you won’t find in the history books.

Did you get any tips from any of your famous friends in the creation?

It was actually Julie Andrews who convinced me to write the show in the first place! I’d been away from the biz for a while and was nervous at the thought of treading the boards again, and Jules suggested I invite a small crowd of friends to dip my toe back into the water!