The Corona Diaries: Kim Ismay

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!

Kim Ismay is currently in the London cast of Wicked at the Apollo Vicotria Theatre playing Madame Morrible, a role she previously played on the UK & Ireland Tour and UK/International Tour. Her other credits include Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward, Prince of Wales and Novello Theatre); Lysette in The Silver Gym, Dotty Otley in Noises Off, Katisha in The Hot Mikado and Fiona in How The Other Half Loves (Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch); Maxine in Stepping Out (Derby Playhouse); Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Dinsmore/Dora Bailey in Singin’ in the Rain, Flo Manero in Saturday Night Fever and Miss Bonnie in Acorn Antiques (UK tours); Joanna in Sunset Boulevard (Adelphi); May Belfort in Lautrec (Shaftesbury); Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show (The English Theatre Frankfurt) and Kiss Me, Kate, The Wizard of Oz and The Comedy of Errors (RSC).

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? 

I was actually on holiday in Lanzarote, where full lockdown had started on the Saturday night. I felt very remote and isolated and really wished I was with my Wicked family. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised, but I was shocked; the thought of everyone turning off their lights, closing their dressing room doors and having to walk away as the theatre locked behind them with no knowledge of when it would reopen was a unique and terrible thing. 

Can you tell us anything productive you’ve been doing?

My cupboards love the lockdown me. I’m a terrible clutterer and hoarder and I’m very untidy so I’ve Marie Kondo-ed the hell out of my entire house. It was so good for my emotional state too, getting rid of things and having clear space. I’ve started Couch to 5K to get fit, and I’ve done some online charity fundraisers and mentoring/teaching. I record audiobooks too so I’ve been cracking on with those. 

WICKED announces full cast for UK & Ireland Tour

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is delighted to announce that Amy Ross (Elphaba), Helen Woolf(Glinda), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), Emily Shaw (Nessarose), Iddon Jones (Boq) and Nikki Bentley (Standby for Elphaba) will join the previously announced Aaron Sidwell (Fiyero) to lead the cast of the forthcoming return engagement of the spectacular, critically acclaimed and multi record-breaking UK & Ireland Tour in 2018.

Amy Ross (Elphaba) has most recently been starring as ‘Nicola’ in the hit musical Kinky Bootsin the West End. She previously appeared in Sunny Afternoon, playing ‘Joyce’, at both the Hampstead Theatre and in the West End; Helen Woolf (Glinda) has most recently been appearing in the London production of WICKED and was also part of the original 2013 UK & Ireland Tour company. She has played the role of ‘Glinda’ on many occasions; Aaron Sidwell(Fiyero) has just finished playing ‘Steven Beale’ in the BBC’s EastEnders, a role he originally played in 2007/08. His many acclaimed musical theatre appearances include Grey Gardens(Southwark Playhouse), American Idiot (Arts Theatre, London) and the leading role of ‘Michael Dork’ in Loserville The Musical (West Yorkshire Playhouse and in the West End); still best remembered as ‘Max Farnham’ in Brookside, Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond) starred in the UK & Ireland Tour (joining in 2014) and on the International Tour of WICKED. He also played Doctor Dillamond in the West End. Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), Emily Shaw (Nessarose) and Iddon Jones (Boq) all recently starred in the International Tour of WICKED; Nikki Bentley (Standby for Elphaba) has recently appeared in the Asian Tour ofGhost The Musical, the UK & Ireland Tour of Shrek the Musical and in Monty Python’s Spamalot in the West End. 

Mamma Mia! the Musical: Theatre Review

Mamma Mia! is a musical based around the songs of ABBA, It first opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in 1999 and later transferred to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2004. The musical will be moving to its third home in September to the Novello Theatre. A film version of the musical starring Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Amanda Seyfried and many more Hollywood names was released in 2008 and is the UKs highest ever grossing film.

The story follows Sophie, who is getting married to her Fiancé Sky, She wants her father to be present at her wedding but she doesn't know who he is. She steals her mother's diary and reads the entries from the time when she was conceived and she finds out she has three possible dads. She invites them all to the wedding and when her mother, Donna, finds out they are all at her hotel she goes mad! The production is directed by Phyllida Lloyd who does a brilliant job at working with the set which was designed by Mark Thompson, the set is two white curved walls that move around to create different locations. This clever piece of design makes the production for me; too much set would have ruined this musical so Marks designs work brilliantly within this show. Howard Harrison also produced a fantastic lighting design in this show; it worked remarkably with the other design aspects of the production. Although the design is very simple, it's perfect. Something that people often don't think about when watching this production is how such a simple design could work as great as it did.