Reviving romance

9:23am Saturday 29th March 2008

Poppy Tierney considers if love really does A change everything at the musicals

ASPECTS Of Love arrives in Darlington next week minus the romantic appeal of David Essex. The role of sugar-daddy George is now played by James Graeme in a show best known for hit Love Changes Everything. But this, and other changes, have improved the first major revival in 15 years of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1989 erotically romantic musical, based on David Garnett's novel, says performer Poppy Tierney.

She has played the dark and captivating Giulietta since Lloyd Webber re-launched Aspects from Newcastle's Theatre Royal in September last year.

Poppy feels the piece has grown in appeal since opening on Tyneside and developed because the central role of actress Rose's (Shona Lindsay) toyboy lover Alex Dillingham is now in the hands of Tim Rogers instead of Matt Rawle.

Central to the plot is the love entanglement between five people and the taboo hint of attraction involving a mature man and a young girl.

I asked Poppy if there was any concern expressed to director Nikolai Foster over the blossoming love scenes between Alex and his ex-lover's child, the young teenage Jenny, which is a highly disturbing theme today.

"Well she could actually be Alex's child so that could be another twist although it's not an uncommon thing to happen to a 15-year-old. I suppose that's why the piece is being done to raise these questions," she replies.

"Everybody is different and has different views on life so everyone will take something completely different from the piece. So it is thoughtprovoking and I don't think Tim's portrayal is so shocking."

She reveals that Andrew Lloyd Webber has been very supportive of the show and attended three performances in spite of becoming heavily involved for the TV hunt for the next West End Nancy and Oliver in I'd Do Anything.

"He's become very involved because I think it's one of his favourite shows even though it's not his most commercial success. But it's close to his heart for some reason," Poppy explains.

Having taken lead roles in Mary Poppins, My Fair Lady and Tess Of The D'urbervilles, Poppy is ideally placed to view the impact of casting for West End shows using a televised public vote.

"I like the fact that musical theatre is now flavour of the month and the girls who are getting roles like Maria in the Sound Of Music have trained professionally. People are still auditioning but have live cameras on them. The ego takes a battering and you're either right for something or you're not," she replies, admitting that she would have been tempted herself if she was fresh out of Italia Conti "with nothing to lose".

"If you have exposure through your work it's too risky to do because people are already following your career,"

Poppy adds.

She's contracted until the end of June in Aspects Of Love and this means she's already missed out on a chance to take a touring version of Mary Poppins on the road.

"They've cast the show and I'm also recording at the moment with a label called Songphonic and making an album - currently called Unlock Me - which hopefully won't alienate my musical theatre fans," she says of her work on several co-written songs added to those selected by her record company.

"When my contract ends I can go into the studio and focus on it because as a leading lady you find that your work is sporadic. So it is nice to have something else to focus on."

There's a slight air of mystery when I ask Poppy about her favourite track so far. "It's called Catch You Next Time Around. It was inspired a bit by Giulietta, but not quite. It's about meeting someone in life that you can't have because of the situation. So it's making a choice. Maybe you'll meet them if you get a second chance in life, if you believe in reincarnation. It's like you meet someone and absolutely connect with them but they're married and it's not necessarily about my life but about lots of people's lives," she explains.

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