Prior to her high profile stint in the Michael Mayer
directed London production of Funny Girl back in 2016, rising star Natasha J Barnes may not have been a household name, but there’s a
good chance that London based musical theatre fans had already encountered the
actor. Having made her West End debut in the relatively short-lived London
production of Spring Awakening, also directed by Mayer, Barnes’ previous musical
theatre credits included Heather in American Idiot at the Arts Theatre and
Svetlana in Chess at the Union Theatre. ‘I did every school play, local poetry
competitions, anything I could get my hands on’ the actress expresses, explaining how
her love of performing began at a young age. ‘The passion grew from there
really, into Theatre studies a-levels, NYMT, YMT and open auditions. An open
audition is how I booked Spring Awakening’.
It’s been 6 years since the fateful audition which catapulted
Barnes into a professional career in the theatre, and now she is starring as
Fanny Brice on many of the stops during Funny Girl's UK tour, sharing the role equally with actor Sheridan Smith.
Barnes was cast in the ensemble of Funny Girl when it debuted at well-loved off-West End theatre the Menier
Chocolate Factory in 2015. However, when the show transferred to the West End in early
2016 Barnes was called upon to temporarily replace Sheridan Smith, after Smith
was forced to take a break from the show for personal reasons. Thankfully the
public welcomed the up-and-comer with open arms, and Barnes received plaudits
from audiences and critics alike. ‘The support I got at the Savoy was
unbelievable, from the company, the press, the audience, my family and friends;
it was completely overwhelming but it helped me to be bolder and develop my own
version of the character’ explains Barnes, who recalls ‘that character evolved
over that time into something that sat better inside me, and re-discovering that
this year has been really exciting.’
Musical theatre aficionados are undoubtedly aware of how
iconic the role of Fanny Brice is. Originated by superstar Barbra Streisand in both the 1963 Broadway production of Funny Girl, and revered 1968 big screen adaptation,
the self-professed “greatest star” is a plucky protagonist like no other. ‘Barbra
Streisand is a masterclass. Her voice has so many colours and the way she uses
the dialogue and music is fascinating to me’ says Barnes who, like so many
performers and fans alike, describes herself as ‘a massive fan’ of the 1968
film which introduced mass audiences to songs such as I’m The Greatest Star,
Don’t Rain on My Parade, and People, the latter being Barnes’ favourite song in
the show. ‘I love singing that song. It's a simple moment but such a defining,
human part of the story’ she says of the song, which has become something of a
musical theatre staple. In fact, the role of Fanny Brice has topped the dream
role list of many a musical theatre performer, whether aspiring or accomplished.
The character's life is filled with hope and joy, but besieged with tragedy
and heartbreak too. Such an interesting journey, accompanied by Jule Styne and Bob
Merrill’s music and lyrics, makes Brice a fascinating powerhouse of a role. ‘I
still have moments during the show where somewhere behind the character I light
up singing those melodies’ Barnes reveals.
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| Natasha J Barnes and Darius Campbell in Funny Girl Photo credit - Paul Coltas |
It’s clear that despite the vocal and emotional demands of the
show, as well as the logistics of touring, Barnes is having a great time working
on the Funny Girl tour. Describing the touring experience, she says ‘the
audiences are different at each venue, they bring a flavour of the community
and culture in with them and relate to different parts of the show in different
ways. It's always a fresh feeling stepping out onto the stage’. And as if she
wasn’t busy enough already, her debut album, which Barnes describes as ‘very
personal’ and ‘a step away from musical theatre’, is due to be released in
September 2017 as well.
Theatre lovers will undoubtedly be rushing to their nearest
tour venues to catch the 5 star production of Funny Girl as it entertains audiences up and down the country. In the words of the star herself, Funny Girl is ‘a
slick, glittering, West End quality show with real heart and humanity at the
centre of it. It's got laughter and tears and music and movement and it's a
wonderful way to escape for the evening!’
Find out more information about the 2017 Funny Girl tour by visiting www.funnygirlthemusical.co.uk
