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[0:01] Rebecca Trehearn: My name is Rebecca Trehearn and you're listening to Eleven, the official theatre podcast.

[0:24] William J Connolly: Enjoying the madness? Please help me welcome to this the next episode of Eleven. She's the extraordinary Olivier-winning star that's loved for her rather special blend of storytelling and singing, which, as I've experienced, has got the power to move many of us to tears. And now she's back with a rather exciting new heart-opening musical. And she's here to tell me all about it. So I say hello, Rebecca Trehearn. How are you?

[0:59] Rebecca Trehearn: Hello, I'm very well, thank you. How are you?

[1:01] William J Connolly: I feel like when I first started loving theatre, I feel like you are genuinely one of the first voices that I fell in love with. So this is such a real genuine love for me to do this. I remember seeing the very exciting casting announcement, which we're going to talk about in a second and being like, I think I might have just found my next guest on this podcast, because I've got so many questions. So this feels like a really lovely, genuine 360 moment for me. So thank you so much a million times for agreeing to do this. In a period of time, I imagine for you, you have opened. People are coming to see it, you're getting that extraordinary reaction to it. Where are you at the minute in the creative process of your mind? Are you in the old fucking hell moment? Or are you in the, I'm actually starting to enjoy this?

[1:38] Rebecca Trehearn: I am in that moment, the latter. I feel like I'm starting to settle. I feel like the sort of tiredness of tech and previews and the many, many changes that went in during previews, all of that is starting to kind of calm down. And I'm figuring out how to pace myself better so I can breathe occasionally. But yeah, I feel I think it's probably fair to say that all the company is starting to feel like we've really found the pace of it now, you know, and I'm just having a lovely time. It's such a beautiful show.

[2:06] William J Connolly: There's sort of creative then that likes the madness of that period, like you like, yeah, bring on the changes or do you get to a point of like, no, no, I'm full.

[2:15] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah, even though it, you know, it can be stressful, obviously, but I love making things. I love doing new work because you get to be a part of creating it, you know, and that to me is so much more exciting than going into something pre-existing, you know, and kind of slotting it like a cog in a wheel and not necessarily having as much freedom to find your way through a piece. So, yeah, I'll take the chaos every time.

[2:38] William J Connolly: It's interesting you say about sort of starting from the beginning, because I feel like there have been projects, I'm just thinking off the top of my head, like Cinderella and Nancy and stuff where you've got the opportunity to be able to create and that's not always afforded to people in this industry. You do, as you mentioned, sort of often come into a role and stand on this number and make it your own, but the foundations are there. So, do you like doing those things? Do you sort of have that period of actually I'm going to look for projects that will serve me creatively as well as give me the day-to-day rush of being in front of an audience?

[3:06] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah, very much so. I mean, I'd love to say that I have that much choice in terms of work, that would be a big fat lie. But yes, I very much sort of lean towards newer work these days having, you know, I've done a few of those big machine shows that have been around for years and there's a lot to be said for them and you know, I've had a great time. But I have learned over the years that I much prefer new work. Basically, I prefer being able to, as I said, be a part of creating something and build it in a room in collaboration with the rest of the company. That is what I find most satisfying when it comes to theatre work.

[3:40] William J Connolly: And do that thing where I think people say they don't do this, but I'm pretty sure everybody does it where they say, you know, just what did you think? What did you not like? What was the thing that you love? Like, do you tap up the audience a little bit? Do you go online and have a little peek at what they're saying, especially when it's so new?

[3:54] Rebecca Trehearn: Oh, yeah, I absolutely do. I kind of hate myself for it, but I can never resist reading reviews. And I think, you know, now that I'm that little bit older, I've got a slightly thicker skin about it all. And it's interesting. And what has been interesting with this show, which is so female-centric is seeing the response of male critics versus female critics. And that is not to say that the delineation is very much men don't like it and women do. That would be absolute nonsense. But it is people just respond in a different way. I read one review that I thought was very thoughtful and by a chap who said that he loved it, but felt like he couldn't quite connect with it. But then went on to say, because he, you know, he's a man, he will never understand what it's like to give birth and all the rest of it. And went on to say that, obviously, it's going to be it's a really powerful piece and women will probably relate to it in a very different way. And, you know, that's absolutely fair enough, I think.

[4:45] William J Connolly: Was that particular response and using example that you did, was that what people may think based on their gender? Was that discussed at any point during sort of the rehearsal process from a creative level?

[4:55] Rebecca Trehearn: Not especially, not that I remember. No, I mean, it's, no, I don't think it was anything that particularly concerned us when we were making it. I mean, obviously, the writers, Sir Tanya Azevedo and Finn Anderson, who have written the piece and Tanya also directed it. It's been in development for a long time. It's incredibly personal to them. And, you know, Finn is very interested in the migration of folk music from Scotland through Ireland over to Appalachia and so on. And Tanya is very interested in telling female-centric stories and queer stories. And I think that's what I love about this piece is the specificity of it. And of course, you know, you don't often see those stories. There aren't many musicals that centre queer female relationships, you know, and I think the specificity of that is what makes the show so special.

[5:42] Rebecca Trehearn: And, you know, obviously not everybody will relate to the experiences of the characters within the piece, but I think that there is pretty much something for everybody in this show, male or female, you know.

[5:54] William J Connolly: And it's also interesting to be able to see that while people may say that they don't have a similar experience to someone else, they also have an appreciation for it. And I feel like that's actually where we're moving the conversation on. It's not a male and a female or a gender questioning story. It's actually a story for everybody. And I don't know about you, but I think that's really exciting.

[6:10] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah, there's real universality at the heart of it, I would say. And I do think that, like I said, there is something for absolutely everybody in this piece.

[6:22] William J Connolly: I joked about it in the introduction about you being able to bring many people to tears. And I feel like that may be a little, a very small but important subplot for you. And I remember, I think it was one of the first times I really experienced that, and perhaps similar to this show, is like, I remember being like, oh, I feel very tearful watching you in Ghost, but then the very grown gentleman next to me really did have a hard time. He was completely gone, full of tears. And it was so interesting to see the same experience, but through two very different ways. Not that I certainly didn't feel it because I was a mess, but the man next to me, he let it all go. He experienced the full Rebecca Trehearn experience of bring on the tears. And we found your niche.

[6:58] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah, I think it's on my CV under special skills. Emotionally destroying people. But no, I mean, Ghost was such a special show and a really sort of personal one for me because I was dealing with my own loss at the time. And I think probably some of that filtered, very much some of it filtered into the performance. I know it did. And that show kind of helped me peel and cope with things, you know.

[7:23] William J Connolly: A new musical in London, in this space. It's so unbelievably exciting. Talk to me about Ballad Lines. It's one of those things where you read it and you go, this is genius. Why has this not been done before? And I imagine you probably had a similar experience. Of course I'm going to do this. Of course I want to be involved.

[7:42] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah. Well, I mean, I first kind of was introduced to the piece back in 2020. They did a sort of concert version of it, I think, at the Lowry in Manchester, which I was supposed to be a part of. But of course, it was 2020 and Covid scuppered the original dates. And then by the time they were able to do it, I was attached to Cinderella. But then I got to do the cast recording this summer. Well, the concept recording rather. And absolutely fell in love with the score. And so I was absolutely delighted to be asked to be a part of the show.

[8:09] Rebecca Trehearn: And then, yeah, the story, as you say, it's kind of difficult to put in a nutshell, but there's kind of two strands to it, I guess. There's the story of how folk music travels and migrates over the centuries from Scotland to Ireland to modern-day Appalachia. And it also tells the stories of a handful of women over the centuries who are all dealing with issues around personhood, female autonomy, motherhood, whether they want to be mothers, whether they are not given a choice in the matter. And it's also about legacy, I suppose, and the stories that we choose to pass on and carry forward. And it's just so beautiful.

[8:47] Rebecca Trehearn: I mean, it's left me really thinking about my family history and where I've come from. And, you know, I'm not a parent and I don't intend to become a parent. But still, you know, what will I carry forward from my own family history? Where will that go? It asks the most profound questions of people, I think. And audiences are really moved by it. I think it's kind of, you know, it says a lot that in the very early stages of this run, we've had a lot of people come back multiple times already. So, you know, that's a good thing.

[9:15] William J Connolly: That's like a loving embrace, I think, from an audience that's found something that really connects to them. And all the things that you just mentioned are so deeply personal, but also stuff that, respectfully, we haven't really spoken about all that much, particularly in a mainstream theatre experience, which I can imagine for you is probably quite vulnerable to be able to take an audience there, but also quite exciting once you do, because you see, as you say, the response that they've had to it and wanting to re-engage with it as well.

[9:41] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah, very much so. I mean, it's my character, for the most part, is kind of a storyteller, you know, she's kind of on the fringes of it narrating and popping in and out. And there's this big question as to why precisely she's fallen out with her. So Sarah, she raised as her own child, but they've had this catastrophic falling out and you don't find out until towards the end of Act Two why that was. So it's, I'm always kind of itching to get to that moment, because A, it's the only time I actually get to speak to another actor, kind of, in a duologue as opposed to, you know, narrating from the outside. But B, because it's so satisfying to sort of resolve that question for us and for the audience, I think.

[10:20] William J Connolly: I think as well because this is such an interesting tone of music and again that feels so exciting for an audience but I can imagine for you as well, it sort of gets the butterflies going of like flexing into a different part of your voice as well, which is probably quite thrilling.

[10:33] Rebecca Trehearn: I absolutely love it. I mean, I love folk music, full stop.

[10:37] Rebecca Trehearn: I grew up competing in the Eisteddfods, and a lot of that is, you know, there's folk music elements, there's kettant, which is singing contrapuntally with a harp. So I kind of grew up doing a lot of that. But yeah, it's very much using a different part of my voice. It's that very sort of twangy, not necessarily pretty kind of American Appalachian folk sound, and it's really fun to get to explore that. But the score is really varied. You know, there are elements of kind of blues and jazz and contemporary pop, and Finn's done such a beautiful job of weaving these traditional folk ballads through all of that. It's just the most beautiful score to sing. I absolutely love it.

[11:19] William J Connolly: And is it this mix of dialogue and music as well, where you feel like the blend between the two, you almost don't spot where one ends and another begins?

[11:27] Rebecca Trehearn: Very much so. I mean, I think Finn's slightly allergic to musical buttons. You know, I was thinking about this the other day, there are very few really clear applause points in our show. It all just kind of melds seamlessly from one thing to the other, which is just joyful as well, because I think it keeps people really immersed in the story.

[11:44] William J Connolly: So tell me what it's been like with starting off and then having the audience reaction, and then especially because this genre of music is incredibly intricate, but personal, I imagine it means that you've almost found that, does it like essentially change a touch in the way in which you present it every day, because it is so fluid, because it is so earthy as well? Or do you find that it's very rigid? How does it sort of play out from a musical perspective with your instrument?

[12:08] Rebecca Trehearn: Doesn't feel especially rigid. No, I mean, obviously you're bound to a certain extent by what is on the page. But the lovely thing about that space is how intimate it is. And you really can sort of, you can see the whites of the audience's eyes, and they can see the whites of your eyes. And you can sort of respond in real time, I guess, to what you're seeing on their faces. And yeah, I mean, it's a company who is keen to keep exploring. I think I'm seeing things sort of shift nightly, and I get to sit on the stage and watch a lot of the time as well, which is just joyful for me, seeing how people's performances are changing and developing as we go along. So yeah, it feels like a fluid thing, for sure.

[12:47] William J Connolly: Do you find yourself almost staring at certain audience members and making that connection to the point at which they probably feel most fond of, but you're like, oh, I see where they're at now?

[12:56] Rebecca Trehearn: I try not to, I try not to fully make people squirm. But there are odd moments where I like to pick people out and deliver lines to them. And sometimes they're really up for it. And sometimes they're like, oh God, don't look at me.

[13:05] William J Connolly: I'm not gonna lie, I think I might be the latter. As much as I love you, I'd be like, no please.

[13:10] Rebecca Trehearn: I was reading some of the press material, I think it was probably like just over a couple of weeks ago. And I read this amazing line, which was, it's for fans of Hadestown, The Curious Incident, Benjamin Button and Once, which are the three happiest shows in the world.

[13:20] William J Connolly: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's, I mean, once I was obsessed with that show, I saw it multiple times. So to be in something that's kind of in that world is just, it's such a treat. I can't even tell you. I feel like it needs to come with a warning, which is like, just be prepared to leave your problems at the door and let's go on a journey together. This is going to be a collective experience.

[13:40] Rebecca Trehearn: Very much so. And I mean, we're kind of out among the audience a lot of the time as well. So I think, I hope that they feel like they're very much within the story now that it's all happening around them. There's no separation. There's no delineation between us and the audience. It is, it is up close and personal.

[13:58] William J Connolly: I feel like you have this beautiful mix in your career of picking, like, as we sort of said at the beginning, these big mega musicals, these big blockbuster musicals, perhaps with a rep or an IP that has already been, that's already known either from a film or from, as I say, like the big shows, but also these types of shows that really, quite frankly, test you in terms of your ability to be able to connect with an audience on a big scale or on a more intimate scale. Is that something that is a more, slightly more deliberate decision based on where you're at in your life and how you want to feel your art? Like, do you, do you like the fact that it is different or, because some people don't do that. Some people just stick with the big barns and that's where they feel comfortable. But I feel like you maybe do like a bit of a challenge now and again.

[14:39] Rebecca Trehearn: Oh God, very much so. I mean, certainly in the early stages of my career, I took whatever came along. I would be lying if I said it was a tour selective, you know, and there are certain jobs that I took, frankly, out of fear because, you know, when you've got a year's worth of money on the table versus nothing, I sort of wimped out and took the easy option. But I've, I have learned hard lessons by making those choices, you know, I am, I am happier doing this sort of work. And yes, you know, the great big productions are great. And frankly, they are great financially. And sometimes you just need to go there. But I am happiest doing these projects that feel truly, I suppose, idiosyncratic and creative and that stretch me in all directions, you know?

[15:26] William J Connolly: What about things like Becoming Nancy then? Because that's such an interesting project, because it's very fun, like hilariously fun. And I adored that part of it, but also almost unspoken in terms of some of the subject matters that it speaks out in such a huge space. And I honestly find myself very overwhelmed seeing that show being like, I can't believe we're doing this on this scale, which is such the charm of the show. But also with creators like Jerry Mitchell, who obviously from the beginning that are the best in what they do, but also speaking about it, not in London, doing it out in the counties, doing it in Birmingham, to bring it to an audience that people aren't specifically traveling to London to see, but they're seeing in their own space.

What's it like to get to also take yourself out of London? Obviously, I know you did the Ghost Tour, and I remember seeing you on that, which means that you have done that previously. But to get to go to a space outside of London and ask people to introduce them and ask them to go with you on projects like that, that are, quite frankly, just beautiful.

[16:20] Rebecca Trehearn: It's joyful. And I mean, Birmingham is becoming something of a musical theatre hub these days. But people loved that show. I mean, it had so much heart. And I, you know, I'd never worked with Jerry prior to that job. So it was a real treat to get to work with him. Yeah, I don't live in London these days, aside from anything else. So London is kind of not the centre of the universe for me anymore. So it's really lovely to get to go elsewhere and get to know different parts of the country and different audiences. And the response we had was just so, so warm and so heartfelt to that show. It was joyful. And quite camp as well, which I know is...

[16:58] William J Connolly: Oh yes, extremely camp.

[17:02] Rebecca Trehearn: I've seen that Cinderella post, so I know camp is literally your middle name.

[17:06] William J Connolly: Do you remember that coat? Do you remember?

[17:08] Rebecca Trehearn: Those costumes ruined my life. They were so beautiful, but I could not do anything for myself. I couldn't even get around the building without my lovely dresser, Lottie, kind of helping me, holding the back of the dress. It was kind of infantilising and it drove me a little bit batshit. I'm not going to lie, but it was worth it because they looked spectacular on stage.

[17:31] William J Connolly: So things we've noticed so far is camp and tearful. Okay.

[17:34] Rebecca Trehearn: I'm noticing a theme, Rebecca.

[17:38] William J Connolly: But a very good wheelhouse and niche to earn. So keep going with that one.

[17:42] William J Connolly: Forgive me if this is a slightly crude question, but I wondered if you felt anything changed after that very deserving Olivier win that you had and how you felt that you approached your art and the way in which you wanted to be seen by other people as well. Because I know that great celebration around winning such a huge accolade and so overwhelmingly deserved. But also I imagine there's a part two to that conversation, which perhaps we don't discuss all that much, which is accolade, pedestal and level versus expectation of what you can actually deliver as a living, breathing human being. So did anything change, to be blunt?

[18:14] Rebecca Trehearn: Well, I mean, interestingly, I'd spoken prior to the win with other people who've won them and said that actually they hit a real dry patch afterwards. And I kind of found the same thing. You know, there was this kind of initial flurry of come and do this workshop, come and do that workshop, come and come and do this interview. But I didn't do a show until the following year. You know, it really it's and I don't really know why that is. I don't know if people assume that you'll be busy or that. I don't know is the honest answer, but no, it I think it perhaps changed things for me and that there's just it maybe gave me a little confidence boost, I guess. And I don't know, it just I suppose I felt like I'd sort of earned my place a little bit.

I don't know. I don't know how to articulate it, really. But it's I think it perhaps did make it does make people view you in a slightly different way and that I feel like maybe there's a little bit more kind of respect or seriousness baked in. But fundamentally, I think those things are lovely. And I'm so grateful. And it was such a magical, magical experience. But the best thing you can do is go, OK, that was that. Now forget about it and move on. And don't assume that anything is going to come with it necessarily. Just keep trying to make the work you want to make, because I think kind of, you know, if you put too much stock in these things, that way madness lies, you know.

[19:41] William J Connolly: From the conversations I've had, I believe that's a similar experience of many people, which is you do have to you do have to put the work first. And that's a wonderful thing in your arsenal. But actually, it's it is about hopefully the confidence boost that we all need in this industry, because it can be a pretty tough thing sometimes. But just that you have earned your place. You have earned it specifically for that rather extraordinary role in Showboat, but also that it was something that deeply connected to audiences. And I think, you know, I'd be having in my handbag and bag all the time, just casually popping on table just to remind myself, get the fuck up and do the work because you're good enough. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes it's a nice little kick up the bum for yourself more than anything.

[20:22] Rebecca Trehearn: Well, do you know what? My husband and I, we let our spare room in Cardiff as digs, because we're very close to the WMC and it's in the living room. And I think people often think it's fake. So, oh my God, what kind of people do you think we are?

[20:36] William J Connolly: You should put like a secret camera in there, especially if it's theatre digs, and just be like, how long does it take for them to really?

[20:41] Rebecca Trehearn: Leave it out so you can play with it if you want to, you know?

[20:44] William J Connolly: Now, and the worst user ever going back to this extraordinary work and the fact that you have, it's a good length of run as well. I imagine that's quite exciting for you to be able to sort of get your teeth into the nitty gritty of it and actually get to feel like you can spend some time with characters. I think we're seeing, I mean, it's exciting to be able to see short, but actually this feels quite exciting that you do get to spend some time with her and to get to go through it. So, is that the sort of thing as well you think, oh, I'm here because I'm going to spend some time with her and I'm going to get to go through it?

[21:14] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah.

[21:14] William J Connolly: Where will she be in a month's time? Where will she be in six weeks time? Am I being too literal and that's slightly terrifying?

[21:20] Rebecca Trehearn: No, not at all. Like I said, it does continue to sort of morph and new ideas come to you all the time. And I'm really pleased that it's a slightly longer run because, you know, the last few jobs I've done, all of which I've had a really happy time on, they've all been three week ones, I think, and you end up rehearsing it for longer than you get to play. And, you know, you come to the end and it's like, oh, I'm not done with it yet. No. So yeah, to get a couple of months on this is going to be really satisfying, I think. I could probably quite happily do it for longer, to be honest. But it does, as you say, it gives you that time to really dig into every corner of it and figure out who these women are.

[21:53] William J Connolly: Can I ask a very specific question about your voice? Because you have such a lovely tone and inflection. And I think I was looking on your website, I think you describe it as this warm tone. I was like, that is the perfect way to describe the fact that, I mean, you can belt for the gods, God bless you. And I remember, I remember there was a clip and I think it's from a little bit of time ago now, but I believe, is it the Actors Church performance where you're singing Gravity by Sara Bareilles? Am I putting two and two together?

[22:14] Rebecca Trehearn: Yeah. I remember a friend shared it with me, she's not particularly into musical theatre, she went, watch this. And I was like, oh, I love Sara Bareilles. And I know who that lady is. So I listened to it. And it was this beautiful tone in a way that I've never really heard, especially Sara Bareilles has this beautiful sort of light voice. And you have this extraordinary warmth and depth to your voice that is so exciting. But I know having spoken to people like Julia Murney, you say that when you have voices that don't fit the pingy narrative of modern musical theatre, people go, oh, that's different. And you actually have to sit with that and be, quote, different. This is a podcast, I'm doing air quotes. How has your relationship with your voice been through your career? And do you feel that it has changed? Have you learned to love the fact that your voice is different in the most beautiful way? And that's the greatest part about it?

[23:02] Rebecca Trehearn: I think I've always been really sort of grateful to not fit that pingy mould, as you describe it. You know, I like my voice. I'm not, I don't have the biggest range, you know, I'm not the most adept riffer and this, that and the other. But I do think, I think I've kind of always had a timbre, I guess, that people respond to, which is lovely. But you're absolutely right. I mean, certainly, I think it took until my 30s for things to sort of start to shift for me professionally. And I think part of that was probably to do with sounding older than I was. And also, you know, I don't look like, I was never going to be a Sophie in Mamma Mia, you know, because I don't fit that mould, either physically or vocally.

And, you know, my first Western job was We Will Rock You. And when I was at college, everybody was like, oh, you'll be in Phantom, you'll be in Les Mis, you'll be in this, that and the other. And, you know, I've never done either of those shows. And it was a real shock to me to get that job. But now I look back and think, well, no, it sort of utilised a bit of my voice that I didn't even know I had necessarily at the time. And it was actually, in many ways, the best thing that could have happened to me, because it made me think, oh, maybe, maybe I can do more than I think I can do and that other people think I can do. And I guess it's led me to try to find really varied roles. But I, yeah, when I sort of reached a womanly age, shall we say, that's when things got interesting, when I could play women instead of girls, then I was like, okay, now I've found my world. Now my voice becomes useful, you know?

[24:31] William J Connolly: Thank you for not presenting the Zoom call by criticising my very technical tone of pingy.

[24:35] Rebecca Trehearn: I wasn't sure how to describe it, bless you.

[24:37] William J Connolly: I would never. I know exactly what you mean. But it's so interesting you say that, because I'm just thinking about, like, to use the ghost example, your voice is so different to Casey's, but yet, and obviously Siobhan that you're in the show with, but actually, that then took you on the tour as the principal lead. So actually, everything that you've said is absolutely true. But also, you could argue against all of that, because you were given the opportunity rightfully and absolutely delivered. So actually, you're almost challenging your own perceptions of yourself in a way.

[25:06] Rebecca Trehearn: I guess so, yeah. And I mean, I wanted that job so badly. I can't even tell you. I, you know, I left everything on the table for that one. And I was so, so delighted to get to take that story around the country. It was, you know, it's one of the great professional joys of my life. And it, I guess that sort of started this like shift in perception of me and what I could do in the industry, because it was my first big leading role on a big commercial tour, you know, and that's when things started to, I guess, the kind of upward trajectory started. But I feel like my career has been a really slow burn. And that frustrated me when I was younger. But now, now I think it was probably the absolute best thing that could have happened to me.

Because, you know, I saw people when I was very young have huge success straight out the gate. And then when that fades away, you know, you haven't had to cope with the periods of being out of work. And it's, it's more of a shock to us, to the system in a way. So I think, yeah, this kind of slow but steady trajectory through the business has served me well, ultimately.

[26:07] William J Connolly: But also to have a gift and a voice like yours that I imagine people come and discuss with you and say how they feel a kinship to you and how they love specific parts of your voice, very similar to the experience that I had, which is actually my first sort of entry into the world of Rebecca Trehearn, but also to have a career that takes you from a show like We Will Rock You, covering like Killer Queen, which is this ridiculously huge, big sound through to the ghost examples, Becoming Nancy, and then all the way to Showboat, which none of them are in the same world. But actually, I'd argue the Miss Pingy that we were just talking about a second ago, like she's not doing that. But you are with this. So I hope that now and you said you are at that space now. This is your superpower. The difference is what makes you different. And hopefully you feel a power with that.

[26:49] Rebecca Trehearn: Very much so. You know, I love to get to explore all those different genres. And I guess I guess it's one of my strengths is that my voice is relatively versatile and I can sort of slip in and out of different styles. And it's thrilling to me. You know, I sometimes I think, well, what would I sound like if I just sang as myself, you know? But I love to get to explore all these different avenues.

[27:13] William J Connolly: Obviously buy tickets for Ballad Lines, but also please do go listen on YouTube to that Sara Bareilles cover. I promise you, you'll do what I do and play a couple of times to go, wow, this is this is very, very impressive.

[27:27] Rebecca Trehearn: You've been incredibly kind with your time. I just have two very final questions for you, if that is okay. I feel like this industry has made such a huge shift, particularly in the last sort of five years about the fact that we're giving audiences the power to be intelligent. And what I mean by that is that we're not relying on us as the storytellers, or should I say you as the storytellers to explain everything, but rely on the fact that people want to be emotionally connected. They want to be able to have escapism. And often the escapism comes with a level of intelligence that is audiences can go on a pretty heavy journey with the cast. And we don't have to sort of just tip along the surface, we can dive deep.

And we see that with some absolutely extraordinary pieces of work in recent years. And I feel this is becoming the norm. And I think that's very, very exciting. And again, I use the example of Chris Harper, but he was just like, this is where I'm at. Harold Fry is a pretty, pretty heavy time for an audience. And they seem to love it. And I wanted a similar experience to the project you're working on now. Do you feel like we can dive deep? Do you feel like we can ask more of audiences? And is that exciting for you as the person that gets to do the storytelling?

[28:28] Rebecca Trehearn: 100% in every way. I mean, our story, it does dive deep, it goes to some dark places. And you're asking audiences to hold on to lots of different story strands as well. And we've all worked really hard to make sure that that is as clear as possible without spoon feeding audiences. As you said, people, I think people love to be challenged and they want to be moved and they want to be taken on a journey. And I mean, the response to our show has been so beautiful. And, you know, we can see people in bits at the end. And I think, yeah, I think people seek catharsis a lot of the time in theatre. I know I certainly do. It's, you know, there's something ritualistic about it, isn't there? Everybody coming together in a room and telling the story as one. And it's one of the few remaining spaces where that happens, I think. And it's just such a magical thing. So yeah, I think there is absolutely space for more challenging work.

[29:25] William J Connolly: And very finally, can you remember the very first theatre job that you got where you got paid to be an actor?

[29:31] Rebecca Trehearn: I think it was a production of Wind in the Willows at the Arcadia Theatre in Llandudno, which doesn't exist anymore, I don't think, when I was about 10 years old. I'm pretty sure we got paid something for doing it. I don't remember. If it wasn't that, it was Herbennie at the Liverpool Empire when I was 11, I think. I think I was getting paid about 70 quid a week, and I thought I was going to retire.

[29:56] William J Connolly: So if you think back to that period of your life, and let's take the 70 pounds a week job, that's when you're absolutely rolling in it and ready to retire. But if you think back to then, and the rather extraordinary opportunities that have come to you, and that you've really worked hard for, and that you've made sure feel true to you, I feel like one thing that's very commendable about you is you sort of joked about taking the jobs that give you the financial stability, but also the jobs that are creatively going to turn you on, that's going to make you want to be the artist that you hope that you could be. And of course, with the huge successes and breakout moments, and of course that Olivier win as well.

What do you think that Rebecca back then would make of the Rebecca that's been sat with me for the last half an hour? Do you think that she would in any way believe that this crazy journey and all these accolades and the success creatively and professionally, think she would believe that this would happen?

[30:45] Rebecca Trehearn: No, I was driven to do this from a very young age. And I think I knew by the time I was about 11 or 12 years old that I wanted to do it professionally. So I suppose, in my sort of naive tunnel vision way, I thought, well, that's, that's just what's going to happen. That's going to be my life. But no, I don't think I would have believed for a second that I would have the sort of, quote, unquote, success that I've had. And it's, you know, I just eyes forward, keep going for me, you know.

[31:14] William J Connolly: Thank you so much for your time. I do genuinely appreciate it. And most importantly, good luck with this such an exciting new piece of work in a world of lots of let's convert this and do this. I'm just so excited that we have something like this, that's, that's exciting for an audience to be able to go on the journey with. So thank you so much for agreeing to do this. And most importantly, good luck.

[31:34] William J Connolly: You've been listening to Eleven, the official theatre podcast. Find out more about Eleven at elevenpodcast.com or via the Broadway Podcast Network.