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

[0:16] William J Connolly: Hello and welcome to Eleven, the official theatre podcast that brings the biggest stars and creatives together in one place to discuss life in the arts.

[0:25] William J Connolly: She's a West End and Broadway legend that's one of the most beloved people to ever tread the boards. Known globally for her fierce comedy and outstanding vocals, she's delivered signature performances as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Roxy Hart in Chicago, starred in Viva Forever, the Spice Girls musical, played Miss Berta in Acorn Antiques, played Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia, Grisabella in Cats, Rizzo in Grease, the original cast of Chess, and many, many more. And she's earned generations of fans with over 40 years in the industry. Now she's taking on one of the most beloved stage characters by playing dance teacher Mrs. Wilkinson in the new Curve production of Billy Elliot, a role that her friend and former colleague Julie Walters originated in the movie.

So here, in an exclusive conversation just before she begins rehearsals, we discussed taking on such a beloved character like Mrs. Wilkinson and why this is a part she fought to play. Plus, how Anything Goes changed her life forever, the brilliant but somewhat abrupt side of being a stage colleague to the late and great comedy genius Victoria Wood when they were mounting Acorn Antiques: The Musical, and what it was like being front and center in the historic production of the Spice Girls musical Viva Forever. You really don't want to miss this. Plus, why she hopes the industry remembers her for being one of the good ones. Strap in as it's legends only for the next 45 minutes as we welcome the Queen herself, Sally Ann Triplett, here now on this, the next episode of Eleven, the official theatre podcast.

[1:57] William J Connolly: To ensure the safety of all involved in this episode of Eleven, Sally and I connected with this conversation digitally. So please forgive any brief moments while we wait for the internet to catch up. Enjoy.

[2:07] William J Connolly: She's a West End and Broadway icon, signature vocalist, and a certified gay icon. So please help me welcome to this, the next episode of Eleven. Hello, Sally Ann Triplett, how are you?

[2:21] Sally Ann Triplett: I'm a certified gay icon. Fabulous. I love it. I'm very well, thank you. How are you?

[2:25] William J Connolly: It's very, very exciting for theatre fans like me because we get to see you in this brand new role in a brand new production, and it is arguably one of the greatest pieces of theatre to come to the stage. So let's dive straight in and talk all things Billy Elliot. For you, this is like arguably, I think, one of the greatest musical theatre roles. I mean, it's adored and it's had such huge success. Was this like the easiest yes you've ever said yes to?

[2:48] Sally Ann Triplett: I actually pursued this job. So I saw on, I guess it must have been Twitter that Nikolai was doing this reimagined version of Billy. And I literally immediately texted my agent and said, I really want to be seen for Billy. Um, and then he said, No problem, leave it with me. And that wasn't quite good enough for me because I wanted it so bad. So when I was doing White Christmas before last year, the end of last year, Nicolai had directed it at the Curve, and it was the Curve production. And one of the girls had his email, so I emailed him and I said, Nicolai, you need me in. I was like Kate Winslet when she got Titanic. I was like, you need me in this show. Um, I promise you, I'll I'm your girl.

I've I was in The Last Ship, so I can just about do the accent and da da da da. And he emailed back and he said, Look, we are not doing auditions yet, we don't do them until like end of December or something. So I really did. I pursued it, and Billy Elliot's been in my life ever since the film came out. I have watched it so many times. I've seen the show a couple of times, and I love the film, but I especially love the show.

[4:16] Sally Ann Triplett: People almost, and this is gonna sound like I'm slagging off the film, I am not at all, but they love the musical as much as the film. Like it's really become a core piece, and it sounds like you're one of those people that of course loves the film, but the musical just strikes a chord. I think it's the music that just makes you go, this is epic.

[4:32] Sally Ann Triplett: I think so, and also I think what people actually want to see is sort of life reflected back at them, and there's a lot of stuff out there which is just sort of escapism. Whereas something like Billy Elliot, you know, even if you're not old enough to remember it, it's set in the north of England, it's normal people, it's a normal, very, very normal kid who has a dream, and it's just it's a kind of a simple story, and it obviously it's a story of loss as well, which I guess is one of the main components of it. But it's just like I don't know if you know who Joan Littlewood was, but she was an incredible, she was like one of our greatest directors ever, and she would always, all her stuff was always political, but it meant that what she did was she put on stuff that people could relate to, and it was their lives reflected back at them.

Um, and I think that's one of the greatest things about Billy Elliot, and also what I like things like, I loved being in The Last Ship. I did The Last Ship on Broadway, Sting's story of the shipyards, which is literally up the road from the mines. And I think I like things like Blood Brothers, you know, things that are in England actually, and but the music is of course brilliant, Elton John. Wow.

[6:01] William J Connolly: Absolutely, and it feels very exciting for us as an audience because this is the first time that we've had a brand new retelling and reimagining of Billy Elliot since that signature and iconic West End production that you reference, which means that it's obviously we want to pay homage to what came before, and I know that Nikolai would very much do that. But at the Curve, they have this wonderful way of finding new life in incredibly signature pieces, modernizing them in some cases. For you, is the idea to put your stamp in a fresh way on such a role like this a challenge that you welcome?

[6:30] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh my god, yeah. I think that's why you're in the business. You know, I've taken over in roles many times, and if you're lucky, the person in charge says, Look, this is what we did last time. But I remember vividly when I started Mamma Mia, Paul Garronson, he said, Look, we kind of need to keep to these parameters, but we want you to feel free. Sometimes you don't get that opportunity when I took over in Cats, it's like to the letter, you can't maneuver anywhere around that. You may obviously put your take on Grisabella, but this is sort of brilliant and it's sort of daunting. I guess I've seen a sort of I guess I've seen like three people do it on stage. Um, and one of them is one of my best mates, Ruthie Henshaw, but for me, it's Julie Walters and I know her and I've worked with her, and you know, she's just so brilliant at what she does.

It's very, very hard to not think of her when you're thinking about how I'm gonna go about a scene. But I'm gonna just do what I always do, which is bring me to it and the truth and just, you know, and Nicolai, my god, he's just brilliant.

[7:55] William J Connolly: Absolutely, and that's what we as an audience want is to see your take on it. We want to be able to see what you can do in that, and that feels very exciting for us as an audience. Have you had a conversation with Julie to tell her and say, you know, I'm gonna be playing this role?

[8:07] Sally Ann Triplett: No, I haven't because I mean, if she saw me in a room, she would run to me, but and she has done she's done that before. Um Sally, Sally Ann. Because we worked together for about six months, but um I do know someone that knows her, and I thought how amazing would it be if she came to see it. So I'm gonna try my best to see if I mean if she's not working and it's not too much of a schlep, she might come up and see it. That would be amazing for everyone.

[8:36] William J Connolly: I was gonna say that moment probably will come at some point, so it's gonna be quite a sort of a 360 moment say, Oh no, I'm actually sort of playing you.

[8:44] Sally Ann Triplett: I know, I know, and there are actually lines in the show, lines in the film that I'd love to see if we can put in the show. Um, but I don't know, we'll get to it. Because I mean, I think you know, Nicolai's had conversations with the team already, and I think they're quite happy for him to try things out, you know, that haven't been done before. It's a sacred beast, Billy Elliot on stage, and I think that's perhaps why it hasn't been done for quite a considerable amount of time since it left the West End. And now to sort of have it back, it feels right that it's happening now.

[9:19] Sally Ann Triplett: No, I think you're absolutely right. I mean, it's 15 years, isn't it, since it opened? You know, when something is on for that amount of time and doesn't ever stop, it's just like this rolling machine. Everyone I say I'm doing Billy Elliot, they've either, I've met so many people that were in it. I think it is a good time. It's a good time to tell a story like this as well. Just with everything that's going on, it's a solid, no, no, no bells and whistles. I don't think Nicolai's gonna be giving any kind of glamour to that life. I think we're gonna be like jumping in and living, you know, where they're from. We're just gonna be those people, so yeah, I think it's a great time to do it, and yeah, everyone's so excited, as you said.

[10:10] Sally Ann Triplett: And the three fear of actually completely contradicting what you've just said. Also, so much fun.

[10:15] William J Connolly: It is, yeah, it is really fun.

[10:18] Sally Ann Triplett: And I went up to the Curve about three weeks ago, and it's like a, um sorry, this is my dogs. We're gonna hold on, I'm just gonna get the squeaky toy.

[10:27] Sally Ann Triplett: Okay. Diggy. Sorry, sorry, sneaky toy retreat. Um, I went up the other day, and there were 38 kids, and they were so excited. They were all shouting at me and scrambling, you know, the chaperones were like calm down, you can't run over at, you know, um but it was so exciting. Um the kids, four little Billys, four little Michaels, four little Debbies, and um the boxers and the ballet girls, and the number that I get to do with them is especially what we've been after what we've been through. I think it's just gonna be glorious.

[11:08] Sally Ann Triplett: I mean, I know that everybody has their favourite songs in the show, but I do think you will get to perform my favourite, which is Born to Boogie and Shine, which are like just like I do this is probably very much an overshare, but like sometimes I'm just, you know you have those songs where you're like, oh, I'm just gonna put it on because it just lifts you up, it sort of gets you ready to do something.

[11:24] William J Connolly: Yeah, yeah.

[11:24] Sally Ann Triplett: They are ones, especially in the world of musical theatre, I'm like, oh, you just feel good after listening to them.

[11:29] William J Connolly: You're gonna be on line all the way through the show.

[11:32] Sally Ann Triplett: Well, what's so good about it as well is that even though it's called Born to Boogie, it's got like this amazing story, it's taking you through at the end of it, something's happened. It's not just there because it's, you know, that's Lee Hall, isn't it? That's the brilliance of him.

[11:50] William J Connolly: Wow. Definitely, it's very, very exciting. And I was talking a few days ago to Jamie Bell, who of course played the title role in the original movie, and he, this was before the announcement of a potential sort of movie adaptation of the stage show. But he was saying that he credits so much of his life and career to the show and the fact that the film, sorry, and the fact that it has transformed his life and continues to do so, and he just says that he's so proud of the legacy of the theatre show and the fact that it sort of kept it alive.

[12:19] Sally Ann Triplett: So it's gonna feel like just one big family for you.

[12:22] Sally Ann Triplett: I think so, and um I've been reading a lot about how it came to be, how that all happened and how Lee Hall like started, what inspired him.

[12:35] Sally Ann Triplett: And the whole story of them putting it together is also such a family thing. I mean, it was on the shelf for I don't know, a number of years before he finally kind of got it down, gave it to Stephen Daldry, and he went, "Well, it's ready, it's ready to go." Like this is, you know, it kind of been overlooked for a number of years, and then they knew they had to do it in the summer holidays. Then they had to find a Billy, and I imagine just working on that film must have been so great; they just didn't know it's so different from anything else that came from before. My god, it just went on to have such huge success and didn't cost them anything.

[13:17] William J Connolly: Definitely.

[13:17] Sally Ann Triplett: I think that's perhaps why it had such a success because it did carve out a completely sort of almost a new narrative, really, and a new genre of sort of musical film that later became a musical. I think it is arguably the greatest for the right reasons, and I think its story is only sort of testament to the success that it's had. Yeah, and it, you know, it is a musical. Well, the film isn't a musical per se, but there's a lot of music in it, and the scenes that, I mean, no, the script is just second to none. It's just you don't get that very often in musical theatre.

[13:46] William J Connolly: Definitely.

[13:47] Sally Ann Triplett: We were saying a second ago about Julie coming to see it and potentially coming to see it at some point. Have you dared to dream about Elton turning up sometime?

[13:53] William J Connolly: Uh no, I haven't actually. I haven't kind of, but I mean, wow, that would be incredible, wouldn't it?

[14:00] Sally Ann Triplett: I met a guy the other day that used to work for Billy Elliot. He used to kind of, he was like he was on the ticket sales and more than that, but he said that Elton John flew them to Vegas as a kind of a thank you thing for all the years that they'd helped on Billy Elliot, and they were like, "Wow my god, this is incredible." When they got there, they were in this amazing hotel. They went to see his show, they sat down at this table, and they had drinks, they had food, they had whatever they wanted. And at the end of the concert of Elton's concert, he bought them all up on stage, and he said, "These guys are like the reason why you know Billy Elliot's success." So it's just like everyone is in it together. It's not like the star of Elton John, which is why I think it's so brilliant, is that there's not like one area that's in another kind of plane or another stratosphere, you know, it's all kind of connects to each other.

[14:59] William J Connolly: I love that story.

[14:59] Sally Ann Triplett: That's sort of testament, I think, to what we all think Elton John would be like, but you never quite know, and I love that.

[15:04] William J Connolly: Definitely, no, I'd love him to come. Oh my god, that would be brilliant. We talk about sort of Billy Elliot coming back, but there really is this sort of cycle of classics, and Billy Elliot very much is that of shows that are doing the rounds again. And of course, I believe it's tomorrow, Grease reopens in the West End, which is a show that you of course know very well. Does it make you very proud, or in some cases, as Arlene Phillips says, makes her feel very old in the way in which shows do that sort of cycle of going away and coming back again?

[15:29] Sally Ann Triplett: I just think it's testament to the fact that it's a brilliant show. I mean, Grease for me was just a game changer. I'd had my son, who's now 31, I did Cabaret up at the Crucible, and I was like, "Oh my god, how am I gonna do this?" You know, nowadays, girls are that become just become mums, and dads, of course, but they're, you know, that like can we job share and I don't want to work on Sundays and dah da, you know, I didn't there was not even a whiff of even asking for anything back then. It's just a brilliant, brilliant show, such a crowd pleaser. It does I guess it does make me feel old, but when you're still busy and still looking forward, you know, to being in Billy, and I'm doing a workshop this week, which is really different.

You just are in the moment that you're in, and I mean, oh my god, I loved playing Rizzo so much. When we first we were when we were rehearsing it, Arlene was choreographing the opening number, and she must have re-choreographed it about nine times, and on the final time she said, "Right, right, right, right, right, right, right. It doesn't work. I'm gonna try something completely new. Right, we're gonna have Rizzo at the front," and she put me at the front of this diamond shape, and I was standing there thinking, "Please don't change this, please don't change this, please don't change this." Oh, because it didn't get changed, and so it's like the greatest entrance I think I've ever had. The curtain goes up, and she's at the front with her fag and her red scarf and glasses, and oh my god, it's such a brilliant part. I mean, it's literally iconic.

[17:17] William J Connolly: That's that is the dictionary definition of iconic, and that obviously belongs to you.

[17:20] Sally Ann Triplett: Ah, it's great. Was Arlene?

[17:22] William J Connolly: Arlene is my heroine, she's literally my heroine. I just look up to her in so many ways, and she sort of got me that job because I was I came to the theatre to audition for my last audition. Robert Stigwood was there, he's no longer with us, god bless him. But he was the producer, he did Saturday Night Fever the film, and he was the huge producer, did Evita, and she came out into the foyer and she looked at me up and down, she went, "Um Sally, come with me." And she took me into the toilet and she kind of rearranged my clothes and she said, "Have you got any chewing gum?" I said, "Yeah." She said, "Have you got a fag?" And I said, "Yeah, I did. I brought some fags," and she said, "Right, let me put a bit more red lips.

When you go in, don't ever speak in your own accent. I want you to be in an American accent from the minute you go in because Stigwood won't be able to see past the, you know, he knew you need to kind of like sell it to him." So it was kind of because of her that I got it.

[18:18] Sally Ann Triplett: What's clear about talking to you about some of these different roles and the legacies and the things that you've been part of is that you have such fond memories of talking about your career in different shows, and you have done an extraordinary amount of things. I mean, I'd be here all day going through all the different things you've done. Do you think that variety and the fact that you've tackled roles as you say that are so different and in so many different locations and geographically here as well as in America? Do you think that's what's kept it fresh and kept and perhaps challenged you as an artist and a creative?

[18:44] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh, yeah, definitely. I mean, I couldn't do the same. I mean, I have. I've done shows, I did Grease for two years, I did Jolson for like two and a half years. We went to Canada and stuff. I did Cats for a year and a half, I did Anything Goes for a year. You know, they've all been kind of long runs, they've all been, as you say, they've all been pretty different. I mean, I guess I've got a bit of a tart with a heart. I've done a lot of sort of tart with a heart and sort of strong-willed women, but I've done other stuff as well. I mean, one of my favourite things I've ever done was I did Absent Friends, the Ayckbourn play, and I loved it so much. I just couldn't put her down after I finished. And that was, she was, you know, a completely different character.

But yeah, definitely variety is a spice of life, and that's what keeps you young. That's why Arlene Phillips at 78 is still getting up, springing out of bed every morning because she's just always looking for something new.

[19:46] William J Connolly: So many of my friends, when I told them I was going to talk to you today, spoke about their love of Anything Goes, and they talk about it so fondly as if it's like the only thing you've almost done. But do you know when you're doing something that perhaps this feels special, it could become something that will be a key part of my career?

[20:00] Sally Ann Triplett: Anything Goes was just one of those shows where every single element was the right thing. It was the right choreographer, the right musical director, the right director, the right set designer, the right costume designer, the right place, the right people, the right sound, the right people back because everything about it, and sometimes when you can get lots of really good people in a room, but they don't quite gel together. So it ends up not kind of working because maybe one department aren't listening to another department too well. Whereas on Anything Goes, of course, let's not forget the actual musical itself is like amazing. But I remember when I did Anything Goes and I was singing "You're the Top" with John Barrowman, and it was when we transferred to the Drury Lane, and it was packed because the Drury Lane was sort of packed for a year.

We really didn't have any spare seats for about a year, and the whole thing was, I think there might have been even a Saturday night, I don't remember, but it's full to the top. The most beautiful, iconic theatre in the West End. And I remember I kind of was on this deck chair, and as I kind of went to kind of get off the deck chair into the next bit, I kind of froze in mid kind of flight, and I thought to myself, "This will never ever get any better than this moment right now." I mean we all knew that Anything Goes was special. I ended up like not getting not even being nominated for any Oliviers at all because it just that's what happened that year. It was kind of tre, it Trevor knew it was his fault.

He actually sent me a letter to kind of apologize, but he put it in too quick. He put it in while we were in previews, and actually quite a lot of things changed in previews. But since Anything Goes, I have had people, so many people come up to me and say the reason I'm in this business is because my mum and dad bought me to see Anything Goes, and it completely and utterly changed my life, and it's that's amazing to be in something like that. And I don't mind that that's the only thing they know that I've done. It's like, you know, a lot of people just remember me from being in the Eurovision Song Contest, you know, or they remember me, um, love it and play it and you did Sweeney Todd, not just, I mean it was a few years ago now, but before the pandemic, but you know it's brilliant, it's great when it all works like that. It's fantastic.

[22:27] William J Connolly: I guess that's also the beauty of a cast album is it's immortalized forever. We can listen to you singing it whenever we see it.

[22:32] Sally Ann Triplett: I know, I mean the cast album is so good. Unfortunately, it was never filmed because the estate for some reason didn't want it filmed at the time. And Trevor really tried because he'd just done Oklahoma, which was great, but then yeah, they just weren't interested for whatever reason. But yeah, no, the album's brilliant.

[22:52] William J Connolly: Do you ever do what Lindsay Hatley did, which is think about the possibility of going back to a role, particularly ones that are so signature to? Do you ever sort of dream about that possibility? Because it's a big commitment, you know, if it's 10, 15, 20 years later to see if you can create the magic again.

[23:05] Sally Ann Triplett: I went to see Lindsay in Joseph last summer. It kind of seems to me, I never saw her do it originally, but my husband, when I met him, he kept on going on and on about Lindsay and Joseph, on and on and on and on. And of course, I've known Lindsay since she was 17. We did Carrie together. But I'd never seen it, and so I got tickets for his birthday. And I sat there and I thought, I bet you were brilliant when you first did this. But there's something about you doing it now which no one can touch. No one can touch, and no one you could she it was just you could see it in her face and in her eyes, the memories, the feelings, the excitement, the history of it. So, you know, for Lindsay doing that, that I mean it was it was so magical, it was so moving.

I would just sat there crying. But um, I don't know if there's anything I could really. I mean, I guess I could do Chicago again, but you know, no the narrator could sort of be any age, whereas I don't think Rizzo could be the age I am now. I mean, I know a lot of people that would disagree with you, but yes, like we very much. I mean, I don't want to say that I've got sort of pre-motive and sort of trying to twist your arm at all, but if Acorn Antiques did come back, please say you're gonna be.

[24:20] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh, that would be alright. That would be okay, because they're, you know, they're kind of quirky and they could sort of be any age, really. Yeah, I know. That would be great, wouldn't it? Acorn Antiques, I think might be, and I know we're not allowed favourites. Please don't hate me if you don't agree with this sentiment, but I think it might be my favourite thing I've ever seen you do. Only because I have I actually did a regional production of it in Sheffield that Victoria supported and came to see, and I guess it's just wonderful memories of seeing you do it, and then obviously being part of it that just reminded me that it's, yes, it's fun, of course it's fun, it's very, very witty, but it's also very clever, and I think that is of course genius to what Victoria wrote and created.

[24:56] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh my goodness, Vic was like no one else you've ever come across ever, ever, ever, ever, ever in your life. Tricky because she wanted it, she knew how it would work, and she was always right. She just knew how a line should be said, where you should stand, how long you should pause before saying the line, literally, and I'm not I'm not saying I this she did this to me as well. She gave me a pause reading, and it was during the scene. She was right. She she said, you know, you've got to give it a minute, give it a bit longer. And she she said, I'll let you know. And I was like, What do you mean you'll let me know? She said her line is Mrs. O, because she was on twice a week, and then she turned around to me and like gave me the nod.

And I was like, Oh my god, this is so weird. But I did the line, easily done, and I got the biggest laugh that I'd ever got on easily done. She there was just there's never been anyone like her. I'm just so you know, honoured that I've I sat on stage one day and I looked around, and it was Duncan Preston, Celia Imory, Julie Waters, and me. And I just was thinking, Well, I don't know what's going on. What's happened in my life right now? Yeah, mate, it was amazing. Celia is a really good friend of mine. I do feel like the West End did peak with Akon and Geeks, though. Like, in terms of like you want star casting, like that was just like headliner, headliner, and then also just casually having Victoria as an alternate.

You're just like, yeah, sorry, because you know, you've got one icon, let's throw in another. It's like it almost was a little bit too much. Yeah, you know, it was the highest ticket price, uh it was 60 quid, and it had never ever been that high the ticket prices, but Pete, but it was sold out. There was like there was a uh book that stage management had of or the sound guy had a book of could we could have one person sit at the sound desk, and there was a book, and we all had to kind of like say, any room on the book because it was sold out completely. Why did it get filmed? Because I know it's it's obviously quite common for that to happen now, but it wasn't perhaps as common back then. Yeah, this is quite quite interesting, quite proud of this one.

So they wanted to film it, and they came. I mean, I I think it was because the reason they filmed it was because Phil McIntyre was I think I've got that right, was was Victoria Woods. They were the if he they he helped her do all her TV stuff and her like Royal Libert Hall and stuff, and so it was like a natural thing for them to film it. I think that's the the answer that you're looking for. But um, when they came in to talk to us, we had an equity meeting. Um, and no one could decide if we could what we should be paid, how much we should be paid, who would get what you know? It was just chaos because we'd never done it before. Equity had never done it. We had about four meetings, and in the end, we just went, When we're not doing it.

And then about a week, I think it might have even been less than a week before we closed. I said to Myra Sands, who was in the show, brilliant Myra Sands, I said, Why are we not doing this film? This is crazy. She said, I don't know, darling. We me and her went around all the dressing rooms and we said, Would you do the film? And would you do it for blah blah blah? Everyone said yes, and we sent it to the production people, and we did it like four days later. Because of me and Myra Sandsar, we did that film.

[28:18] William J Connolly: Yeah.

[28:18] Sally Ann Triplett: Salon Triplett Western leading lady and also part-time agent, it seems.

[28:22] William J Connolly: Yeah, part-time agent, yeah.

[28:24] Sally Ann Triplett: Okay, you definitely need to get that one on your CV, but thank you. I mean, geez, thank you. The amount of times I feel like I wore the DVD out and now subsequently the YouTube clips and everything. So yeah, I know, and it's just all on YouTube, it's brilliant. It's it's an extraordinary piece, and I'm glad that it gets the respect that it gets because it is it's a very, very precious to a lot of people. I know myself included, having been part of it. So thank you for that. Thank you subsequently for the recording as well.

[28:44] Sally Ann Triplett: My pleasure. I'm very conscious of time, so I've just got a couple more questions for you if that's okay.

[28:50] William J Connolly: Yeah, I was talking a second ago about variety of shows and the different roles that you've played, and the fact that you admit that you love a challenge. Did you feel like it was a personal challenge for you when Viva Forever came along?

[29:01] Sally Ann Triplett: Yeah, I had no idea where that was going then.

[29:06] William J Connolly: Why are you laughing?

[29:07] Sally Ann Triplett: Well, because you know it was Viva Forever. Um, I was in Mamma Mia, and I'd been in Mamma Mia on and off for about three years, and then Judy said, I've got this show that we want to workshop. So we workshopped this thing, Viva Forever. We what we workshopped it twice. Judy just said, I want you to be in it. So she took me. I mean, it's never really happened to me before, but she took me out of Mamma Mia and put me into Viva Forever, and I could like my agent was like, You got this and you got that, and you got a car home, and I was like, Oh my god, you know, the part is really not Donna Sheridan, but okay. The problem with Beaver Forever is it that it like I said earlier, when you've got brilliant, brilliant people in the room, but then it just doesn't quite gel together.

And another thing, like I hope people won't mind me saying this, but Mum and Mia, Judy Kramer had done Mum and Mia, it was this huge success. And so she had quite a lot of people on board that had been in Mumma Mia, and they just thought this was gonna be an easy ride. I I kind of that's what it felt like anyway. And um, she's just gonna be another Mamma Mia, surely. It's the Spice Girls musical, and it absolutely wasn't. It needed actually a lot of care, a lot of attention, and a lot of tweaking, which we ended up doing. Um, but it's still never cut the cut the mustard, you know.

[30:35] Sally Ann Triplett: I was gonna say that sort of last reincarnation of it was really good, like it did change a lot, and it felt like there was a lot of work on it, and it doesn't always happen all that much in shows that things get changed so much. And I felt like that was a that was I felt like it was a shame that a lot of the noise of people criticizing it actually removed from the fact that the creative team and the cast did listen, and I I sort of feel like there needs to be a little bit more, you know, respect for the fact that it was a good show, as much as people want to joke about it. It was amazing.

[31:02] William J Connolly: Yes, I I totally agree with you that that Judy Kramer did listen, and she I actually went to lunch with her, and she she like we chatted about it for about an hour and a half. She just wanted to know my thoughts on it and what what we should what we should try and do with it. In fact, I got offered the workshop of the last ship, and she wouldn't let me do it because she just wanted everybody around to try and get this thing great. Jennifer had never written a musical before, and then that you can't just just write a musical. They're hard to do. They're really, really, really hard to do. And especially to get the book right, you you use it it's not it's not good enough to um tick that you know, oh that's a funny line, and this character's funny.

They've got to have more to them than that, and that takes that takes years. That can take absolute years to get right, yeah, and then you still don't really get it right, you know. Normally you can get away with a song that's not great, you know. You can get away with something that's not quite so great. But if the story isn't right, and if the and if the script isn't hasn't been mined enough, then you you just it's not gonna work. People won't feel anything.

[32:16] Sally Ann Triplett: And I do think that the spice girls are that rare beast, and I think there's only really a few bands and individuals that it almost people do just want to see them, and that's no discredit to anyone else, but it's hard, isn't it? Because you are fighting against the fan base.

[32:29] William J Connolly: I think you're absolutely right, and I you know it was a kind of a a cool idea with the girl being in the X Factory kind of thing and all that kind of stuff, and but really why didn't we just then why didn't they just do the spice girl story?

[32:43] Sally Ann Triplett: I mean that would have been brilliant. I think that would have been just as interesting, more interesting. And everybody's seen that photograph of you with the ladies. Was it fun being the sick spice girl?

[32:52] Sally Ann Triplett: Uh I know it's so funny, isn't it? I've got my I've got uni and jack dress on. Oh my god, it's so funny. Yeah, I mean, Posh didn't, you know, she didn't speak. Baby was lovely, she's so so cute. And Mel C was hilarious because I did this sort of had this sort of couple of hours with her one day. Mel B. I was uh in my bedroom one day and and my phone rang, and my husband was like, Sal, there's a phone call for you. And uh, I was like, hello. Is that Salah? Yeah, yeah. This is Melboo. Oh god, Sally. I saw a workshop, I saw a video of workshop. You made me laugh, you made me cry. Can't believe it, can't believe what I've got like oh, it's really funny. She's she's really great fun, doesn't take herself too seriously at all.

[33:36] William J Connolly: And is the greatest review you've ever got? Is that two star your favourite?

[33:40] Sally Ann Triplett: Yeah.

[33:42] Sally Ann Triplett: That is genius marketing, right in the middle, two stars covered up. I was like, that is so fucking clever. Two stars. No one really gets two stars, do they? You you like if it's if it isn't really not great, they'll give a three. Because it's hard to put on musicals, but we did, we got two stars.

[34:01] William J Connolly: Do they not know who you are?

[34:02] Sally Ann Triplett: Sally and Triplett doesn't do two stars. Do they not know who I think I am?

[34:09] William J Connolly: Okay, my very last question because you've been incredibly calm with your time, and this has been so much fun. And I should say there is a list pages and pages and pages long of stuff that Sally's done, unfortunately, because we would be here till this time next year going through. So if I've not asked about your favorite show, I'm sorry, please don't slide into my DMs and start hating on me. I try and ask as much as I can. But my final question for you I've told you what you mean to me as a fan and as an audience member, and about the amazing legacy that you've got. But when we think about legacies and perhaps how people hope they've helped progress and change and influence the industry, when people think about your career and what you've done, what do you hope your legacy is?

[34:45] Sally Ann Triplett: My goodness me. It this this means more to me as I get older, but I obviously I want people to to say she was great in that, and it that and I've had it so many times. She that watching her made me want to be in musical theatre. But what's really important to me is the fact that I've been doing this for like over 40 years, and I just want people to think of me as somebody that's nice and kind, easy to get along with, and a bit of a laugh. I think that's really the most important thing at the end of the day. Also kicking kicking my legs up and singing, you know, singing my tits off as well. But you know, it's just it's but it's so important because like when when I talk to people, we had you know, it's like how did what was it like doing that job? And the first thing people want to say is it was alright, but oh my god, he was a nightmare, you know, and and you you just want to be with nice people.

[35:45] William J Connolly: I think you are a nice person, I can vouch for that now, and also very, very naughty, and you know when to put a good pause, dot dot dot, as Victoria taught you.

[35:54] Sally Ann Triplett: Yeah, and always, always do as your elders tell you.

[35:57] William J Connolly: Always, Victoria would thank you.

[35:59] Sally Ann Triplett: Sally and Triplett, this has been such a pleasure. Thank you so much for agreeing to do this and for going way over our allotted time. I really appreciate it, and you've been such a huge influence on my career, and I mean that very, very genuinely. So thank you so much for being such a delight in everything that I would have hoped.

[36:13] Sally Ann Triplett: You're so kind, and thank you for asking nice questions. Sometimes it can be a little bit like what's your favourite, what's your favourite eh? But they were lovely questions and and engaging. So thank you very much for having me. Good luck with Billy Elliot. I cannot wait to see it. And fingers crossed, a massive UK tour. Let's bring it back to the West End as well.

[36:33] William J Connolly: I'm starting that Twitter thread now, Billy for the rest of the day.

[36:35] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh, that'd be good, isn't it?

[36:36] William J Connolly: Yeah, that would be fun.

[36:37] Sally Ann Triplett: And I'll see you there with Elton and Julia on opening night.

[36:39] William J Connolly: Yeah, dude, they're sitting together.

[36:41] Sally Ann Triplett: Yeah, okay. He's got the dress on and she's like in a sort of cool little suit, yeah.

[36:45] William J Connolly: And you have to wear the union jack dress, that's a promise, yeah.

[36:48] Sally Ann Triplett: Oh my god, I've got to wear that to the to the party afterwards. I'm definitely taking that with me. I'm getting it out of the loft right now.

[36:54] William J Connolly: Amazing. Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of the day, and I'll see you very very soon.

[36:57] Sally Ann Triplett: Thank you so much, my darling.

[36:59] Sally Ann Triplett: Bye.

[37:02] 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.