NICKY Sweetland has been performing on stage since she was a teenager and next month will star in Marvellous Amateur Dramatics production of Summer Holiday at the Axminster Guildhall.
Nicky lives in Lyme Regis with her two children. After growing up in Chard she spent 12 years in Bridport before a brief spell in Axminster. She attended Woodroffe School in Lyme Regis where her father Chris Sweetland continues to teach Chemistry.
Nicky has performed with Lyme Regis Pantomime Society since the age of 14 and in recent years she has performed in Lyme Operatic Society’s production of Oklahoma and Lyme Regis Community Players production of South Pacific.
Nicky also came close to earning a chorus part in the London West End production of Wicked.
In her career Nicky follows her other passion of fitness and exercise. Contracted to the Primary Care Trust NHS, Nicky provides Cardiac Rehab in Bridport, Dorchester and Blandford. She is also a fitness and aerobics instructor.
WHAT is the best part of your job?
Meeting lots of different people and hopefully making a difference to them.
WHEN did your interest in musical theatre begin?
When I was about 14 when I joined the pantomime society. We did a variety show and loads of the songs we did were from musicals and the type of music just really appealed to me. I started talking about it with some of the girls and then went to see a few and I absolutely loved it. Even now I love the style of singing, it just appeals to me.
WHAT has been your favourite role?
My favourite role was Ado Annie in Oklahoma. That was a really good show and the cast were really good fun. The role was really funny and I just got on well with everyone. It felt like a really good production as well.
WHAT would be your dream role?
Elphaba in Wicked, of course. It’s the best musical in the West End at the moment. The music and the story are fabulous and the songs she sings are just great. I love the lyrics and style of singing. It’s a lot more of a complicated character than people think it is as well. A lot of the plot is about race and prejudice and there is also a tragic love story thrown into the plot as well. It just sort of ticks every box.
HOW did you almost end up in the show?
I entered a competition where you had to prove you were 'the most wicked.' You had to send a video of yourself to Orange performing one of the songs and the prize was to get a walk on part in the show. I didn’t even have a video phone so I went and got one especially for the competition. I told my friends and they thought I was crazy but they agreed to help me. I had myself videoed dressed up as Elphaba jumping on a trampoline and singing. It happened to be that we filmed it on Halloween which was perfect because I was walking around Bridport painted green and dressed as a witch. I went through these rounds where we got phone votes and got really quite far. As the competition went on they showed blogs from backstage of the cast talking about the competition and they mentioned my video and how they wanted me to win, it was great.
HOW do you relate to your character Barbara in Summer Holiday?
It’s really difficult. A lot of the character traits that Barbara has I don’t really have. One of the main things is that she has a controlling mum and that she is being pushed all the time and really wants a break and I don’t have that at all. My parents are absolutely great and they have never pushed me they have just always supported me. She’s really different to me but it’s fun to play someone like that. It’s fun to play someone who’s young as well because she hasn’t really got any cares. Her biggest problem is that she wants to get away from her mother and have a bit of fun so it’s kind of nice to completely switch off and be someone completely different.
WHO would be your three dream guests at a dinner party and why?
The first would be Kerry Ellis who is a famous West End singer and my favourite singer. She until recently has been playing Elphaba in Wicked and she just has an amazing voice. The second would be Hugh Jackman. He’s not actually known for his musical theatre but although he’s a great actor he is also a really great singer and dancer as well. I saw him in Oklahoma in 1997 and he was absolutely brilliant. He is also quite nice to look at as well. My third person would be my friend Tina Paveley. She would have to be there just so that I could share that experience with someone who understands how good they are as well.
WHAT advice would you give to someone wanting to get into musical theatre?
I would say just come along and join a society and be in the chorus. That is kind of how you learn what to do. I have very little experience; this will be my third musical but join the chorus and learn how to do the singing and moving about. It’s fun in the chorus because you’re not under the same pressure you are when you’re playing the lead.
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