Name: Holly Skelton
Year: 13
House: Harington
Which character do you play?
Frenchy.
In a sentence or two, sum up who your character is in the context of the story:
Frenchy is a kind and good-natured member of the Pink Ladies. She is very fussy about her appearance and shows an eagerness to leave high school to become a beautician.
What do you like most about playing this character?
Frenchy is one of the few characters who is welcoming and caring towards all of the other characters, and in particular towards Sandy. She embraces Sandy as a member of the Pink Ladies before any of the others. This therefore makes the audience enjoy Frenchy’s presence on stage.
Have there been any challenges taking on this role?
One of the biggest challenges with this role is perfecting Frenchy’s very distinct voice and accent. Her high-pitched voice and strong New York accent, makes some of the lines very difficult to pronounce correctly.
Grease is best known for its catchy musical tunes, do you have a favourite song?
Although there are many great songs throughout this musical production, the ones I most enjoy singing and performing to include Grease is the Word and Those Magic Changes. These are some of the most catchy and enthusiastic songs performed by the cast.
If you were a high school student in the 1950s, which Grease character would you most relate to?
One of the reasons that I enjoy playing Frenchy’s character so much, is that she is one of the characters that I most admire and relate to. Jan also has a funny and quirky personality which I think I would partially relate to if I were a high school student in the 1950s.
Is this your first stage show/musical or have you performed before?
Last year I was a general cast member in St Paul’s production of Legally Blonde and in 2017, I assisted backstage in Jekyll and Hyde. Other than that, I have been an acting member of my primary and intermediate school’s productions for many years.
Who do you look up to (as an actor/singer/performer)?
Although he is most commonly known for his movies, a performer that I admire is Hugh Jackman. Before his time on screen in many of our favourite movies, Hugh started out on the Broadway stage where he advanced his acting, dancing and singing abilities. Being such a talent in these various performing arts, Hugh is an inspiration on and off stage.
Do you have plans to continue with any performing once you leave school?
St Paul’s has offered me many great opportunities in regards to performing and has pushed me further out of my comfort zone than I could have ever imagined. However, my plans for the future does not include performing as such. Despite this, I would still like to maintain the skills and knowledge I have learned from this amazing experience.
Is there anything additional you would like to share about your experience so far being involved in this year’s school production?
This year’s school production has already pushed me incredibly far out of my comfort zone, in ways that I couldn’t have ever imagined. I have been able to build new connections with people from different walks of life that I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise, and for this I am very grateful.
GREASE hits the stage at Southwell School Performing Arts Centre June 30 – July 4.
Snap up your tickets here.
