In The Spotlight - Natalie Cundell

How long have you been performing in shows
Not as long as some people,only a few years. I started off in school shows and doing drama pieces, my first show with an out of school group was ragtime with Greasepaint!

What got you interested in music / theatre
I was always confident when I was little and liked to put on mini shows that my family had to sit down and watch like a real audience. I even made small programmes for them! I suppose what really got me interested in taking it further was Ben Cronin in secondary school, one day he was telling me about a show he was doing and I decided that I was going to take drama at GCSE and my love grew from there.

What was your first show
My first play was Hamlet in the Royal shakespeare's school's festival. It was a really enjoyable experience as the stage and audience were on the same level and very close, it felt intimate and is something that I'm so glad I did. My first musical on the other hand was Scrooge with my school, where I played Mrs Cratchit. This is like a blur to me, apart from awful costumes and accidently shouting scrooge in a scottish accent (an ongoing rehearsal joke) during an actual performance.

What has been your favourite show and/or character and why
It would have to be Ragtime without a doubt. It was my first experience of musical theatre outside of school, I completely loved the people and being part of such a wonderful show. To this day, if a song from Ragtime comes on in my playlist it sends me into song and I'm reminded of all the great times I had onstage and off! I think for me, not only did I fall in love with musical theatre and the cast during Ragtime, but I also fell in love with Ragtime, its such an amazing story and one that had me with a tear in my eye everynight.

What has been your most embarassing or funniest moment in a show
It would have to be in scrooge, standing onstage and shouting "Mr Scrooge" in the strongest scottish accent anyone has ever heard. The cast had picked up on how brilliant the word scrooge sounded in a scottish accent and it had obviously got into my subconcious, because without even thinking those two words came out completely scottish!

Describe the best and worst costumes you have had to wear
Although I shouldn't really feel that it was the greatest costume to wear, I was rather fond of a blue corset I had to wear in Les Mis, I really have no idea what it was about that costume, but I was quite sad to see it go, perhaps it was because it was so flattering!

If you could choose any show to perform in, what would it be and why
I love Blood Brothers, it sends shivers down my spine, and after seeing it I just couldn't stop weeping! My heart started aching everytime I thought about that ending, I think it is such a powerful musical I would love to be in it because of that. However my favourite musical of all is Phantom of the Opera, I simply adore the music in it! It is the most stunning example of musical theatre I could ever think of.

Do you have any plans to pursue theatre as a career
Yes,next year I'm studying at DMU on an art and design foundation course, which will then, if all goes well, secure me a place on a stage design course. I love set design and props, I think that set design is just one of the best parts of theatre, it can make such a huge impact on the play. However if I change my mind I have left my options open to do a directing course, so whatever happens fingers crossed i'll be doing something I love, theatre!