America, 1959. Change is in the air. The post war boom is thriving, the civil rights movement is growing and the golden age of television has begun. But, on a farm in rural Louisiana three children are hoping for a miracle.
When Swallow, a teenager struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother, discovers a man hiding out in the family barn she becomes convinced he is Jesus. In a town where the community will do anything to defend their way of life, the children unite to protect their saviour. As fantasy and reality collide, Swallow begins to discover who she is and what it means to grow up.
In this thrilling musical, a cast of actor-musicians alongside a cast of talented local young people bring to life Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotive score featuring hit songs including ‘No Matter What’, ‘When Children Rule The World’ and ‘Whistle Down The Wind’.
Ahead of their run we’ve spoken with Lydia White who plays Swallow about bringing life back to this classic musical.
For those who may not be familiar with your previous work, could you please introduce yourself?
Of course! My name is Lydia White and I graduated from the RCS in 2018 and have since been working as an actor in various projects. I have been lucky enough to have performed roles in such fantastic productions and theatres e.g. Bella in Rags at The Hope Mill, Cinders in CinderELLA at NST, Alternate Cathy in Last Five Years at the Southwark Playhouse and later The Garrick, Jo in Little Women at The Park and most recently, Swallow in Whistle Down The Wind at the Watermill. Playing Swallow in Whistle Down The Wind is a definite highlight of my career so far, I absolutely love the theatre and the incredible team bringing it to life.
After a turbulent few years in the industry, how does it feel to be bringing this classic musical back to life?
These last few years have been so difficult for our industry and every single person it encompasses. Being able to bring this story back to life and in such a beautiful place, feels so special and enigmatic. The team on this project are absolutely brilliant, led by the incredible Tom Jackson Greaves who has cultivated the most welcome, warm and creative rehearsal space. Our incredible arranger Stuart Morley and brilliant Musical Director George Francis have also worked tirelessly on this show, allowing audiences to see it from a new and utterly beautiful perspective. If anything, the pandemic has given us all a new lease of life when creating a show, we all feel incredibly lucky and grateful to be working right now.
Whistle Down the Wind first premiered in 1996. Can you remember your first experience of this musical?
I actually wasn’t born until 1997 (!) so I came to this musical slightly later in life. The title song Whistle Down The Wind is such a beautiful piece of music and I remember teaching it to children when I used to work in schools. I remember seeing how invested the children were and how they felt they could explore and emote through this song, which felt extremely important. When I listened to the soundtrack a few years later, I fell in love with the score allowing the actors to tell a beautiful and moving story.
Why do you think iconic musicals such as this have stood the test of time and are still so beloved by audiences?
The story of WDTW is timeless; the themes of loss, grief, innocence, desire, purpose and belief resonate through different eras and ultimately, everyone can connect to it. One of the main takeaways from this story is the result of seeing the world through the eyes of a child and how this can bring about so much love, innocence and clarity, especially intoday’s world which feels extremely heavy.
I also think it has everything to do with allowing a story to evolve as the world evolves. As humans we adapt to our surroundings, the pandemic starved us of love and connection, but this story allows us to feel it again.
In the show you play Swallow, a young girl grieving the loss of her mother. What would you say is your favourite thing about playing this character?
I absolutely love the way our director Tom Jackson Greaves has cultivated the world of the story to live through Swallow’s imagination. Tom is the kind of director who is constantly giving us actors gifts through his fantastic ideas, whilst also allowing us to create and play. I love the story being through Swallows lens as it allows the audience to go through the stages of grief with her, which should hopefully feel as cathartic for an audience as it does for me!
What messages from Whistle Down the Wind do you think can be brought into our modern day lives?
I think the way society deals with the ‘other’ is an important observation through this piece. The adults in this story are so quick to rally together to quash the idea of a stranger because he doesn’t belong in their world and community. I think this is entirely reflected in our current climate and how humans deal with elements of the unknown through order, justice, law, repression and fear mongering.
However a more positive message from WDTW that can be brought into our lives is the idea that as humans we all have the capacity to heal. It might be a very messy journey but the end result is a growth and healing that wouldn’t have been able to happen had we avoided the turbulent feelings. I think Swallow teaches us that we all have room to evolve and ultimately, the answers are within.
With the summer finally upon us we are about to see a new group of graduates entering the theatre world. What advice would you give to someone looking to find their feet in the daunting industry?
I am so excited to see all the new graduates entering the industry! Having taught singing at Italia Conti over the last few years, I have seen first hand how brilliant these students are and I have every faith that every graduate will find their way. These new professionals are incredibly talented, resilientand realistic.
I think if I were to give one main bit of advice, it would be to create a world and identity outside of acting that you believe in. It is so important to cultivate contentment outside of the industry so when the inevitable daunting or difficult experiences happen, your sense of self is retained. You can work incredibly hard at being an actor and just unfortunately never get where you want to be. However, it is all the work you do outside of being an actor that will fulfil and sustain you when things are hard.
Looking forward, what are your hopes for the future of the arts industry?
I think my main hopes for the future of the arts industry is to not lose momentum on pushing for diversity and inclusion in every realm. We have taken a tiny step forward over the last few years, but I would hope that this continues solidly until all people in the industry feel heard. What is the point of the arts if not to see our lives reflected and related? If there is only one small proportion of people feeling seen, I feel we have failed. I have every hope that we can keep striving forward!
Whistle Down the Wind will play at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury between Friday 22nd July and Saturday 10th September. For more information or to book your tickets click here or call the box office on 01635 46044.
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