Legally Blonde has enjoyed phenomenal success so far, extending until 2011 after only a couple of months. Why do you think the show has proved an instant hit with audiences?
Well we were shocked really. It did quite well on Broadway but nowhere near the kind of success it's had here, so we're absolutely gob-smacked! I think a lot of it is to do with the credit crunch and the terrible weather - it's just a great tonic for people. People just want to have a great night out, forget their troubles and leave with a smile on their faces and I think the show definitely does that. We're thrilled it's doing so well and I hope we'll be able to keep it up.
Elle Woods is so different from some of the television characters you're so well known for. What are you enjoying most about playing this character?
It is so different to the parts I usually play, you know in Gavin and Stacey I was playing quite a chavvy, Essex character and then a scouse slapper in Benidorm, and then Elle is a real American, home-type girl. When I saw it on Broadway I fell in love with the show and with the part. I've always loved doing musical theatre and I said to my agent, "please get me seen for it, it's my dream role". I never actually thought I'd get it - there are so many other talented, amazing people that could have done it so I'm just pinching myself.
Is there one cast-type you prefer, or are more comfortable playing, than the other?
I've loved doing all the parts I've played. I've always been a bit of a tomboy so it's been nice dressing up in all these girly clothes and long blonde hair. It felt so alien to me at first - there were a couple of times they had to say to me, "Sheridan, cross your legs" because I was sitting wrong! Playing Elle has made me more girly and it's been great to do something completely different.
Having worked with a number of favourtie British actors, Alan Davis (Jonathan Creek), Larry Lamb (Gavin & Stacey) and now Peter Davison (Legally Blonde) - are there any famous names you would love to work alongside in the future?
Loads! I'm so honoured to have worked with everyone I have so far. I've walked into each job trying to learn from everyone and I've been so lucky, like working with Caroline Aherne in The Royle Family - all these amazing women that I've watched along the way.
Can you name any influential actors who have inspired you so far?
Kathy Burke always inspired me. I'd watch her in Harry Enfield and Chums and she would play all these different characters with different accents and she didn't care what she looked like so long as it was funny. You see Hollywood films where they're all pouting and looking very gorgeous, and then I saw Kathy Burke who would just throw herself into stuff, and that made me really want to become an actress.
You didn't go to drama school. How did you first become involved in acting and when did you know that you wanted to make it your career?
My mum and dad are a Country & Western duo and I used to love performing with them when I was a little girl. Then at school it was only really drama that I loved and my teacher told me about the open auditions for the National Youth Music Theatre. A producer saw our production Bugsy Malone and put it on in the West End, so my mum and dad let me move down to London on my own at 16, which is probably terrifying for a parent but they knew it was what I really wanted to do. Luckily my agent saw me in Bugsy and, touch wood, I've been going nearly 12 years.
You're probably best known as a comedy actress, and this is evident in Legally Blonde, which also shows off your comic talent. Do you worry about being type-cast and would you be keen to take on more serious roles in the future?
Comedy has always been my real love, so I don't really worry about getting type-cast too much. It's fun to play different roles and to challenge yourself as an actress so I'm just thankful for each job and for working with all these great people. I did miss doing theatre though - I love that live buzz and hearing people laugh.
You're currently appearing in eight shows a week, sing 16 out of the show's 18 songs, and are on stage for most of the production. How did you initially prepare for this physically demanding role and how do you manage to keep it up night after night?
I'm the laziest person in the world - I get a stitch just walking to my car, so when I realised how big the show was I kind of panicked. Lucily the American team that brought it over from Broadway are hardcore! Jerry Mitchell, the director and choreographer, had us skipping for an hour every morning right from the word go, as he knew what a demanding show it was. At first I was out of breath after just one song, but your stamina builds up and now it's all in my muscle memory. The hardest bit was building that up and opening the show but hopefully now it's fine... although I am still eating rubbish. But it's great because I can then work it off!
Legally Blonde stars a lot of household names, and celebrities appearing in popular musicals are sometimes identified as a tool for 'putting bums on seats'. How would you respond to this critique?
My biggest fear was that people would say, "oh it's that guy from Blue (Duncan James is a former boy band member) and that bird from Two Pints of Lagera and a Packet of Crisps trying to do a musical." Even though I started in musical theatre, I knew that's what people would probably think so I felt like I had to prove myself and work even harder. I didn't want to let anyone down but once we started the previews and I saw the audience's reaction and everyone was buzzing I though, well great, the audiences like it, and now everyone's enjoying it so I'm over the moon.
Can you reveal a backstage secret from Legally Blonde The Musical?
There might be some naughty ones involving Duncan James (laughs). I'd never noticed the shoes that he wears in the show and they're so cheesy with a great big buckle on the side. So I was taking the mickey and we were laughing about it, but of course then we had to go on stage and I looked down at his shoes and just got the giggles. We managed to get it together though.
Can you sum up Legally Blonde The Musical in no more than five words?
I'd love to say, "Oh my god you guys!" But if people haven't seen the show they might not get that, so I'd say it's a fun, family, pink night out!
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