Songbird of the slammer takes centre stage
IT’S been two-and-a-half years since former prison officer Sam Bailey wowed the British public to take the X Factor crown. In a bizarre twist on art imitating life, she is now playing Cook County Prison matriarch Mama Morton in the UK tour of Chicago. You might imagine that, after years of keeping notorious criminals in line, she’d be a shoo-in for Mama Morton.
But no. As she says: ‘I didn’t get the part first time round. At my first audition I was pretty nervous and quite poor; then I took it away, studied it, came back and they gave me a bit of direction on what they wanted.
‘I think, in any job, if you try as hard as you can and can show that you were better than before, then they know you’re good at taking direction. That’s exactly what I did and, lo and behold, here I am now.’
Surely her old job helped her prepare for the role?
‘It’s completely different’, she laughs, ‘Mama Morton does favours for money, but not on my watch – none of that happens in the prison service. Mama Morton is thickskinned, she doesn’t let her guard down very often and she’s well-respected. I can’t say the same for prison officers now because they’re generally not respected.’
Chicago is perhaps the sexiest musical on stage, born of a killer combination of seductive jazz, Bob Fosse’s old-school dance style and a wardrobe that makes Miley Cyrus seem conservative. The costumes range from slinky, figure-hugging bodysuits to powerful glam.
As Mama Morton, Miss Bailey exudes powerful glam in a sharp suit and bustier. But the outfit could not be further away from her normal style. ‘Anyone that knows me knows I don’t like glamming up. Even if I have make-up on and go out anywhere, I still like to just wear trousers and a baggy top. I’m not really a dressy kind of girl.
‘The thought of having to do myself up to go to a premiere or something and I’m like, “Oh God”. If I made the rules for premieres, I’d make everyone wear a onesie. I love a bit of fashion and I think my fashion sense has got a lot better – but I still prefer to just be comfortable.’
Chicago tells the story of murderesses Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly, who become celebrities behind bars. But they dream of stardom and enlist high-flying lawyer Billy Flynn to charm the jury and get them acquitted.
Hayley Tamaddon and Sophie Carmen-Jones shone as leading ladies Roxie and Velma.
Miss Tamaddon delivered a truly sensational portrayal of the vacuous, fame-hungry Roxie, showing the shy, vulnerable side to the character as well as exploding across the stage for her big band numbers. She is best known for her work in soapland, but has a real theatrical talent, coupling a pitch-perfect voice with a mesmerising stage presence.
Chicago’s charm lies in its incredible catchy numbers, with All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and Razzle Dazzle receiving the biggest cheers of the night.
The audience had big expectations of Miss Bailey – and she did not disappoint. Her rendition of When You’re Good to Mama was delivered with gusto – and her duet of Class with Miss Carmen-Jones was beautifully sung.
As well as being mum to three young children and touring with Chicago, Miss Bailey has also written a new album.
She says: ‘It’s called Sing My Heart Out, which is a song about my experience on X Factor.
‘When I finish Chicago in five weeks’ time, then it’s preparation for the single, to be released in August – so I’m going to be pretty busy.’
Chicago, Edinburgh Playhouse, until tomorrow; King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Sept 19-24.