Evita star Paige is looking back
ELAINE Paige, the petite singer with a super-sized voice has been taking a long look back at her career.
She turned 60 last year, which coincided with the 40th anniversary of her West End debut. She has put together a book, appropriately called Memories, of the highlights on stage and screen, and she starts a celebratory tour at Symphony Hall on Sunday.
“It is one of my favourite places to play,” she says. “ The people of Birmingham are very warm.’’
Paige is a legend in musical theatre, a career she embarked on by accident as, while training at Ada Foster Drama school, the young girl born Elaine Bickerstaff had intended to be a straight actress.
“I just fell into it because I could sing. I have always had to look after myself in life so I didn’t have any choice. You can only accept the work offered to you and more and more it was work in musical theatre, so the career kind of happened to me.”
She slogged through 10 years of work in roles that ranged from an urchin in the film Oliver to one of the hippy tribe in Hair.
Paige recalls that she fully embraced the spirit of the swinging 60s.
“It was a time here in England that barriers were being broken down. We were going into a new era of teenagers and rebellion.
“It was very exciting to be that kind of free spirit with no restrictions in terms of finances or sex. It was brilliant. We did it all, the motto was ‘do what you like as long as you don’t hurt anyone’.”
However, she did balk at stripping in front of her parents – who loyally came to see every show she was in – during the musical’s infamous nude scene.
“I was the last in the company to strip. I was a complete wimp and ‘I thought if I don’t do it soon I am going to lose all credibility’.
“But when my parents came to this I think I made sure I kept my kit on.”
Her life, and her family’s, changed when, at the age of 29 she was picked to play the fiery Eva Peron in Evita. Since then Paige has starred in Cats, Chess, Piaf and Sunset Boulevard, which she headlined on Broadway.
She is something of a perfectionist, which she believes has mistakenly led to her being labelled difficult.
“I am the most undiva-ish person I know. Once I have got the job, I am a very hard worker, always have been.
“Perfectionism can drive other people crazy. That is why you should always work with the best because everybody is always of like mind.
“I like things right. If that is perceived as difficult then so be it, but I don’t think I am difficult for difficulty’s sake. I don’t throw tantrums or turn up late or not know my lines.”
She has also turned to producing for Anything Goes and Piaf. On the former she can be credited with helping to discover John Barrowman, who was plucked from drama school to play Billy Crocker.
“He had a certain swagger about him that was right for the part, I am not surprised he is enjoying the career he is right now. He has a lovely singing voice, he is tall dark and handsome, quite a package.”
Ticket Info
Elaine Paige plays Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday. For tickets call 0121 780 3333.
