Jessie
Wallace has explained her decision to take time away from the soap
for an upcoming musical role.
As announced last year, the actress has
landed the part of Lil in a revival of
Fings Ain't Wot They Used
T'Be, which begins a month-long run at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
in May.
Wallace has been granted a short break from her role as
EastEnders' Kat
Moon to rehearse for the play. She is then expected to film a handful of
EastEnders scenes once the run itself begins.
Speaking about the
impact on
EastEnders, Wallace told ITV's
This Morning today (April 4): "Well, I sort
of disappear for a little while. We've got a month of rehearsals, so I disappear
for about a month and I think I go in [to
EastEnders] for the odd day
during the run, which is May 8 to June 8."
She continued: "I think if
you're playing the same character for so long, you do need to step away from it
sometimes - and Dominic Treadwell-Collins, the executive producer of
EastEnders, kindly let me out to do
Fings Ain't Wot They Used
T'Be.
"I was so eager to do it, because it's such a classic piece
set in 1959, with music written by Lionel Bart, directed by Terry Johnson who
I'm a huge fan of, and a great cast. I just had to do it because I'm so
excited.
"I love things that are challenging. It's a great role. It's the
sort of role that I'm comfortable playing, but [it's] working with a new cast
and new director, to push the boundaries. You can never stop learning as an
actor."
Asked by show host Eamonn Holmes whether she can sing, Wallace replied: "Yeah,
otherwise I wouldn't be in it! I did
Marie Lloyd for the BBC, which was
set in a music hall, and I played Maureen in
Rent.
"Also I sing
a lot with my partner Tim and his band. I've had quite a bit of experience, so
that's a great springboard for playing Lil for
Fings."
Fings
Ain't Wot They Used T'Be, which also stars Gary Kemp, centres around
cockneys in the 1950s, including spivs, prostitutes and corrupt policemen.
