“You Have To Stand Up For What You Believe In” – Her.ie Speaks To Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton

Natasha Hamilton is a third of one of the most successful girl groups ever to come out of the UK. She has also starred in some incredible stage productions including Blood Brothers. But at the end of this month the Atomic Kitten star is appearing in Rent in Concert at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin, something which she is very excited about.                                                 Natasha, tell us what attracted you to the role of Maureen in Rent in Concert? It’s such an iconic role and in a weird way it takes me totally out of my comfort zone. It’s also something I’ve never approached before in terms of the comedy element. I’ve done Blood Brothers in the past but Maureen is feisty, she’s sassy, she has fun, she stands up for what she believes in and fundamentally she’s a really lovely woman. And just to be part of such an amazing cast, a musical that’s celebrating 20 years, it’s a no brainer really. Can you relate to her or is it a role that allows you a bit of freedom? She’s a lot more outrageous than I am so I can definitely go on stage and do things I wouldn’t normally do as myself but I also relate to her. In the industry I grew up in you have to stand up for what you believe in and let yourself be heard otherwise you’ll be chewed up and spat out. That’s what Maureen is like. She is really passionate about what she believes in so I can bring a lot of my life experience to the role and also have a lot of fun. I’m not quite sure what my mum and dad are going to think when they see it! Are you feeling the pressure of being in such an iconic production? I suppose so. My main goal is to do the character justice and have everyone walking away saying ‘she was great.’ There’s always pressure when you’re taking on iconic roles or any acting role that is so well documented and I am following in some big footsteps. I’ve seen Nicole (Sherzinger) do it and Idina Menzel so yes the pressure is on but I thrive off it. Your background is in singing so how are you finding the acting element? A lot of the acting is via song in Rent. There’s a lot more singing than acting whereas there was a lot more dialogue in what I’ve done before. In a weird way it’s a lot easier for me to remember it because it’s in song form and that sticks in my head. What sort of preparation are you doing at the moment? Just swatting like hell, reading up as much as I can watching different versions of the production. I don’t like to watch it too much though because I want to bring my own spin to who Maureen is and sometimes consciously you can work in what other people are doing so I’m watching loosely and bringing my own interpretation to it. Do you have a favourite number that you are looking forward to performing? To be honest it changes all the time. Over the Moon is my entrance so I’m really looking forward to that but I love I’ll Cover You because it’s such an emotional song and really chokes me up every time. I’m also looking forward to performing Seasons of Love. How did it feel being back on stage with your Atomic Kitten band mates during The Big Reunion? Honestly, it was absolutely amazing. We’ve come back into this a lot older and wiser. All the silly rubbish from years ago is totally behind us and we’ve really had lots of fun. It’s been hilarious when we’ve been in dance rehearsals and we’re trying to remember the steps and sweating, and thinking how fit were we when we were kids? You underestimate how much hard work it is but it’s been amazing and we gigged all over the country. We’ve also got another tour at Christmas so we’ll be finishing the year on a high. And last but not least, can you describe Rent in Concert in three words? Okay... triumph, tragedy and love. Rent in Concert is showing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on November 21st. Tickets start from €28.00 and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.