Radio interview with Harriet & Toby
Letitia: Good morning.
Harriet: Good morning, how are you?
Letitia: It's very early isn't it? I've got a face for radio so that's all good!
Harriet: I actually think you're looking extremely glam.
Letitia: Do you?
Harriet: Yes I do! Are you good with mornings? (Pause) We're gonna find out aren't we?
Letitia: (Laughs) Exactly!
Harriet: Now, before we plug High School Musica: The Musical, is that really what it's gonna be called?
Letitia: Yep, it's a tongue twister isn't it?
Harriet: Which will open at the end of June, June the 28th at the Hammersmith Appollo - then there is enough time, because we've made enough time for you to answer your ten terrible questions! Don't look like that! It's OK. This is the level of your questions - number one - has your cha-cha recovered from those tight costumes yet?
Letitia: No!
(Toby laughs)
Harriet: What was the name of your high school?
Letitia: Sylvia Young Theatre School
Harriet: Ahhh, you were one of those!
Letitia: Yes I was!
Harriet: What's your favourite musical, is it Daddy Cool with Javine & Michelle Collins?
Letitia: No, it's Singin' In The Rain
Harriet: Is it?
Letitia: Yep.
Harriet: With Patsy Palmer and Sid Owen back in Eastenders, as a viewer.... do you hate Eastenders questions?
Letitia: No
(Toby laughs)
Letitia: Is that a trick question Harriet?
Harriet: No! As a viewer, who do you wish would come back? Doctor Legg? Sanjay & Gita? Ali from Oz Cabs? Mary the punk?
Letitia: All of the above I think!
Harriet: To come back?
Letitia: Yeah, I think they should have all come back!
Harriet: What about you?
Letitia: Well I think Sharon's working in Hooters at the moment, I think she's manageress (Toby & Harriet laugh) I think that's where she's gone.
Harriet: You wore some amazing costumes on Strictly Come Dancing - were you upset that you didn't get to fly like they do on Dancing On Ice?
Letitia: I was delighted I didn't get to fly - doing it on the ground was hard enough!
Harriet: We've asked Martine McCutcheon and Michelle Collins this question; when was the last time you saw Ross Kemp and what was he wearing? Was it a, army fatigues, b, his pantomime costume (Tish & Toby laugh) or c, was he dressed as the policeman from the Village People?
Letitia: (muses) None of the above. I can't really remember to be honest, I think probably his fatigues. I'll go for that one.
Harriet: Now, you've been on the Strictly Tour with Louisa Lyttleton, Matt Di Angelo, has Flavia's boyfriend caught up with him yet?
Letitia: Louisa Lyttleton - Lytton, she'll love you for that cos I used to call her Lyttleton and she hated it! (Tish laughs)
Harriet: You haven't answered the question!
Letitia: I have no idea at all!
Harriet: Ummm, do you and Leslie Grantham ever email each other? (Toby laughs) Just say no, just say no!
Letitia: No!
Harriet: Easiest that way. So Bianca & Ricky then, back on the Square, do you think this is a fair representation of a day on the set on Eastenders now?
(mock reel)
"Director": OK Sid love, we're ready for a take and.... action!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": OK Sid love, that was super. Just a few hiccups. Give me fear Sid.
Sid as Ricky:(same audio clip) What is all this?
"Director": Anger!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": (cackles) And happy!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": Sad!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": High pitched!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": Really slow
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
(All giggle)
"Director": French!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": Say it backwards Sid!
Sid as Ricky: What is all this?
"Director": Oh yeah perfect Sid, that's the one.
Harriet: Oh, we're evil. (Applause) So do you miss Strictly Come Dancing?
Letitia: I do a little bit. Since we finished the TV series we went on tour with it and did the arenas so I've had quite a lot- I did forty jives! Nearly killed me, so at the moment, I'm not missing it too much but I'm sure at some point I will.
Harriet: Who was your favourite judge, Len? Arlene? (Phone rings) Oh! Actually I'm really sorry about this. D'you think.... no no, I'll just get rid of them! (Picks up) Hello?
"Bruno": Does anyone fancy a little Italian?
(Tish gasps)
Harriet: It's Bruno Tonioli everybody!
(Bruno laughs, there's applause and Tish laughs)
Harriet: Well either that or it's the Italian from the Bertolli olive oil advert, it's hard to tell.
"Bruno": Yes it's me. I'm calling to say good morning and how are you to Letitia Dean! Hello Princess! (laughs) You're bellasimo, mwah, mwah!
Letitia: He's so deviant!
"Bruno": I just wanted to check Letitia, did I leave my dance stuff at your place honey? (All laugh) I don't want to steal your limelight Letitia darling, but I'm going to anyway (laughs) I just wanted to thank you for the acting lessons. Oh, she's good, she's good, she taught me this, listen! Dennis Watts, I'm going to walk out through the bar with my head held high, are you coming Sharon? Felicity Kendal, eat your heart out!
Letitia: He should write for the show!
"Bruno": Yeah I should. The people say I have to go now, but I love you Letitia Dean! Imagine if we were together, y'know - anyone call fall in love, that's the easy part, you must keep it going! Anyone can fall in love-"
Harriet: Yeah, OK, thanks for calling! Bruno Tonioli. I am sorry about that Letitia.
Letitia: How extraordinary to hear his voice. (All laugh)
Toby: So now you're gonna be playing the passionate and eccentric drama teacher in High School Musical: The Musical, Ms Darbus.
Letitia: Ms Darbus, yeah indeed. I'm really looking forward to it.
Toby: Do you remember much about your own... your first drama teacher?
Letitia: I do actually yeah, I do remember a few things. And she was brilliant this lady, she used to go "Pitch, pace, pose, power, inflection, tone!" I remember all of that so I might try and get a bit of that in!
Toby: You go girl! Now I heard that you can tap dance as well, so you are multi-skilling.
Letitia: In my youth I could, yeah. I was quite good.
Toby: What about now, go on, show us a little bit!
(Tish taps the table)
Harriet: Wow, look at that!
Toby: Fantastic hand work! So you're about to spend the summer singing and dancing... how are your jazz hands, are you enjoying it? Enjoying rehearsing and stuff?
Letitia: I haven't actually started yet - I start the end of May and I'm really looking forward to going into rehearsals and everything. I've seen the show down Southend on the tour and it was brilliant. I love it, it's a real feel good show, y'know. It's like a modern day Grease I see it as.
Toby: We like that! (Pause) You were born in Hertfordshire in the grounds of the home of the late British romantic novelist Barbara Cartland, known as Camfield Place.
Letitia: I know, Campfield Place, that's brilliant isn't it?
Toby: But you lied in your Eastenders audition and you said you were from Hackney? So really, you're quite posh!
Letitia: I'm not posh, I was born there, know what I mean? I mean, yeah I did lie for my audition because apparantly you had to be born within the sound of Bow Bells so... I think my parents were away in India, my little story... I was staying with me auntie and uncle.
(Toby & Harriet laugh)
Toby: Can you say "Oh Phillip, please pass the cucumber sandwiches" in your best posh voice?
Letitia: (giggles) Mmmkay. (posh) Oh Phillip, pass the cucumber sandwiches!
Toby: Very good, very posh! (claps) Who would you say is the poshest person in the cast of Eastenders though?
Letitia: I think Pam St. Clement, who plays Pat, she's got a lovely accent, yeah. June Brown, who plays Dot.
Harriet: Yeah
Toby: Now you had a top 12 hit in 1986 that was called Something Outta Nothing, which we all remember very well, with your Eastenders co-star Paul Medford who played Kelvin Carpenter. How many copies did you buy?
Letitia: (chuckles) All of them! Do you know what, I've lost them all, I wouldn't mind getting hold of another copy!
Harriet: I'm sure we could sort that out. As a present to you for coming on the show we'll sort that out!
(Toby chuckles)
Harriet: Letitia Jane Dean, thank you for so much for being on the show!
Letitia: My pleasure, it's been lovely being here.
Harriet: So from the 28th June, you'll be appearing in High School Musical Live on Stage in Hammersmith!
Letitia: Indeed. I'm very much looking forward to it
Harriet: We're gonna be in the front row! Thanks for coming in!
Toby: Thank you (applause)
Letitia: Thank you!
