5 Minute Q & A with Kelly Sweeney & Mr Hicks

Winner of the 2018 WhatsOnStage Award, this exuberant 50th anniversary production of the legendary rock musical Hair bursts in full psychedelic glory, direct from a sell-out London run.

Welcome to the ‘Age of Aquarius’. It’s 1967 and Hair’s hippie ‘tribe’ youngsters in the East Village of New York are yearning to change the world, questioning authority and the American flag. Wild, colourful and free, they are united in protest and song, under the shadow of the Vietnam War.

Kelly, welcome back to Liverpool, What brings you here?

I’m back in Liverpool with the tour of “Hair” the musical. I play the role of Crissy in the show and I am so excited to be performing in the Empire for the first time in my professional career it has been a big dream of mine.

What have you been doing since you left the college?

Since I left the College I took a year out and worked and saved money. I attended a performing arts college for two years in Liverpool call Rare Studio where I worked intensively in musical theatre and then moved on to London to study a Masters in Musical Theatre at the Royal Academy of Music. I then graduated in 2018 and have been working professionally in theatre in London along with some other jobs in between.

What Primary school did you attend?

I attended St Francis De Sales nursery, infants and Primary school.

What are you memories of your time at the college?

There are so many but have to say all the trips I was lucky to go on and perform in like Italy, Spain, Holland, Paris and Lourdes. It was amazing to see beautiful parts of the world with my friends and play my sax and sing all over. Have to say all the musicals I did as well with the amazing Mrs Allen was a real highlight and confirmed what I wanted to do with my life. And basically working hard in what I loved with amazing teachers like Mrs Newton, Mrs Forster, Mr Hicks & Mr O’Brien not sure how they coped with me but I am very grateful for all they taught me.

Our A Level students are about to take their A Level Examinations, any advice to them?

I would say relax, take a breath and write with passion. It may feel like the end of the world if a test doesn’t go perfectly but there’s always another chance to get it right and pressure can really get to you at this point but remember that taking a small break from revision can actually really help you digest information. Take your time with answers and try to find the fun. And always always make sure your phone is on silent because the shame of your alarm clock going off in the hall is horrendous as I quickly found out!

Thank you Kelly, we all look forward to coming to the Empire to see you in “Hair” in the coming weeks.