Last year, Cameron Burt made his West End debut as Sky in the hit musical MAMMA MIA! at the Novello Theatre and he also performed at West End Live and The Theatre CafĂ© during his run, with his time in the show being cut short due to the current pandemic. With Frozen the Musical transferring to London next year, Cameron will be joining the original West End cast as Ensemble and first cover Hans when it opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in April. Over the last couple of months, Cameron has recorded Flat 15b for new musical Halls and was part of the You’re the Voice charity recording. Answering our questions, we found out from Cameron about making his West End debut as Sky in MAMMA MIA!, joining the original London cast of Frozen the Musical and recording Flat 15b.
You made your West End debut as Sky in MAMMA MIA!, what is the role like to play?
It was a really fun role, especially playing opposite the Sophie, as naturally, the dynamics of the relationship changed every night as we played with different intentions.
What was it like being part of the cast and how had your run been going before theatres closed?
The cast was amazing to be around, we all got on really well and had a lot of laughs backstage. The run was going great, I was lucky to play opposite four different people in the role of Sophie over those nine months, which kept me on my toes.
Had you seen the show before being cast and what drew you to the role?
No, I hadn’t seen it! I loved the film as it was so feel-good and I correctly assumed that the show and the role would be too!
Can you tell us about some of the events you did with the show?
Our first performance outside of the theatre was West End Live. That was insane. I remember standing backstage, suddenly hearing the roar of the crowd and my excitement and nerves sky-rocketing! Myself and two other actors also performed a few songs at The Theatre Café. What was lovely about that was that we didn’t really sing many songs from the show, instead, we got to pick a few other ABBA favourites which we jazzed up a bit!
You’ve recently been announced to join the original West End cast of Frozen the Musical as Ensemble and first cover Hans, what are you most looking forward to for starting work on the production?
I honestly just can’t wait to meet all the cast and creatives I’ll be working with and I’ve never covered a role before so I’m excited for that experience as well!
How was it seeing the video released for the cast announcement?
It was a great feeling. I had been sitting on the news for a while so it was nice to finally tell people! Also, the fact that the video was so silly and fun bodes well for the rest of the run!
Can you say about recording Flat 15b for new musical Halls and how did it come about?
It was an enjoyable song to record as I found the music really drove it forward. I know George Stroud who wrote the music for it as he came to my drama school to workshop a different new musical a couple of years ago and so he contacted me and very kindly asked me to take part in Flat 15b!
You’ve been part of a few concerts including Twisted Disney and Simply Live Cabaret for Industry Minds, what are these like to do?
The environment at these concerts is so supportive and everyone is there to enjoy themselves so it’s a great atmosphere. I also get to meet so many different people through these events.
Last month, you were part of You’re the Voice charity recording, how did this go and can you tell us about it?
I loved recording it and it was in aid of three different and varied charities (Born Free, The Actors Fund and The Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity). It tells you how to donate at the end of the video (You have to contact the company who organised it, North Artist Management, to donate or go directly to each charity’s website).
What do you enjoy about workshopping new musicals?
You are usually allowed to experiment with your character, whether it is the freedom to explore the space when creating scenes or just trying to work out who your character is and what they are like. It is also a very exciting experience because you are hearing these songs and story normally for the first time and even then, they could change a hundred times before you reach the finished product.
How did you get into a musical theatre career and what was it like training at Guildford School of Acting?
I started performing in Musical Theatre at the age of fifteen and spent three years with the National Youth Music Theatre but I had never considered it as a career for me. I actually wanted to study Veterinary Medicine at university until my last year of secondary school where I made a U-turn and chose Drama School instead. It was the toughest but most rewarding three years of my life and I met some incredible people and friends there.
Whilst training, you were part of a number of shows including Pippin and Shrek, can you say about some of them?
Pippin was my first third year show and I played the title role. It was a very tough role especially as I was on stage for most of the show as well as the songs being very challenging, however that meant that I learnt a lot in the rehearsal room. Shrek was my last show at GSA and it was a great way to finish my time there. I played one of the Little Piggys which was such a laugh and the songs in the show are absolute bops!
How do you prepare for auditions and roles?
I try to empathise with the character that I’m portraying and imagine how I would feel if I were in their situation. Also, when learning songs, I find that memorising the lyrics is easier when I can speak them as a monologue first, it also helps me portray the emotion in the piece more effectively when I eventually add the tune.
What do you like to do away from acting?
I love learning about Ancient History and reading up on news concerning Science as I studied both at school. Also, I really enjoy exercise, especially cycling (long five-day rides) and going to the gym!
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