Chloe Raphael can currently be seen playing Helga in the new Roald Dahl musical The Witches at the National Theatre, and she recorded the song Get Up! in the studio alongside other cast members. Recent stage work for Chloe has included playing Pepper in Annie on tour, and Babette Mueller in Watch on the Rhine at Donmar Warehouse. Having screen experience, Chloe played Esther Jankovsky in the Netflix series Bodies over a number of episodes alongside Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as DS Whiteman, and she voices Kana in the animation Thomas & Friends. Speaking with Chloe, she told us about playing Helga in The Witches at the National Theatre, touring as Pepper in Annie and filming as Esther Jankovsky for the Netflix series Bodies.

How is your time going so far playing Helga in The Witches at the National Theatre and how is it being part of a new musical?

I’m absolutely loving it. The whole experience has been so incredible and I am extremely grateful to be able to play Helga and to have had the opportunity to make the character my own. Because it’s an original new musical, it made the whole rehearsal process even more exciting, working and developing The Witches with great creatives like Lyndsey Turner, our fabulous director, choreographer Stephen Mear and music supervisor Nigel Lilley. We met so many talented people working backstage at the National to make it all happen, as well as a group from the Roald Dahl Story Company, which made it feel all the more real that this was the first time The Witches was being done in this way and I think that is amazing I get to be a part of that!

What was it like meeting the rest of the cast and reading the script for the first time?

The show has been in development for a long time and it was so exciting to finally meet all the cast and crew at rehearsals and to see the characters come to life with their performances, even from the first read through. I had no clue what was going to differ from the book, or how they were going to make it happen, as it’s a very technical show, but I love how the production has evolved from the original script and I think the finished piece is truly spectacular.

Was there anything that drew you to the show and how much did you know about Roald Dahl’s story before auditioning?

I’ve always enjoyed Roald Dahl’s writing, and in my opinion, The Witches is one of his much darker stories, so I think that really excited me and made me realise this was going to be a sensational show! The whole production was kept very secret until casting was complete and I had no clue what I was even auditioning for at first! I was really interested in how they were going to do everything, so was over the moon when I got the news I was to play Helga. I was also thrilled to have the opportunity to perform on the Olivier stage and to work with such respected names.

How was it recording one of the musical’s songs – Get Up! – in the studio and hearing the finished version when it was released?

When we first got told we were recording Get Up!, I was thrilled and so happy to be singing and sharing it with all the girls. The song itself is just brilliant and one of my favourites in the show. The studio experience was amazing and we had the best time together singing and making memories, that were made even more special when we listened to the final version all together when it was released. It was an experience I never thought I would be lucky enough to have and I’m so grateful.

What was it like playing Pepper in Annie and how was it touring with the production?

I absolutely loved touring the UK with Annie as Pepper – getting to work with an amazing cast, some of whom were from the original company back in 2015 when my big sister was in it! This was my first ever tour and I wasn’t sure I could do it at the beginning of the run, as I’ve never really been away from home on my own before, but the more venues I went to, the more I loved it and the more we became a second family. I especially enjoyed doing an actual eight-show week and seeing what the adults have to do during a run.

How was it learning the music and choreography and did you have a favourite song to perform?

This was the first time in a while I had done a musical, so it was really exciting to learn those classic songs and especially the choreography, which became my favourite part of the show. My favourite number that I perform would have to be A New Deal for Christmas! It’s the finale, so everyone’s energy is way up and it’s with all the cast so that makes it so much fun.

You played Babette Mueller in Watch on the Rhine at the Donmar Warehouse, can you tell us about this?

I really loved performing in Watch on the Rhine, it is one of my favourite theatre experiences I’ve had for many reasons. To start, the Donmar itself is just a truly wonderful environment to be in and the cast, crew and project were incredible so I’m grateful to have been a part of it. Working with actors like Caitlin Fitzgerald was so inspiring as she is such a brilliant actress, plus my amazing two on-stage brothers Bertie Caplan and Billy Byers. It was really fun to work in a theatre like the Donmar Warehouse as it’s such an intimate space, which was very different to what I’d performed in before. It added that extra dynamic with the audience, which made it really special! One thing we did at the Donmar which I hadn’t before were School and Directors Q&As after performances, which were also really fun as I got to talk about the play and delve into the story and characters through answering questions on a panel, which I found really interesting.

In the new Netflix series Bodies, you can be seen across numerous episodes as Esther Jankovsky, how would you describe the character and what was she like to play?

Esther is an 11-year-old Jewish-German refugee who finds her way to East London in the middle of World War II. I would describe her as a quick-smart, brave and surprisingly innocent and caring person. This made her such an amazing, deep character to explore, as there are so many different sides to her that are revealed throughout the series – some of which are quite unexpected to everyone when they get to know her.

How did you find the experience on set and filming with the other cast members, which included Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as DS Whiteman?

This was my first time working on a TV set and it taught me so much over the course of six months filming especially as it’s such a dramatic storyline with lots of big action crowd scenes. We filmed in so many places, from an extremely fishy dock in Grimsby, to a historic old manor house, to an abandoned underground train station in London. Everyone on set was just lovely and filming with actors like Jacob made the experience brilliant. There were so many people who made Bodies what it is for me and he was definitely one of them. Esther goes through so much with his character DS Whiteman and Jacob truly supported and inspired me throughout the process, he’s just such a great person to work with, as were our directors Marco (Kreuzpaintner) and Haolu (Wang) and the whole production team at Moonage. It was incredible and I’m super grateful that they entrusted me with the role.

Is there anything you enjoy most about voicing Kana in Thomas & Friends and how is it getting into character?

There are so many aspects of recording Kana that I love. I think one that I really enjoy is seeing how the image of Kana pairs up with my voice because it makes me so happy seeing it come out of an animation. Her character is so fun and bubbly and I really like the fact that I can see some of myself in Kana. That makes her super fun to act and quite easy to get into personality-wise. It’s also really lovely to be able to sing in it and to explore that passion when I go to record the episodes.

What is Thomas & Friends like to work on and how is it being involved with a popular animation?

It’s a unique experience working on a classic like Thomas & Friends and I find it so special to be part of an iconic children’s animation, but to play a new character that people are still getting to know. When it came out, we had a premiere for our feature film Race for the Sodor Cup, where lots of fans came to watch, so that was amazing meeting them and seeing their reactions when they realised we are the voices behind the animation. I’d never done any sort of film premiere before and it was a really cool experience. Mattel have even brought out a set of interactive toy engines that I get to put my voice to, so that’s quite funny.

What are some of your favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

I love theatre and one particular show that I got to see recently was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – that was absolutely incredible, plus all the special effects just made it extra amazing. I also finally went to see a classic, Les Mis, which I was angry I didn’t watch sooner as it is by far one of the most amazing pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen! I’m extremely excited to watch Mean Girls (specifically on a Wednesday!). It’s such a great show and I love the soundtrack so much. For film, I’m a big Greta Gerwig fan so Little Women. However, my favourite TV show will always be Friends!

How do you like to spend your free time?

In my spare time, I like to bake recipes that are way above my level of capability and play sports with my friends, but my favourite thing to do in my free time is spoil my dog, Brando, who is a huge one year old black flat-coat retriever.

Do you have a favourite aspect of working on stage, screen and voiceover?

I think my favourite aspect about them all is that each one brings it’s own challenges and can teach you new skills that can help you develop as an actress in all of the fields.

What are you hoping the next year brings for you and do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?

Well, I’m hopeful for a couple of things and there’s more Witches magic to come, but I guess we’ll have to see what the new year brings, definitely a lot of fun and some more incredible experiences!

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