Next week, on Tuesday 8th April, Georgia Carling will be performing at the London Palladium as part of the Queen By Candlelight concert, which celebrates 50 years of Bohemian Rhapsody, and the cast includes Simon Gordon, Joel Harper-Jackson, Daniel Conway and Lucie Jones. In 2019, Georgia was in the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre, a show she continued in when theatres could reopen after the 2020 pandemic, and she covered the role of Mrs Wormwood in the musical, and she was previously choreographed by Drew McOnie when she performed in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican Theatre. Further credits for Georgia include making her West End debut in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, being in the original cast of Bat Out of Hell in Manchester in 2017 as Valkyrie and first cover Raven, which she returned to for runs at the London Coliseum, Toronto and the Dominion Theatre, and early in her career, she was in the UK & Ireland Tour of Hairspray as cover Penny Pingleton and played the titular character in Angelina Ballerina. Queen By Candlelight will be touring Australia and New Zealand later this year, and Georgia will be rejoining the cast. Georgia answered our questions about being part of the Queen By Candlelight concert, her time in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, and being in the original cast of Bat Out of Hell.
You will be performing at the London Palladium on Tuesday 8th April as part of the Queen By Candlelight concert, what are you looking forward to for the evening?
The thing I’m most looking forward to is the audience. Every time we do our flagship Queen By Candlelight show, we are always taken aback by the sheer energy of our audiences. So many people of so many different ages and backgrounds have grown up listening to Queen and so our shows are just such a huge celebration of their music and the audience help us to create such an electric atmosphere that makes the show just so enjoyable to be a part of.
The show will be celebrating 50 years of Bohemian Rhapsody, how does it feel to be part of the production and can you tell us more about the concert?
I’m so excited to be part of this production. To celebrate 50 years of Bohemian Rhapsody, we have really elevated the show to make it even more epic than usual, bringing in strings and additional singers to help us mark this monumental moment, and create such a memorable celebration for such an iconic venue.
Do you have any favourite Queen songs and what is their music like to perform live?
Performing Queen music live is really such an honour. Every single song is iconic! It’s so difficult for me to choose a favourite song, as I have loved the music of Queen since I was a child. Growing up I used to play their Greatest Hits album in the car on the way to school every day, screaming every song at the top of my lungs. The song Only the Good Die Young is so personal to me, it is such a beautiful song and a perfect tribute to Freddie (Mercury), and one that sits close to my heart as I sang it at my granddad’s funeral many years ago.
Had you worked with any of the cast before Queen By Candlelight, and what encouraged you to join the show?
Our Candlelight shows have been touring the UK and Ireland for just over three years now, and so all of us performing on Tuesday have been working together for such a long time and have such a laugh working together. I met Simon Gordon, Patrick O’Sullivan, Ben Purkiss and Sam Toland when we all worked on Bat Out of Hell the Musical together in 2017/2018, which was such an amazing experience, and I’m so lucky to be working with such a lovely group of people, including my husband, Patrick!
How are you preparing for the show?
To prepare for Queen By Candlelight, I’ve been listening to a lot of Queen! Although we have been performing our Queen By Candlelight show for a few years now, it is always useful to go back and immerse yourself in the original music. I particularly love watching videos of Freddie performing – his energy, his stage presence, his passion are unparalleled and he really is such an inspiration to me, as well as many other members of the band and cast.
What can the audience expect from the performance, and why would you recommend booking tickets?
Audiences can expect a truly unforgettable evening celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bohemian Rhapsody in a way they’ve never experienced before. Queen By Candlelight at the Palladium combines the iconic music of Queen – played by such a phenomenal band! – with the stunning ambience of a candlelit setting, all in such a beautiful and well-renowned venue. The atmosphere will be electric. If you’re a Queen fan, or even if you just love live music, you’ll be in for an excellent night!
In 2019, you joined the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre in the West End, how was it returning to the show when theatres could reopen after they were closed during the coronavirus pandemic, and what was it like covering the roles of Mrs Wormwood and Mrs Phelps?
When shows were finally able to reopen after the pandemic, it was such a privilege to be part of a community that was rediscovering the joy and power of live theatre after such a long period of not being able to perform. There really is nothing like the experience of going on stage in front of a live audience and that magic is something I am so excited to be a part of in Tuesday’s show.
Covering Mrs Wormwood was particularly enjoyable for me as it was the first time I got to play a more comedic role and I loved delving into a character that is so fundamentally different to me, it was such a fun experience!
How was your time in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican Theatre in 2019?
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican was such a memorable job. Working with Tom Dearing, the musical director on the show, was such a rewarding experience for me as he has the most amazing talents, and a deep passion and understanding of music that enabled him to really bring out the best in all of the performers. Dancing for Drew McOnie, the choreographer, was also one of the best dancing jobs I have had, with Drew having such a unique style and really fostering such an individualism within each dancer.
What did you enjoy most about performing in the West End production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and what was the show like to be involved with?
Charlie was my West End debut, and I remember just being blown away by the sheer scale of the show. The set was so fantastic, and the way the Oompa Loompas were portrayed in each scene was so playful and creative. I loved working with such a talented cast, learning so much from such seasoned performers like Myra Sands and Jonathan Slinger, and I made some friends for life during the two years I spent on the show.
What are some of your stand-out memories from being in the original cast of Bat Out of Hell for their world premiere in Manchester in 2017 and at the London Coliseum, in Toronto and at the Dominion Theatre as Valkyrie?
There was this amazing moment when we had the first sitzprobe for Bat, and it was the first time we’d heard all the music with the full band and it was just unbelievable! The songs of Meat Loaf are so theatrical and immersive, with some amazing lyrics, and I really fell in love with them during the two years I spent on this show. We also had the opportunity to actually meet Meat Loaf while we were at the Dominion, which was such an honour! But to be honest, my best memory on Bat was meeting my now-husband Patrick O’Sullivan. We were dance partners in the show about eight years ago now and we got married last year 😃
How was it originating the role of Valkyrie and performing as first cover Raven?
It is such a rare opportunity to create a role in a show, often you are stepping into the shoes of someone else’s creation. Originating the role of Valkyrie meant I was able to create such a strong, fierce and complex character who was so much fun to play each night. Covering the role of Raven meant I got to sing one of my favourite songs, All Coming Back to Me Now, and I got to play opposite the madly talented Simon Gordon and Ben Purkiss, who will both be performing on Tuesday, which was so much fun.
Your early shows include the UK & Ireland Tours of Hairspray as Swing and cover Penny Pingleton and Angelina Ballerina the Musical as Angelina Ballerina, what were both shows like to perform in and how do you find the experience touring?
I had such a great time seeing so many different cities while I was on tour, and Hairspray, in particular, was such a fun show to be in.
How did you get into acting and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
My journey into performing really began at a young age. I used to attend dance classes multiple nights a week after school, and my dad’s passion for music played a big influence in me exploring my own musical interests and wanting to pursue singing. I was lucky enough to attend the Arts Educational Schools, London for secondary school, which further nurtured my creativity and gave me the foundation to pursue performing as a career. Looking back, it’s amazing to see how those early influences and experiences shaped where I am today.
Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch, and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?
One of the best shows I’ve seen recently was SIX the Musical. I loved seeing a show about the power and strength of women, and all of the performers have such insane voices, it really is such a great show! It’s a privilege to be sharing the stage with Becca Wickes on Tuesday, who has played Katherine Howard in SIX, and has such an incredible voice.
I’d love to see MJ The Musical soon as I’ve heard excellent things!
How do you like to spend your free time?
Outside of working on the Concerts By Candlelight shows, I am actually at university studying for a doctorate degree in counselling psychology, which takes up quite a lot of my free time! When I do have free time, however, I like to spend it with my family and friends, and my favourite thing to do is travel!
What are you hoping this year brings for you?
To be honest, this year is shaping up to be pretty good so far! I am so excited to be touring Australia and New Zealand later in the year with our Queen By Candlelight show. I love working for the company, it honestly never even really feels like work, so I feel so lucky for having this opportunity – really, I’m just hoping for more of the same!