Abbie Budden originated the role of Annette Hargrove (Reese Witherspoon in the 1999 film) in the London premiere of Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical at The Other Palace alongside Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky (Kathryn Merteuil) and Daniel Bravo (Sebastian Valmont) in 2024. The jukebox musical has recently finished a UK & Ireland Tour, which saw Abbie reprise her role of Annette for her debut tour, working opposite new cast members Nic Myers and Will Callan, and across the tour and London, Abbie was directed/choreographed by Jonathan O’Boyle and Gary Lloyd. This month, Abbie will be performing in the two-hander one-night-only production of Between the Sheets: A New Musical by Joel Priest, with Sonny Monaghan, in which they will play Emily and Connor respectively, at the Crazy Coqs on Tuesday 5th. Further projects for Abbie include playing Heidi in last year’s [TITLE OF SHOW] production at Phoenix Arts Club and Southwark Playhouse, having her professional pantomime debut as Jill in Jack and the Beanstalk at Ipswich Regent Theatre with Louie Spence and Michael Greco, and she worked alongside Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench for the Bill Kenwright Memorial Concert at The London Palladium. During her career so far, Abbie has been the Red Carpet Host at the 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards, hosted the backstage coverage at West End Live and performed at Musical Con. While theatres were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, Abbie began her TikTok account, which has now amassed 1.5 million followers, where she regularly uploads a variety of content. Chatting with us, Abbie told us about playing Annette Hargrove in Cruel Intentions: The ‘90s Musical, the upcoming one-night-only production of Between the Sheets: A New Musical, her time as Heidi in [TITLE OF SHOW] and her successful TikTok account.

Was there anything that drew you to the role of Annette Hargrove in Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical and how did you originally prepare to play the character?

I mean, who doesn’t want to play Reese Witherspoon? She’s one of my ultimate film icons. I watched the film when I first got the audition for the Other Palace run and completely fell in love with it. I found myself gasping and squealing at how outrageous it was and how much it really keeps you on your toes. But the songs were what really drew me in, they’re absolute karaoke belters given a new lease of life. I just instantly felt connected with Annette and knew there was no way I wasn’t going to bring her to life.

To prepare, I watched the film a few times but it was important to me that Annette had my own flair too. The turnaround was super quick from audition to rehearsals, I think it was only about three weeks so it really was a whirlwind of a life change.

How was it reprising your role for the recent UK & Ireland Tour, having been in the original London cast at The Other Palace in 2024, and how was it taking the show around the country?

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked back, the first time round had been such a joyous experience and a huge learning curve, but being my professional debut there was still so much I had to give to the role, especially after a year of working in the industry and growing so much as a person and a performer. It flew by so I knew I wasn’t quite finished with it. It’s always nerve-racking going back to a job that you loved so much, but I couldn’t have asked for a better cast and company to tour with, just the most loving bunch of people. I had the ability to find fresh new moments and enjoy it all that little bit more with the confidence I had gained. Plus, with the added bonus of having the opportunity to tour, and explore so many amazing cities and perform at some bucket list venues.

What was Annette like to play and how was it finding out you’d booked the character for the London premiere?

Annette really is a dreamy character to play, she gets some absolutely fantastic songs, and she has such a beautiful journey in the show of playful and serious moments, and also some really tender and intimate moments with Sebastian. Though it was certainly hard to be the serious and more grounded character in a show full of hilarity and chaos! There’s not much to dislike about her, she’s probably the only one in the show with ‘good’ intentions (see what I did there).

Finding out that I had booked Annette was honestly a fever dream. My life zoomed from 0 to 100 in the space of a week, at 20 years old being able to make my professional and off-West End debut, it was an incredibly emotional, overwhelming and celebratory day. To be honest, I’m not even sure I processed how huge it was until our opening night!

What did you enjoy most about working with Nic Myers (Kathryn Merteuil) and Will Callan (Sebastian Valmont) and the rest of the touring cast and how was it being directed by Jonathan O’Boyle?

I know I’m biased because I’ve spent the last six months with them, but what a talented, kind and hard-working bunch. Nic and Will had such amazing credits to their names and I felt honoured to get to work with them, it’s so amazing building chemistry with such a small cast of 12 in a matter of weeks, but something about this show really brought us all together. It always amazes me how perfectly cast everyone was.

Jonathan was fantastic to work with, I was so pleased to get to work with him and our wonderful associate director and choreographer Gary Lloyd second time round as their patience and the way they nurtured our cast from the beginning was so admirable, it felt like we were really building a show with the whole team, so I felt incredibly lucky. I’d be thrilled to work with all of them again in the future, and I really owe them a lot for trusting me to make my first leap in my career!

How did you find the experience touring for the first time and did you have any favourite locations/venues on the tour?

You know what, as someone who is overly organised and a little bit (a lot) of a control freak, touring was surprisingly the best decision I ever made. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did, and whilst being on the road for six months is tiring, and you can certainly feel displaced from everything, it was actually a really freeing experience. I loved the independence it gave me and the spontaneity of it, it was amazing being able to explore the UK.

In terms of favourite venues, I have a few for different reasons.

Dublin was an incredibly fun city where I was basically a tourist for the week, Bath and York were just beautiful to explore, Manchester had the best audiences in such a stunning theatre, and Wimbledon was special as I have wanted to perform there since I was a child, seeing my first-ever touring show there. It’s crazy how little of the UK I’d seen before going on tour, and now I also feel like a motorway expert with all the driving I did up and down the country!

How was it learning and performing the 1990s soundtrack and being part of a jukebox musical?

I was worried that after performing some of my favourite songs for a year that I’d be sick of them but I’m pleased to say I still beam when I hear them, which is very frequently! The 90s really did produce some absolute bangers. It was lovely to not only pay homage to the iconic original songs, but also have the creative license to put our own spin on them, so they felt personal to us and our characters. But I loved singing them more and more as the tour went on. As someone who is a certified musical theatre girlie, it was great to break out of that and be a pop princess for a while! I’m a big defender of the jukebox musical, and especially with Cruel as it was so tongue in cheek and really didn’t take itself seriously at all.

What are some of your favourite memories from the original London run at The Other Palace last year, in which you starred opposite Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky and Daniel Bravo, and how was it originating the role of Annette in London?

The original London run will always be SO special to me. My first job, my off-West End debut, my first WhatsOnStage article, my first press night, my first time seeing my face on the theatre, my first tube poster, my first time performing at the Palladium, my first time in a trailer, the list goes on and on. So many memories with an incredible bunch of people who I’m so pleased I am still in touch with now! It was a whirlwind process and we really were all a family.

It has been announced that you will be performing in the upcoming one-night-only production of Between the Sheets: A New Musical by Joel Priest at the Crazy Coqs on 5th August, is there anything you can tell us about the musical?

Yes! I’m over the moon to be working with Taylor Jay Productions and Ben Ward again who I did [TITLE OF SHOW] with, and at such an iconic venue too. It’s a two-hander, new British musical set on the night of childhood sweethearts Connor and Emily’s ten year anniversary, and as the night unravels, so does their relationship. I’m playing alongside the wonderful Sonny Monaghan, who has just finished touring with Dear Evan Hansen and I am very excited to get to work with him. It’ll be a super short experience so hopefully it won’t be the last time!

What are you looking forward to for performing at the Crazy Coqs and working on Between the Sheets?

It’s going to be lovely to work with a brand new team, and I’m excited to get a chance to do a two-hander, something I’ve never done before. It’s also really great to perform original music after doing a jukebox for the last year, it’s surprising how much more intricate the learning process is when there’s no recordings to reference to! I’m looking forward to performing in such an intimate venue too, it’ll be a very different setting to anything I’ve done before.

How was it playing Heidi in [TITLE OF SHOW] at the Phoenix Arts Club and Southwark Playhouse in 2024?

Heidi was perhaps the most fun I’ve ever had with a role. It was so refreshing to get stuck in with the comedy of it, and I just loved how meta it was. The writing is so genius, and it’s one of those shows that gives the actors a lot of freedom and creative license, so we really made the characters our own. It was amazing to take the show from a very short run at the Phoenix Arts Club to a fully staged version at Southwark Playhouse, it’s always so special as an actor to get the chance to grow with a show. We had no idea it was going to have a life outside of the tiny little version we put on in a matter of days, but it was really a testament to all involved.

And our cast were just the best, we genuinely had such a laugh, it was lovely for a show that’s about four best friends to have so much natural on stage chemistry… to the point where it was actually a challenge to be serious! I am desperate to work with all of them again, especially Mary Moore, who was my friend and double act on stage and off.

What was it like making your professional pantomime debut last year as Jill in Jack and the Beanstalk at Ipswich Regent Theatre?

I have loved panto ever since I was a kid, it’s such a joyous and festive period so it was a whole lot of fun getting to be on the other side of it. We really had such a stellar cast, in particular getting to play alongside Louie Spence and Michael Greco every day was a giggle and whilst panto is busy (with some three show days!), it’s honestly like another world that you immerse yourself in until January hits! I do think that I really took ‘panto-land’ in my stride, I loved how light-hearted, silly and whimsical it was.

How different did you find working in pantomime opposed to full stage musicals and how was it interacting with the audience?

The process is more similar than you might think. Most pantos are basically full musical versions of your favourite fairytales, and they are essentially jukebox musicals, except this time you’re belting them out at 11am to school kids! But I loved the freedom in panto, you have license to be that little bit more naughty on stage and, obviously, you have a more raucous audience shouting, cheering and booing to their hearts content. But that’s what is so lovely, you are getting constant validation in the audience’s responsiveness. My favourite moment in particular was getting to run through the audience and high five all the kids during one of our big numbers, because you really are making their Christmas when you see their faces absolutely light up because Jill has noticed them!

You also run your own successful TikTok account, and have 1.5 million followers on the platform, how is it seeing the response to your content and what do you find most enjoyable about filming TikTok videos?

I couldn’t believe the response my TikTok got when it first boomed in 2021, it was something I had never planned or expected, so it was extremely gratifying to realise that people enjoyed what I was putting out there. It was a relief to see that all of the things I was commenting on were just as relatable and nostalgic to my audience as they were in my brain. You do stop processing the numbers after a while because it’s almost overwhelming trying to quantify how many people have watched my videos! One thing I’ve always loved is playing lots of different characters and impersonating people, and my videos give me full creative freedom to post anything I can think up. I also love that my videos can take place in so many different locations, from a little tripod in my bedroom, to filming a character roaming round a theme park!

What encouraged you to start posting videos to TikTok and how do you come up with ideas for your content?

I simply started it during lockdown as a creative outlet due to not being able to perform, to be honest, it was initially out of boredom! Then as my ideas developed it turned from an obsessive hobby into something I am proud to call my career. My inspiration comes from a multitude of places, but a lot of the time it’s my observations on the world around me and my own experiences. It’s why my content develops as my life does, starting with commentary on life at school and college, then taking inspiration from when I worked in retail, and then my career as a performer. A lot of ideas also come from TV and media, in particular, impressions of my favourite clips from movies, or making exaggerated skits about pop culture. I definitely go through major stages of creative burnout as coming up with a new idea every day can be difficult, but sometimes they ping into my head when I least expect (usually at 2am when I should be asleep).

What was it like being the Red Carpet Host at the 2024 WhatsOnStage Awards, and do you have any further stand-out highlights from your career that you can tell us about?

That was definitely one of the highlights of my year. I was so nervous because I’d never done anything like it, not only was I meeting a lot of my theatre idols, but it was also all live! It was such a buzz, and sort of an out of body experience! But I felt so lucky to be there and to be surrounded by so much talent and industry love.

Another stand-out was getting the opportunity to perform at The London Palladium for the Bill Kenwright memorial concert alongside theatre legends like Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. Stepping onto that stage to perform Bittersweet Symphony gave me goosebumps, it was such a special evening of celebration.

I would also say getting to release my first ever single with [TITLE OF SHOW] is another career bucket list moment, alongside going to West End Live to provide backstage coverage and performing on the main stage at MusicalCon. 2024 was a milestone year that I’ll never forget.

How did you get into performing and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?

I think my parents always knew from plopping me in ballet age three that theatre was going to be a huge part of my life somehow. I joined my first amateur theatre group age nine and from there it took over my life, I did every show at my local theatre, dance classes, school productions, joined every choir I could and asked for theatre tickets for every birthday and Christmas that came round. It was always a huge aspiration of mine, and whilst at school I was academically a high performer, something always told me that the arts were where I’d be happiest, and I was right. It all solidified when I left college and knew for sure it was what I wanted to pursue professionally, I just never anticipated it’d happen so soon! I feel incredibly lucky to be in the second year of my professional career.

What are some of your favourite theatre shows to watch, and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?

I mostly go and see musicals, but I really love to see as much new, original theatre as I can, and often it’s nice to be surprised by something you wouldn’t usually see! I also love watching my friends and people I have worked with shine in their new productions. I have to say I am a fan of big glitzy musicals, I recently saw The Great Gatsby and I was blown away. There is so much on my list, particularly Evita at the Palladium, but perhaps I should go and join the crowds on the street below too! I’m also a big Mischief Theatre fan, so I’m looking forward to supporting their new productions this year. I also still haven’t see Phantom so I should probably bite the bullet and go so I can reclaim my theatre kid status, as it feels disgraceful that I still haven’t for such an iconic and long-running production!

How do you like to spend your free time?

I wish I could say that I did something totally different in my free time to my job, but the truth is, I love to go and see shows as often as I can, which also usually involves trying as much yummy vegan food as I can in London beforehand! Theatre really does rule every part of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Free time as someone who is self-employed sort of doesn’t exist, it can be very hard to switch your brain off. But I’ve enjoyed travelling with my partner, exploring new places, and getting out in nature. I became a bit of a hiker on tour so perhaps I’ll start scaling some mountains!

What are you hoping the rest of 2025 brings for you and do you have any projects coming up apart from Between the Sheets: A New Musical that you can share?

I’m really looking forward to having some time to get back to my TikTok work after being on tour for the last six months, and I’m always very happy to go with the flow and grab every opportunity as it comes. The industry is hard to predict so I try to take each step as it comes and not put any pressure on what’s next. My calendar may or may not be getting pretty full up over the festive period, so I’m very excited for all of that. I’m also in the process of moving into my own place, so it’s really important for me to have the time to complete that huge stepping stone in my life, and to enjoy rest whilst I can.

Follow Abbie on:

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