Last Friday, Jacqui Dubois began her co-lead role of Vel in the UK & Ireland Tour of HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, with the musical opening at the Manchester Opera House tomorrow Tuesday 2nd September until Saturday 13th September. HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical is touring throughout the year into 2026, with the final date at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th May, and Jacqui performs the Steps soundtrack alongside a cast including Rebecca Lock as Caz, Rosie Singha as Neeta and Blake Patrick Anderson as Robbie, with the script by Shaun Kitchener. This May, Jacqui performed her last show as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical for their 2024/25 UK Tour, having played the character (made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the film) previously, and prior to Ghost the Musical, Jacqui played Aunt Em in The Wizard of Oz at Leicester Curve and The London Palladium. Jacqui played Patricia Fodor in Crazy For You at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022, and Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in 2023, and during the coronavirus pandemic, she played Mrs. Hobday in the world premiere UK & Ireland Tour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Further projects for Jacqui so far include playing Jodi/Ensemble in the 2015 world premiere production of People, Places and Things at the National Theatre, transferring with the show in 2016 to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End and the following year to St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York, and early in her career, she played Joanne Jefferson in the UK premiere of RENT at the Shaftesbury Theatre and Shenzi and Rafiki in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. We found out from Jacqui ahead of opening in HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical about her co-lead role of Vel, playing Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical and performing in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Big Mama.
What are you looking forward to for being part of the UK & Ireland Tour of HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical?
Spreading some fun and laughter across the nation.
Can you tell us about HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical, and what is it like performing the Steps soundtrack?
HERE & NOW is a really fun, heartfelt piece for all the family. Singing Steps tracks feels like a great night out at karaoke with some good party pop tracks.
You play the co-lead role of Vel, how would you describe the character and what is she like to play?
Vel has been working at Better Best Bargains for over 20 years, and she loves her workmates. She’s warm, loyal, fun-loving, but also scared of change. She feels like she’s first settled. It’s really lovely to play such a positive character and be allowed to tap into the upbeat parts of human existence.
How was it reading Shaun Kitchener’s script for the first time and what drew you to the role of Vel?
I really enjoyed my first reading of the full script. I laughed a lot and became engrossed in the shenanigans resulting in a few unexpected surprises, always great when reading scripts. I liked Vel because she’s lived some life, she feels like a really relatable woman.
How is it working with the rest of the cast, which includes Rebecca Lock as Caz, Rosie Singha as Neeta and Blake Patrick Anderson as Robbie, and how have rehearsals been going so far?
The cast, both old and new, are all really lovely and supportive of each other. The members who have done it previously have been super welcoming and helpful with the rehearsal process, which is going really well. Everybody brings their own flavour to the project and I’m learning new things from everybody involved.
What do you hope audiences will take from HERE & NOW: The Official Steps Musical, and why would you recommend booking tickets to the touring production?
I hope audiences will feel happier for even just a moment as a result of the show, maybe some will be inspired to motivate or change in their lives and believe in their dreams or just have a really fun and memorable night out. There are some great tunes, great singing and dancing, and a story with very lovable characters who make you laugh and cry. A very relatable, and entertaining evening.
In May, you finished your run as Oda Mae Brown in the 2024-25 UK Tour of Ghost the Musical, how was it returning to the show, having played the character on tour in 2019?
The UK Tour of Ghost was actually my third time playing Oda Mae Brown. Returning to this role is pure joy. I really enjoy her and it’s always different because each time there have been cast changes so the energy changes and new takes on character interactions mean that the character becomes more layered with old and new information to add to the characterisation. It’s a great experience and a skill of its own.
What did you enjoy most about working on Ghost the Musical and how is it taking on the role of Oda Mae?
I enjoyed Ghost because the audience is always so moved by the end of the story. You can hear sniffles and giggles and the humanness. It puts people in touch with their hearts, their loves, their memories and allows them to feel. I also really enjoy the humour that Oda Mae brings to the piece. It was a pleasure to take on this role and I got such an overwhelmingly positive response from the audience. The appreciation is truly appreciated, especially following in the footsteps of the fabulous Whoopi Goldberg, who created the role for screen.
How was it being in the cast of The Wizard of Oz as Aunt Em at Leicester Curve and The London Palladium?
The Wizard of Oz was a magical production. I loved having the pleasure of Georgina (Onuorah) sing Over The Rainbow so beautifully every night. The costumes and set were fab. It’s always a good feeling when a show transfers and is given more life. It was a great summer experience at the Palladium.
Can you tell us about your time playing Patricia Fodor in Crazy For You at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2022 and Big Mama in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Royal Exchange in Manchester in 2023?
Playing Patricia was fun, and summer in Chichester is always lovely. I got to go to West Wittering Beach, which is a favourite spot of mine. It was a production that was full of super talented people, and the showgirl ‘slayed’. An absolute extravaganza.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is one of my favourite gigs, I loved working with Roy Alexander Weise, our director. I enjoy doing straight plays as well as musicals and the way that Roy used music in the play was so perfect, in my opinion. It was a show I’d loved to have watched myself. The cast, again, were all so talented and committed to the piece. We had a blast with our family dynamic. Playing the iconic Big Mama with Patrick Robinson as Big Daddy is such a great memory to have. That whole experience was just perfect. The Royal Exchange is such a unique venue, with such a pertinent history to the play, and having an all black cast as the family owning a plantation at the cotton exchange in Manchester gave it an even deeper twist.
How was it being part of the world premiere UK & Ireland Tour of the stage adaptation of Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks as Mrs. Hobday?
Being part of Bedknobs is something that I’m very proud of. Such innovative direction and magic that I can’t disclose. I’m also proud to have had the chance to create a role from scratch and discovering my Mrs. Hobday was a really great chance to make something your own. She’s a funny lady too! However, we were touring during COVID, which was daunting, but it also made it mean so much more when each performance went ahead without disruption. We were lucky to have kept going. The magic though will always be wonderous to me, even knowing how it happens.
In 2015, you were seen as Jodi/Ensemble in the world premiere production of People, Places and Things at the National Theatre, before transferring with the show to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End in 2016 and taking the show to New York at St. Ann’s Warehouse in 2017, what was the play like to perform in and how was it transferring the show to the West End and America?
People, Places and Things – another on my list of absolute favourites. Again, I’m very grateful and proud to have been a part of this production and experienced every stage of its success – excluding the UK Tour, that was on in the UK when we took it to the States, so sadly I didn’t get to see it, but I did get to see its second run here in London. It was an extraordinary play. Denise Gough was a pleasure to watch, perfectly cast for the role and reigning supreme in it. Being part of the cast was so emotional and, just like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the commitment to the piece and each other whilst still having a blast was something I’m just so proud to have been a member of. We were all very chuffed with its success, all so proud of its critical acclaim and all very excited to take it to New York where we just ‘did our thing’ and owned it. There’s so much to learn from People, Places and Things and it really did touch on my life and perspectives.
Early in your career, you played Joanne Jefferson in the UK premiere of RENT at the Shaftesbury Theatre and played Shenzi and Rafiki in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre (both in the West End), what are some of your favourite memories from working on both musicals?
Yes, I was the original Joanne when RENT came to London, and I got to play it with some of the original Broadway cast including Adam Pascal, Jesse L. Martin, Anthony Rapp and Wilson Jermaine Heredia, and the original director Michael Greif. It was much earlier in my career, and it built my confidence in my abilities, bringing out parts of me that I had not known I could achieve and helping shape the performer I became following that experience. Again, another big, big favourite. A show full of love with a message that touches the soul.
The Lion King was something I did for three years, in which I played the part of Shenzi, and I covered the part of Rafiki. A very successful production worldwide to be a part of. I learnt puppeteering skills and became the fittest I’ve been, Shenzi is an extremely physical role to play and also originated by Whoopi Goldberg.
One of my favourite memories of RENT was the closing night when all the fans stood in the road by stage door singing Seasons of Love – beautifully. My favourite The Lion King memory is the 20th Anniversary, meeting so many people from all departments who have been a part of the production over all the years, and at the event, every single person involved had their name projected somewhere on the ceilings, walls etc. It was so amazing and I think it made everybody feel acknowledged and appreciated for their contribution to the success of it.
Can you tell us about some of your further career highlights, which have included playing Madame Mimi in Emil and the Detectives (National Theatre), Miss Sherman in Fame (West End and UK Tour), Joanne Lish in The Full Monty (West End), Featured Chorus in Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures) and Mrs Rippon in EastEnders (BBC), and performing as a vocalist with various music artists?
Yes, there’s been a lot. I worked with Kate Bush on her Before the Dawn concerts, Fela! – the hit musical which started in the States – I did it at the National with its original director Bill T. Jones, what a man! Then this also transferred to the States ending up on Broadway. My very first West End musical Children of Eden, which I can be heard singing the role of Mama Noah ‘Ain’t it Good’ on the original cast album, backing singer for Sharon D. Clarke when she was lead singer of the group Nomad. The brilliant reggae musical based on the film The Harder They Come also went to America and Canada. Getting to sing with Stevie Wonder whilst doing Fela! in LA. The David Hare play The Permanent Way, in which he came to talk to us about our characters and was actually the first time I got nominated for Best Supporting Actress… The list goes on and on, to be honest. I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant but it’s been my life so far!
How did you get into performing and was it always something you wanted to do professionally?
I started off dancing at the age of 10 at the local church hall with ballet lessons, then added jazz/modern and tap. I always sang at home to records, but I really didn’t have a burning desire to perform. It’s just part of my makeup, I guess, amongst a myriad of other things. I tried it, it liked me. I really do feel it chose me.
Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch and how do you like to spend your free time?
I don’t get a great amount of time to see shows, because they’re on when I’m working but I did love Life of Pi and The Hot Wing King. I would have loved to have been able to be an audience member at some of the shows I’ve done (RENT; People, Places and Things; Cat on a Hot Tine Roof; Fela!). Oh, and I loved De La Guarda.
My free time is usually spent relaxing, seeing friends, cooking, eating, listening to music or going to see music, reading and Housewives, haha. Just having quality personal time, having my own schedule and I’ve got into walking with a weighted vest more recently, which I love, especially very early in the morning during the summer days, it’s always lovely in the morning, and quiet. Yup, that’s me!