In the UK premiere of Freaky Friday at HOME in Manchester, Katharine Pearson recently finished her run playing Danielle (journalist), Ms. Meyers (PE teacher) and Police Officer Sitz. Having made her West End debut as Ensemble/cover Lorraine in 42nd Street in 2017 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, last year, Katharine returned to the musical at Kilworth House Theatre playing Anytime Annie, and in 2024, she played Puritan in Something Rotten! In Concert for their UK premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Katharine starred as Heather McNamara in Heathers the Musical at The Other Palace in 2023, and she originated the role of Clocktower Woman in BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical at Manchester Opera House in 2020, which closed early due to the coronavirus pandemic. When theatres could reopen and BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical transferred to London’s Adelphi Theatre, Katharine reprised her role of Clocktower Woman and also covered the role of Lorraine Baines, with her first performance during previews, and she was in the Ensemble of BIG the Musical at the Dominion Theatre in 2019 as well as Swing in the Plymouth and Dublin runs in 2016, and alongside the casts of the musicals, she performed on Sports Relief (BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical) and Children in Need (BIG the Musical). Further stage projects have seen Katharine play Brenda and cover Amber in the 2015 UK Tour of Hairspray and be in the Ensemble and cover Kiki Dee in Dusty – The Dusty Springfield Musical in 2018. On screen, Katharine has filmed for the upcoming Netflix release The Witness as an unannounced recurring character, previously played co-lead regular character Becky Bennet in Series 8 (the final series) of My Parents Are Aliens on CITV, and at the start of her career, she played Hayley in Bernard’s Watch and Anita Barton in The Royal. Answering our questions, Katharine chatted to us about recently performing in the UK premiere of Freaky Friday at HOME in Manchester, her time in 42nd Street and BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical and playing Heather McNamara in Heathers the Musical.

You have recently finished the UK premiere of Freaky Friday at HOME in Manchester; can you tell us about the rehearsal process, the roles you played and how the run went?

Rehearsals were fun with it being a completely new version of the show, we got to spend time workshopping and changing bits as we went along, which was challenging but creatively fulfilling.

I played Danielle, who’s the journalist interviewing Katherine Blake for a cover story about her wedding – but of course, it’s Ellie in Katherine’s body, so the interview doesn’t go as expected! I also played Ms. Meyers (the PE teacher) and Police Officer Sitz – it was so great to have the opportunity to play such different characters all in one show and to get to work with such a great bunch of people across the creative team, cast and crew!

Christmas in Manchester was pretty great. We had our hiccups along the way with some illness and cut shows etc, but we laughed a lot and made our audiences laugh a lot too!

Earlier last year, you performed at Kilworth House Theatre in 42nd Street; how was it returning to the show, this time as Anytime Annie, having been part of the Ensemble (and cover Lorraine) at Theatre Royal Drury Lane for your West End debut in 2017?

This show will always be special to me – to have been in the original revival cast at Drury Lane was a genuine dream come true. It’s such an iconic show and I feel very lucky that I got to do it again!

And this time, to be playing Anytime Annie was a real moment for me. I’ve been grafting in the industry as Ensemble/cover most of my career, and I’m slowly breaking down the barriers to play parts in my own right. To revisit this show as Annie was a great achievement for me, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

What did you enjoy most about working on 42nd Street at both Kilworth House Theatre and in the West End, and what was the choreography like to perform?

The show is magic, but it’s always about the people. At Kilworth, we had a smaller cast, and it’s important to keep spirits high during nine-show weeks and four-show weekends in 30° heat, and our company truly brought the good vibes. To get to perform on stage and then hang out together in the countryside is such a novelty, and we really had a blast over the summer!

At Drury Lane, we had a huge cast, and some days you’d be mid-show and see someone for the first time! Again, the people on that job made it so memorable – I still have moments when I look back and go “how was this my life?” performing on that stage, with those people, doing THAT SHOW. Working with the Broadway team!? Genuinely the stuff of dreams. I’ll never forget the audience response finishing the stair dance – the wall of sound as you held your final position is a core memory for me.

The choreography on both shows was a joy to dance – the West End choreo was the same as the Broadway production, and learning from the legends Randy Skinner and Kelli Barclay was a masterclass – it felt like you were a part of history. And then to get to do a new production was so fun – even though it’d been eight years since I last did it, so many of the steps/rhythms were still in my brain/body, so it was slightly jarring at first learning new choreo for our Kilworth production – but I loved that it was different. It’s so exciting learning a show, and the moment in rehearsals when everything comes together is just magic!

Can you tell us about playing Puritan in Something Rotten! In Concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane for their UK premiere?

This was such a whirlwind of a week and a genuine highlight of 2024! We put on a ‘concert’, which was basically the full show but without the set(!), in a week – it was THE BEST.

Again, the people were pure JOY to work with. We threw ourselves into learning all the music and choreo, and I honestly had the best time. Also, I got to be a tap-dancing egg at Drury Lane – quite the career highlight I’d say…

How was it taking on the role of Heather McNamara in Heathers the Musical at The Other Palace in 2023 and was there anything that drew you to the character?

Oh wow, Heather Mac is such a fun character to play – you get the best of both worlds as you get to start off mean/sassy, and then you get the whole turning point where she wants to get out and be something more and we see that she’s not cruel to her core.

I think it’s quite easy in this day and age to mask how we feel or who we truly are, and I really enjoyed getting to play Mac in all her privileged-cheerleader-glam-girl-glory to then reveal that underneath she’s just as scared and desperate to please everyone else but hides it well.

What was Heathers the Musical like to be part of and how was it seeing the audience response to the production?

Heathers is WILD. I remember our first show and the WALL OF SOUND that erupted as the Heathers were revealed – I think my knees buckled slightly! I felt like a rockstar every night.

It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before, and I think it’s very unique to be a part of a show that is SO loved and celebrated by its fans. To be a small part in the show’s journey is something I’m very grateful and very proud of.

How was your time originating the role of Clocktower Woman in the world premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical at the Manchester Opera House in 2020 (which closed early due to the coronavirus pandemic) and how was it transferring with the show to the Adelphi Theatre in the West End when theatres could reopen?

Creating a musical from scratch is a rarity, and I’ll never forget being part of the original cast of BTTF – both in Manchester and London. This franchise is HUGE, and the expectation for the musical was IMMENSE, so we knew we had to deliver. Rehearsals were full on, and naturally, with it being a new show, we changed things a lot – even during Manchester previews, things kept changing and then again post-lockdown when we got to the Adelphi, there were more changes added.

I’ve never felt more heartbroken than when we got shut down – mainly because it was during the time our schedule changed, so everyone had bolted after the Saturday night to go have a rare two days off before returning to work… we never got chance to say goodbye to each other, which was really strange. Of course, we were immediately having Zoom quizzes and catch-ups galore, but when we got the go-ahead for town, we knew we were being reunited – and we were finally going to do the show we had created! I think that build-up of desperation to perform, to see each other, and to share this show we had created became such a visceral feeling that when we came together to start rehearsals for the Adelphi, everyone put everything they had into it!

I’ve never had a cast that was so obsessed with each other – we ended up spending our days off together. It was a truly wonderful time with wonderful people!

It is one of my greatest achievements being part of this show: being the original Clocktower Woman, covering my first lead in town, being on the cast recording, and winning the Olivier for Best New Musical – and, again, the people!! Made some of my best friends on this job and can honestly say it changed my life!

You covered the role of Lorraine Baines, what was it like getting into character and what do you remember from your first performance in the role?

I did, and I loved it! Lorraine is such a fun track because you get to play the original 80s version (weathered), the 50s version (gingham glam), and then the new and improved 80s version (blazer and blowout)!

My first time on was during previews, and we hadn’t done any cover rehearsals yet – aside from a note bash of the main songs. I remember being in my pyjamas eating a bowl of Cheerios, when my company manager called and said, “So, you’re going to be a West End leading lady tonight. How quickly can you get in so we can start teching you?”. I immediately cried, rang my parents, who jumped in the car and drove from Leeds to come watch my first show, then packed my stuff and headed in.

The wonderful Rich Fitch, who was our resident director, started walking me through my track – I’d learnt all my lines and had obviously seen chunks of blocking during rehearsals, but I’d never done any of it with the actual set. There’s a very funny video of me doing some lines in the McFly house, and not realising how raised the pallet with the table on was, and I trip and nearly throw the meatloaf onto the floor! We powered through all the tech bits – shoutout to Gaz, our stage manager and King of the BTTF put in, who made sure I was happy with everything – I ran to wardrobe to check costumes, and then it was show time.

I was weirdly calm considering it was my first time playing a leading lady in the West End, but it just goes to show how supportive my cast and company were. My brilliant Lorraine, Rosanna Hyland, had sent me an emergency cheat sheet of all her entrances/exits and where to get props etc from her sickbed – again, the people on this job were the best, and she is a dreamboat and the epitome of what a leading lady should be – I’ll never forget her kindness and her encouragement towards me being part of “Team Lorraine”.

And in terms of getting into character – starting the show as “down-and-out” 80s Lorraine – the padding, wrinkles, and vodka bottle – sets you up pretty well for the first scene! Main things I focused on were making my speaking voice a little bit rougher/huskier at the start, so when we jump to teen Lorraine in the 50s, who’s not jaded by alcohol and an unhappy marriage, you can hear her youthful, clear tone – helped by the new wig and gingham dress!

What was it like being in the Ensemble of BIG the Musical at the Dominion Theatre in 2019 and being a Swing in the Plymouth and Dublin runs in 2016?

Being a Swing was an exciting challenge, but with the 2016 run, it was such a short contract that I wasn’t sure I’d get on! My luck changed in Dublin when our wonderful DC (who’d had a run of shows due to illness) turned and asked if I’d like to go on for that track, which was one of my second covers. I got to live out my 80s dream with the brilliant wigs and costumes for a few shows.

Being asked back for the Dominion was a lovely surprise during what was a tough year of rejection – and to get to be on stage every night and get to be in the thick of it with the ensemble and kids cast was a highlight for 2019!

Whilst in the casts of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical and BIG the Musical, you performed on Sports Relief (BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical) and Children in Need (BIG the Musical), how did you find the experience on both shows?

Both were great fun – harder for BTTF because we filmed it the day after press night, so we were slightly sleep-deprived, ha! But both were really cool experiences to be a part of and for great causes!

In the 2015 UK Tour of Hairspray, you played Brenda and cover Amber, and in the 2018 UK Tour of Dusty – The Dusty Springfield Musical, you were in the Ensemble and covered Kiki Dee, what was it like touring with these musicals?

Hairspray was my first ever tour and I can’t believe it’s been a decade since we opened. I was so lucky to do it with three friends from my year at ArtsEd, and we just had a BALL. We honestly spent nine months partying around the UK, on and off stage!

Dusty was a shorter contract, with a lovely group of people. We got to create a brand-new musical, which is an experience I feel lucky to have had more than once in my career! There were many challenges creating something from scratch, but we had a great team, and getting to learn from the amazing Kat Kingsley at the helm was a gift!

We understand you have filmed for the upcoming Netflix release of The Witness as a recurring character, is there anything you can tell us about this?

I can’t say anything until it’s released, but I had a great time working with everyone, and I’m very grateful to be a small part of this project.

What are some of your favourite memories from playing co-lead regular character Becky Bennet in the final series of My Parents Are Aliens for CITV?

I loved doing this series, and I can’t believe this year it’s been 20 years since we filmed it! I was very fortunate to experience working on a set at such a young age and to learn from such a kind and encouraging team! We had so much fun filming Series 8 and I’m still in touch with some of my co-stars, my chaperone, and on-set tutor!

One episode that I really remember involved a lot of animals (my character wanted to be a vet) and I had to hold a snake and take tarantulas off another girl’s head. It was quite scary because you’d play out the scene, and then when they yelled “cut”, the spider was no longer where you’d put it! That one I remember well!

At the start of your acting career, you also filmed for episodes of Bernard’s Watch as Hayley and The Royal as Anita Barton, what do you remember most from these early projects?

Playing Anita Barton in The Royal was such a cool experience. My character fell off a cliff and got a shard of glass in her thigh, and I sat in makeup for a few hours getting this wound created! I vividly remember a photo of me sat on the steps to my trailer, sheet white with my leg on display, covered in blood etc – I loved that photo so much I had it printed on my birthday cake that year! Chaos! I also got harnessed to the cliff edge and stretchered away – again, really cool to experience that at such a young age – and again, everyone was SO lovely! All the regular cast members were so kind and stopped to have photos with me – I still have them in an album at home!

Bernard’s Watch was such an iconic show of its time; I can’t believe that I was a small part of it! Again, a really fun experience with a great bunch of people – I feel very lucky that I had such positive industry experiences when I was younger, and clearly it made its mark because I’m still acting now nearly two decades later!!

Where does your love of acting come from and how did you get into it?

I think it’s safe to say I wasn’t a shy child. I loved to dance and loved creating characters when playing with friends etc. I grew up watching the northern classics Emmerdale and Coronation Street, and was very fortunate that my parents took me to dance classes, which started my journey into performing. My mum had found a performing arts school that did dance/drama and had an agency, and I was nervous at first, but when I auditioned and got in, that was the real start to my training.

Scala Performing Arts opened many doors for me and led me to my professional debuts on stage and screen. As well as Scala, I trained at Armley Dance Studios, where I did my dance exams, competed up and down the country, and made the final 12/won the singing award at Miss Dance of Great Britain! I think dance was my gateway into acting and singing. From there, I took classes in all three, went to the cinema and the theatre, and inevitably fell in love with it.

I love to be transported, and I think it’s a gift to be able to tell stories and take other people on a journey, escaping their lives for a short while. I love creating characters, I love challenging myself and trying new things, and I genuinely believe it’s my purpose – if it wasn’t, I reckon I’d be doing something else, because this industry is tough!! But even now, a decade after graduating ArtsEd, I still love it. I’m continuously training to better myself and I thrive in the knowledge that I love what I do, and the more I do it, the more I’m challenged, and the more I progress!

Do you have any favourite films, TV and theatre shows to watch?

I do love to wind down with an episode or two after work. Recent watches have been Series 1 of True Detective (way behind the times, but WOW), and a more light-hearted watch was Nobody Wants This, which I enjoyed! Severance was up there as a top watch last year, and my most rewatched series has to be Brooklyn Nine-Nine for the light relief comedy vibes.

In terms of film, I like a variety and try to see as many as I can, especially with actors I admire. I love all genres (although I’m not great at horror). Some films I’ve enjoyed recently are Marty Supreme, Weapons, One Battle After Another, She Said and A Real Pain. Some other older faves of mine are When Harry Met Sally, Point Break and Dead Poets Society.

And in terms of theatre, I’m usually going to see friends in shows, which is always a great time – there’s nothing like seeing your pals shine on stage! Aside from all my brilliant friends’ shows, a favourite from last year for me was Stereophonic, which I thought was just excellent and gripping – such a phenomenal cast and clever writing/staging.

How do you like to spend your time away from your career?

I teach dance and fitness, I like to make plans with friends and family, and make sure I’m making the most of life outside of the job – especially during the in between! It’s easy to be consumed by ‘not being in work’, but I’ve learnt the best way to be ready for auditions is filling your cup with other things and enjoying life – going to gigs/festivals, catching up over brunch/dinner and planning weekends away and holidays etc!

I also like to set myself personal challenges, whether it’s running a half marathon (I did my first last year!) or raising money for charity – it keeps me busy!

Follow Katharine on:

Instagram