Jenna Innes was in the cast of the world premiere of 13 Going on 30 – The Musical at the Manchester Opera House playing Wendy and cover lead character Jenna Rink (played by Lucie Jones), and 13 Going on 30 – The Musical is based on the 2004 film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, with the musical directed by Andy Fickman. In the 2023 and 2024 UK & Ireland Tours of Heathers the Musical, Jenna starred as Veronica Sawyer, and also performed the role in the West End at @sohoplace, and whilst in the cast, Heathers the Musical were on the line-up of West End Live. Having been in the cast of the original run of Les MisĂ©rables for their final weeks at the Queen’s Theatre in the West End (now the Sondheim Theatre), Jenna joined the 2019 National Tour, and she was called in at short notice to cover Fantine in the West End musical. We spoke to Jenna about being in the world premiere of 13 Going on 30 – The Musical as Wendy and cover Jenna Rink, playing Veronica Sawyer in Heathers the Musical on tour and in the West End and her time over the years in Les MisĂ©rables.
In the recent world premiere of 13 Going on 30 – The Musical at the Manchester Opera House, you originated the role of Wendy, what was the character like to play and how did the run go?
So many wonderful people came together to create this project.
The movie has such heart, and it’s so lovely to see that heart being translated onto the stage through these brilliant new songs and the warmth and love in the script. I loved playing Wendy – a completely different character to what I’m used to playing. She was a little bit catty, but I love that it was a real challenge.
How much did you know about the 2004 film starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo before auditioning and how was it bringing the story to the stage?
I’d watched it a lot growing up. It was one of my go-to films. It was sort of on repeat in the times of VHS tapes. I would watch it till the end, put it back in, rewind it, then let it play again! I loved it!
What was it like seeing the fan response to the musical and how was it being directed by Andy Fickman?
It was so amazing to see how the fans responded online, doing all the viral dances, and meeting people coming to see. I met lots of parents who loved the film growing up now sharing that experience with their teenage kids too, and I thought that was really special.
Being directed by Andy Fickman is always a joy. He’s so fun to have in the rehearsal room. He just brings this amazing energy to every single day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a bad mood. I’ve never seen him raise his voice. He does wonderful things to encourage people to bring their best selves to work every single day and their best work, and it shows on the stage and when you are working with him.
You also covered the starring role of Jenna Rink (played by Lucie Jones), how was it rehearsing as the character?
Covering someone like Lucie Jones is an absolute joy because she’s a very generous actor, but she’s also a really generous person. She was so helpful. Any time there was even maybe a little bit of script changed, she would make sure to find me to make sure I had made note of it. She’s like the absolute dream to understudy because she just understands what it means to be a team leader. As it was a short run, we really didn’t have much time to rehearse in the character like you would for a longer run, so we just made sure we were up to date with any and all changes and helped each other out when we could!
What did you enjoy most about performing in Heathers the Musical on the 2023 and 2024 UK & Ireland Tours and in the West End at @sohoplace as lead character Veronica Sawyer?
I think what I loved most about my two years in Heathers was the people that I met at stage door and the love that they have for this show. A lot of the time, people were coming to see this show, and it was their first-ever experience in the theatre. I just love to think that that show has just sort of brought so many new people into the world of musical theatre and opened up this art form to a whole new generation. What’s better than that?
I loved meeting everyone at the stage door, and all the lovely, kind comments and pieces of art that I got from people. The show has got so much love, and the community is so welcoming.
How was it getting into character as Veronica and performing the musical numbers?
Getting into character for Veronica, I found quite easy because I find that she’s very similar to myself when I was 17 at school. I loved singing all those songs – some of the best songs ever written in musical theatre, in my opinion! I Say No has got to be one of the best female songs ever written! So getting to stand there and belt your face off every night was amazing. It felt so good!
Do you remember how you felt finding out you’d booked the role and was there anything that drew you to the production?
When I first found out I’d booked the role, I was a little bit nervous. I was a little bit apprehensive because I had never seen the show before. I had just finished Les MisĂ©rables two weeks earlier, which couldn’t be more opposite to Heathers! I hadn’t even listened to the whole soundtrack. So there were a lot of unknowns to it, but I think that’s what drew me to the production as well, because I didn’t have any preconceptions of it. I didn’t know what it was going to be. I didn’t know how I was going to be in it. And I think that, for the team, there was a little freshness that they maybe hadn’t seen before. I loved discovering it. I loved the friends I’ve met on it, who I’m still really good friends with now.
What was it like performing with Heathers the Musical at West End Live?
Heathers at West End Live is something else. There’s nothing like standing in front of thousands of people and having them sing the song right back at you with all their heart. It’s so nerve-racking!! But you feel like a rock star.
After performing in the final weeks of the original run of Les Misérables at Queen’s Theatre in the West End, you joined the 2019 National Tour, what are some of your favourite memories from touring with the show?
Les Mis was one of my absolute favourite shows of all time growing up. It was the thing I listened to all the time. It’s the thing that really got me into musical theatre, so when I was cast in 2019, I just was absolutely beside myself. I have done so many different versions of Les Mis. I did the revolve version in 2019, before it closed, I’ve done the Staged Concert, and I’ve done the newer version in the West End and on the UK Tour. I’ve been part of that production since 2019 on and off, and it is my favourite show in the whole wide world. I don’t think I will ever be bored of singing One Day More at the top of my lungs every day.
Favourite memory from the UK Tour, I think, was bringing a show like Les Mis – such an iconic piece of theatre – to different parts of the country, to cities and people that perhaps would never have had the opportunity to see it before. The New Theatre in Hull had just opened after this big huge refurb, and we were able to bring the show to people who had been waiting years to see it. We sold out every single night, and it just meant so much to them.
We understand you were called in to the West End production at short notice to cover the role of Fantine, how did you find the experience?
Playing Fantine at short notice was one of my favourite days at work! It was very, very chaotic, but I kind of thrive under that sort of chaos. It was 2021, COVID was rife, and I got a call at 10:30 in the morning asking if I could play Fantine in the matinee and evening performance in the West End. It was thrilling! I had to go in, find a wig that fit, find a costume that fit, run through the staging, and just go.
And it was one of those amazing experiences where everyone in the whole building was completely on the same team that day. The people I was acting opposite were very generous – if I was perhaps maybe in the wrong spot, they would go with it. Stage management were pushing and pulling me behind moving set pieces, and wardrobe and wigs were with me every step, and did everything for me to make it easier. It was the best theatre at its best. I’ll remember that day forever!
Where does your love of performing come from and how did you get started in the industry?
I just love stories. I love hearing stories. I love telling stories. I’ve always loved that, even as a child. I loved reading books, and I loved making up stories and making up little plays to put on to my mum and dad. I didn’t really know what that was when I was a kid – I just knew I enjoyed it. I love the community that theatre and performing have given me as a child, as a teen, and now as an adult. That sense of belonging in a community is something I found in theatre that I don’t think you find often in many other walks of life.
Do you have any favourite theatre shows to watch and which would you like to see that you haven’t done so as yet?
I’d love to see Paddington and Oh, Mary!. They’re next on my list.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I really value spending time with my family and friends. This job often takes me away from them, so when I get the chance to see them, I take it! I like to walk and talk with my friends, and I love going to the gym and cooking new things.
What are you hoping next year brings for you, and do you have any projects coming up that you can talk about?
I have no projects coming up yet, but I think it’s a nice place to be. I’m sort of open to seeing what excites me and what stories are out there that I kind of want to be part of. I think it’s a really exciting time for me. It’s the first time I’ve not had something lined up in a long time. And while that is a little bit scary, it’s also brilliant, because then I get to spend time doing the things I like to do and also taking my time to see what life looks like away from my theatre life.
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