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One of the most eagerly anticipated productions for Chichester Festival Theatre's current season is Rock Follies, an adaptation of the hit 1970s series. The cast is led by West End star Carly Bawden as Anna, a role that was originated by the late Charlotte Cornwell in the TV series. The role marks Carly's first time performing in the Minerva Theatre having previously performed at the theatre's Concert in the Park 2021 and notably worked with departing Artistic Director Daniel Evans on My Fair Lady at Sheffield Crucible. After a short career break, Rock Follies also marks a return for Carly to the stage and we hear her talk about her experience readjusting to being in a rehearsal space, working with a company to create a show for Chichester audiences.  

In our interview, Carly Bawden sat down to talk about creating the new show with Dominic Cooke and finding ways to honour the original source material whilst keeping the show fresh for a modern audience. We also hear Carly talk about her Somerset roots, growing up in a small town to performing on West End stages. Throughout our conversation, she remains very humble about her success since leaving Somerset and tells us how grateful she is to the local community for supporting her ambitions to perform. Indeed, since leaving school, Carly Bawden has become one of the most sought-after performers, leading landmark revivals of Carousel and Assassins as well as helped open the new Boulevard Theatre with Ghost Quartet back in 2019. Always playing challenging roles, we hear her talk about her love of working on thought-provoking texts and her hopes to continue working with brilliant people within the industry.

Rock Follies runs at the Minerva Theatre until Saturday 26 August.

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