Send us a text

 After previously starring in Love Story and Half a Sixpence at Chichester Festival Theatre, Emma Williams has now returned to Chichester to play Elsa Schraeder in The Sound of Music. After earning 4 Olivier Award nominations, Emma has established herself as one of the most versatile and acclaimed actresses working today. In our interview, she reveals her early connections with The Sound of Music having previously played Elsa and Liesl at Stage 84. Of course since then, she has also expanded onto film and television and more recently, became a mother.  She has recently also revisited roles in Love Story and Zorro in concert, and she tells us about the joy of getting to go back and finish off work that she didn't feel she was done with. Returning to Chichester now, we hear Emma talk about her love for the city and how excited she is to get to spend the Summer there with her family and to share the eagerly anticipated revival with audiences.

In this new interview, Emma Williams talks about the thrill of getting to star in a new production of a family favourite alongside a brilliant cast. During the course of our interview, Emma candidly discusses the importance of bringing classics back to the stage and the need to be brave in updating shows too to make them feel relevant for a modern audience. Approaching Elsa Schraeder now, she also talks about the freedom she feels in being able to play a character that audiences may not necessarily warm to and being able to be unlikeable.  Emma tells us also about the joy of working with Adam Penford one exploring the historical contexts of the piece and getting to investigate the politics and background of each character, as well as of course getting to listen to a 15 piece orchestra play the uplifting score every night. The Sound of Music remains one of the most loved musicals in history and we look forward to being able to see the show played out on the Festival stage.

The Sound of Music runs until 3 September with tickets on sale now!

Support the show