A Farm Girl In The West End

From soap star to stage queen, Verity Rushworth has spent most of her life performing in one guise or another. George R Vaughan caught up with this versatile young actress further to her West End debut in hit show Hairspray to find out just how hard it was to make the transition from TV’s most popular farm to London’s most in-demand musical.

With over two dozen awards under its belt, a cast of top entertainers and a die-hard fan base whose demands remain consistently high, anyone taking a part in the London production of Hairspray has every right to expect a tough if ultimately rewarding experience.

A recent cast change afforded young actress Verity Rushworth – better known to avid Emmerdale fans as Donna Windsor-Dingle – the opportunity to “tread the boards” with the likes of Michael Ball and Nigel Planer and she literally leaped at the chance.

“Although I spent almost 12 years in Emmerdale, musical theatre is one of my big passions and I knew that at some stage I would have to ‘take the plunge’ and leave for a challenge more in this direction.

“When I told the producers they were very understanding. They wrote my character out of the show but left me with the option to return if it was something I wanted in the future. The amazing thing for me was that the part of Penny Pingleton came up almost out of the blue and literally a week after I finished my last scenes on Emmerdale, I moved straight to London to begin rehearsals, so in that respect, it couldn’t have worked out any better.”

At a mere 23 years of age, Verity is engaging with her youthful enthusiasm and obvious delight at doing something that so many other aspiring actresses of herage might only dream of.

“It doesn’t get much better than Hairspray, I can tell you. Performing to packed houses every night opposite such wonderful talents as Michael Ball and Leanne Jones brings out the best in me. It makes me appreciate my art and because the standards set are so high, you find that you are always improving.”

For someone who grew up acting on TV, Verity admits that whilst she has no fear of a live audience, knowing that there is no “second-take”definitely provides an adrenalin rush all of its own.

“You have to be certain of your lines and I guess there is an extra level of pressure to deal with but that is what acting is all about. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” she says with a smile.

Acting has always been in Verity’s blood and she never had any doubts even from a young age about what she wanted to do.

“I was three when I started stage school and I remember even then really enjoying the whole performing routine. It was funny because no one else in my immediate family has followed that career path.

“My motherworks at Leeds University and my father is a stonemason.”

“When I got the role of Donna Windsor in Emmerdale, I was surprised and quite nervous. I had to play someone my own age but the odd thing was that some of the issues the writers had me confronting in the storylines for my character were things that in real life, I had no experience of. Drugs, boys, sexual diseases; Donna Windsor went through a plethora of dramas that I (in some cases thankfully) never confronted in the real world.

“I also learned that starring in a popular TV soap, means that to some degree you have a responsibility to millions of viewers and – a little like the die hard fans in Hairspray – there is also an expectation that comes with this. The public allow you into their homes on a weekly basis, at a time when all the family are watching, so even when you are out of character, they need you to maintain a certain image.”

When I asked her whether she would ever return to Emmerdale, she smiled, “I made a lot of friends on set and everyone was always so nice to me. I know it sounds like a cliche but they do become your extended family. Most of my fellow actors saw me grow from a young girl to a young woman during my time there and because of that I can never say never.”

Moving down to London has given Verity the chance to discover the capital’s vibrant night life and as a fervent follower of the jazz scene, she is hoping on her nights off to indulge her interests a little further.

“My parents are jazz fans and it is a particular style of music – especially the greats like Ella Fitzgerald – that really appeals to me.”

Does a singing career in the charts beckon? Knowing what she has already achieved in her life I wouldn’t bet against it.

You can see Verity Rushworth in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre and for more information check out the website at www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk

• Read also our “Hairspray” review and watch the trailer ···

George R Vaughan