Jenn puts the law behind her to hit the road in Mamma Mia

SussexWorld

Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia is the biggest role so far for Jenn Griffin who graduated through the pandemic year after a career in law.

Transcript

00:00Good afternoon. My name is Phil Hewitt, Group Arts Editor at Sussex Newspapers. Really lovely

00:07to speak to Jen Griffin, aka Donna Sheridan. It's Mumma Mia. It's coming to the Mayflower

00:12Theatre, Southampton from October the 24th to November the 11th. And next summer, sounds

00:17a long way away, Eastbourne, July the 14th, July the 19th. Now what a fabulous show. And

00:24this is your biggest role to date, isn't it? Yes, it is. It's so fabulously exciting to

00:30be entrusted with the legacy that is ABBA and the legacy that is Mumma Mia. I mean, it's

00:36been 25 years now, I think, that the show's been up and running. Yeah, and you were saying

00:40it's probably the 4,000th touring production, performance rather. Exactly. The 4,000th

00:48performance will be in Southampton when we're there. So very exciting. So what do you have

00:52to find to channel your inner Donna, do you think? I have to find, well, it's a rollercoaster

00:59of emotions to find my inner Donna. I have to find determination. I have to find utter excitement

01:07from the first scene, seeing my friends I haven't seen for a long time. But then suddenly we get

01:11taken on this rollercoaster that is Donna's life over the two days that her daughter is supposed

01:17to get married. And there's panic. There is suppressed emotions from falling in love years

01:23ago when having this love story never come to fruition. We've got care for her daughter. We've

01:29got this incredible relationship. I mean, the show, although it's about a wedding, it's not

01:33really about romantic love. It's about relationships. And it's very much so about the connection between

01:39mother and daughter. So there's that kind of worry about doing the best thing for your daughter.

01:44There's that intense love and wanting to help her, but then not knowing how, because, you know,

01:50when your daughter's 20, they can think for themselves and do what they want. So it's this,

01:55it's a constant balance between trying to do the right thing, not knowing what to do. And then

02:02obviously there's this whole intrigue of the story that happens where she is just panicked the whole

02:07time because she's got this big secret that she thinks is awful. And if it comes out, it will be

02:12the end of her world.

02:13And on top of that, you throw the songs of ABBA. That's quite something, isn't it?

02:18Yes, the wonderful songs of ABBA. Some of which I've actually never done before. I'd never heard

02:24One of Us. And One of Us is a song that comes in act two, and it comes in an incredibly vulnerable

02:30and reflective moment in the show. And we don't see Donna vulnerable very much. She's a strong woman.

02:36And she's had to fight to make her life the way it is. She's a single mum. You know, she's,

02:41she's strong. And then suddenly out of nowhere, you get this beautiful song that I'd never heard

02:46before I saw the show. One of Us.

02:48Also slipping through my fingers, isn't it? There's one that's just absolutely beautiful

02:52that probably wasn't too well known before this, was it?

02:55No. But all this, all this is absolute vindication for you of a massive career change, isn't it?

03:03Yes. Yes, it is.

03:04Which I was saying to you is brave. You were questioning that slightly. It's not necessarily

03:09bravery, but it's huge, isn't it?

03:12Do you know what? It's, the reason I say, when you say, oh, it's brave, but I don't, I don't

03:18think, oh, I'm brave for doing it. I, it just felt right. And I feel very lucky to have been

03:26able to do it. And very honoured to, like I said at the beginning, just be entrusted with

03:31this role, with the role of this size and this, and I don't mean size as in, as in how

03:37many songs I get to sing, but actually of this complexity. And also the, being trusted with

03:44singing these incredible songs and singing them truthfully in a way that will, you know,

03:49touch people because that's, that's what you want to do in theatre and musical theatre

03:53and any kind of entertainment. It's wonderful. I'm so lucky. And often, you know, when I'm

03:59there doing a quick change, getting out of a, of a sparkly, shiny costume into another sparkly,

04:08shiny costume, I think, my goodness, how is this my life? It's incredible.

04:11And it was the law you left behind, and the law clearly can't compete with that, can it?

04:17Do you know what the law is? I still do a little bit now and then on the side, if I've got some

04:22downtime, it's helpful to keep my, keep my hand in and that side of my brain working. But honestly,

04:28this, this career feels, feels like where I, where I was always meant to be. I don't want

04:35to sound cheesy, but it just, you know, it just feels right.

04:38Well, how fabulous that you've reached that point. Really lovely to speak to you. All

04:43good wishes for the tour. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the show again.

04:47Thank you. Come and see us. Come and see you in Southampton, Phil.

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