Alan Ayckbourn's A Chorus of Disapproval follows the story of recently widowed Guy, as he joins his local Amateur Light Operatic Society in hope of finding new friends and meaning in his life, but he ends up with a lot more than he bargained for. Whilst initially only playing a part with only one line, his good looks and mild manners soon see him climb his way to the leading role, and unable to say no to wine, women and song, Guy finds himself involved in a series of backhand deals, steamy affairs and pub brawls. In this interview, we speak to Sasha Frost (who plays character Fay Hubbard) to tell us more.
Q) Before we begin, please can you introduce yourself and a tell us a little bit about your background in theatre?
Hello! My name is Sasha and I’m an actress from Bristol. I started acting at the Bristol Old Vic Youth Theatre and that’s where I fell in love with theatre. At eighteen I went to drama school and have been working in the theatre ever since. Most recently I finished doing the 40th Anniversary of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off in the West End.
Q) You’ll be starring in A Chorus of Disapproval at Salisbury Playhouse with performances beginning in April – could you tell us a little bit more about the story?
Alan Ayckbourn’s A Chorus of Disapproval tells the story of an amateur dramatic group in the village of Pendon. The play begins as they start rehearsals for their upcoming show The Beggar’s Opera and a new member joins the group which causes all sorts of havoc and drama.
Q) You play the character Fay Hubbard – how would you best describe your character? Do you see any similarities within yourself and your character?
Fay is a gift of a part. Without giving too much away… we are quite different in MANY ways - thankfully! If we have any similarities, I guess they would be that we are both very sociable, very friendly and usually get what we want (in a nice way obviously!). Oh, and we both have a deep love of Jane Fonda!
Q) Alan Ayckbourn is an incredibly successful playwright and director. What is it about his writing in A Chorus of Disapproval that stood out to you and made you want to be part of this production?
This is my very first time doing an Alan Ayckbourn play and I’m so excited. Apart from being extremely funny of course, I think there’s such a beautiful fine line between the humour and the tragedy in the script. For me his writing is so relatable, it’s so well observed - it’s about humanity. I particularly love the exploration into the martial relationships and how they function and survive.
Q) How has the rehearsal process been so far for this production?
Rehearsals so far have been great; the cast is huge which is rare and it’s just an absolute joy to be working in the room with so many lovely actors. I did somehow forget that we would be performing whole sections of The Beggar’s Opera – so the singing and dance numbers have been a bit of a shock to the system!
Q) What can audiences expect from A Chorus of Disapproval?
Audiences can expect lots of fun, joy, drama and definitely some 80’s magic.
Q) Why should audiences come along to see A Chorus of Disapproval?
People should come see the show because I think it’s the perfect escape, it’s full of laughs and silliness. But it is also full of heart, you get a glimpse of what goes on
backstage as this mismatched group of people try their best to put on a show and I
guess try their best to get through life.
For more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
Photography by Ash Mills