Interview: Actor Jamie Chatterton on THE LITTLE BIG THINGS

The Little Big Things opened in the West End to rave reviews last week. We spoke to actor Jamie Chatterton, whose credits include the world premiere UK tour of of The Osmonds: A New Musical, about his latest role as Tom, and being part of developing a new musical.

Congratulations on landing the chance to originate a second role! How does it feel to have had the opportunity to originate two roles in brand new musicals this early in your career?

Thank you! It’s a very special feeling being given these opportunities to create new roles and have teams of amazing creatives trusting my ability to mould new work. I still feel like I’m dreaming most days coming into the rehearsal room.

For those who don't know of Henry Fraser, who was he and what is The Little Big Things about? What do you think makes his story lend itself to a musical?

The Little Big Things is a musical based on Henry Fraser’s memoir of the same title. A story of Henry’s incredible life and the challenges he and his family faced overcoming a life changing accident Henry had on holiday that left Henry paralysed from the shoulders down. It’s about, family, acceptance, perseverance and inclusion. All things that are perfect for a great musical. It’s emotional and heartwarming, and we know audiences will love it as much as we are loving creating it!

Tell us about Tom and how you are developing the character.

Tom is the oldest of the Fraser brothers. He holds the weight of being the leader and looking out for/protecting his younger siblings. I’ve loved getting to develop this role because there is the difficult task of mixing softness and vulnerability, with strength and authority. Being the oldest means Tom feels a sense of responsibility for his younger brothers so when Henry has his accident Tom struggles to deal with the guilt that comes after.

The Little Big Things is being performed at @sohoplace, an in-the-round venue. What is it like to work in this way, rather than in an end-on setting?

This is the first time I have worked in-the-round so it is taking some getting used to! The most difficult part is playing to four sides of an audience instead of one. You have to be so much more focused on sight lines and making sure that no member of the audience is cheated of any of the story. However, it also opens up a new level of creation because you are able to move slightly more freely in the space which can add different layers to the performance. @sohoplace is the most amazing venue and it is the perfect theatre for our show to come to life.

What was the highlight of the rehearsal process?

My highlight was our first day. Meeting all of the cast, crew and creatives and everybody who is a small integral part of creating The Little Big Things. There was an amazing energy in the room and you could tell that everybody had the same incredible passion for making this amazing show.

Is there a particular moment of the musical that you're looking forward to audiences seeing?

There are multiple moments in our show that break down boundaries and show audiences something they’ve never seen in the West End before. I’m just most excited for the world to see how inclusive our company is and to feel a sense of warmth and home when they come and see our show.

What do you hope audiences will take away from The Little Big Things?

I hope the audience will leave the theatre feeling like they can achieve anything. Our show is about overcoming adversity and obstacles and so I hope people learn to celebrate the small wins in life. I also hope the audience leave feeling as passionate about this beautiful show as we are.

The Little Big Things plays at @sohoplace until 25 November, with tickets available here.