Interview: Janet Kumah on playing Susannah in WILD ROSE THE MUSICAL
The world premiere of Nicole Taylor’s new musical Wild Rose opens at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh next month. We spoke to Janet Kumah who plays Susannah in this brand-new musical, based on the award-winning film.
For people who may not have previously seen the film, what is Wild Rose about?
Wild Rose is about a woman who believes she has to leave behind everything she knows, including herself, to truly become who she’s meant to be. But through her journey, she discovers that home isn’t something out there in the world; it’s something she carries within her.
What makes this story the perfect one to transfer to the stage?
The music. The songs are stunning, beautifully chosen, strangely familiar, and they seem to connect with your soul in an unexplainable way. The story itself is intimate but universal: the journey of finding yourself, confronting obstacles outside of your control and letting go of what you thought your life should be to discover what actually makes you happy. It connects with your soul through song, dance, and humour.
What has your process of finding the stage version of Susannah been?
I don’t know if it’s part of my process, but I’ve laughed a lot. Proper, laugh out loud moments that speak to the kind of rehearsal room we have - warm, open, and collaborative. There was a lot to discover about Susannah, and it all started with Nicole’s [Taylor] beautiful script. There are subtle pointers to Susannah’s beat, her rhythm and then there’s the space to play. Trial and error has been invaluable as we’ve deep-dived into her journey. Seeing how it interplays with Rose-Lynn’s, why their paths have crossed at this moment in their lives. Some things you can’t quite explain, but you feel them, and that path of learning has been encouraged by John [Tiffany - Director] and has been quite integral to finding Susannah on stage. And then there’s Sarah [Travis] and Davey’s [Anderson] musical arrangements, which capture the internal emotions that are part of Susannah’s journey - things she might not say outright but that sit in the music in the way it holds her.
Why is the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh a good place for Wild Rose to start its journey as a stage musical?
This story is deeply rooted in Scotland. It follows a Scottish woman, her life, her struggles, and the dreams that pull her from Glasgow to Nashville. The cultural tones woven throughout give it a unique sense of place and identity. It feels right to be grounding the show here.
This is one of your first ventures into the world of musical theatre. How are you finding working on a musical in comparison to working on straight plays?
I have done some work in musical theatre but the process of working on this show has been very holistic in bringing acting, music and dance together. Working with the body, really listening to ourselves as individuals, to each other, and to the needs of the story. We start each day with a physical warm-up, which might be anything from yoga, stretching, circuit work, or breath-work all led by Steven [Hoggett] and Vicki [Manderson], who create such a brilliant space to tune in and connect. The movement in this show is fluid; it’s instinctual storytelling. We’ve spent a lot of time playing, experimenting, and finding our bodies in the music. It’s been a deeply collaborative process rooted in truth, openness, and trust.
What are your favourite songs that feature in the show?
I’ve hummed ‘Get Out of This Town’ in the kitchen, the bathroom, and en-route to and from work quite a few times . Then there’s the final song ‘Glasgow’, sung beautifully by Dawn [Sievewright playing Rose-Lynn] that’s brought a tear or two to my eyes. And there’s a song in the middle of Act 1, sung by Andy [Clark playing Alan Boyne], that always has me in hysterics, really cleverly choreographed as part of a hilarious scene.
Why should audiences come to see the world premiere of Wild Rose in Edinburgh?
Because it’s a beautifully written piece, full of heart and soul, performed by an extraordinary ensemble of performers. John, Nicole, and the entire creative and production team have done such a stunning job of bringing this story to life on stage; the music, the movement, the emotion, it’s all woven together in a way that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable. It’s funny, moving, and bursting with energy. I think people will leave the theatre still feeling the songs in their bones, maybe even Googling them on the way home if they didn’t already know them. These are classic songs in their genre, and we get to use them to tell this stunning story of self discovery.