Bebe Cave (Industry, BBC; Daddy Issues, Seven Dials Playhouse) brings her dark comedy about delusion, desperation, and dreams showcasing the rise and fall of aspiring 1930's Hollywood actress Betsy Bitterly to Seven Dials Playhouse this week. We spoke to Bebe during the show’s West End run.

How does performing The Screen Test in the heart of the West End influence your connection with the audience and your portrayal of Betsy?

It’s a dream come true to be performing at Seven Dials Playhouse again. I performed here in Lewis Cornay’s Daddy Issues in 2022, another one-woman show. I remember how scary I thought it would be to perform a show by myself. And it was! But in such a positive way. That experience allowed me to see the intimacy created between a performer and audience with a one-person show. Writing the character of Betsy has allowed me to take every impulse and instinct and emotion I’ve experienced as an actress myself, and pour it into a comedic vessel. It's been very cathartic. Betsy would be thrilled to know she’s in the West End!

Betsy is so driven by her desire to "make it." How does her ambition compare to the pressures you’ve experienced as an actress, especially in such a competitive environment like the West End?

I’ve learnt in my years working as an actress that comparison is the thief of joy, and that to stay strong and happy in such a competitive profession, you have to just focus on yourself and create your own opportunities. That's why I wanted to highlight the comedy of the neuroses that come from being an actor, and make experiences that have previously caused me distress (like not getting work/getting recast etc) into something to laugh at! Betsy has not found such an outlet herself - which is what makes her story and her plight a ‘tragicomedy’. She’s my less fortunate alter-ego!

If Betsy were to have a night off from her intense pursuit of fame, what would you imagine she’d do to unwind in 1930s Hollywood?

I imagine her smoking an endless stream of cigarettes on a chaise longue in a jazz bar, looking moody yet glamorous, hoping someone will ask to take her picture.

The show is full of madcap energy and unexpected moments. How do you keep Betsy’s character fresh and surprising each night, especially in a live theatre setting?

Each audience responds differently to the show, which makes it like a different conversation each night. Betsy dances to a different member of the audience each night to try and make them fall in love with her. Some nights she’s more successful than others!

You’ve been in the industry for a while now. If you could choose any role, past or present, to play besides Betsy, who would it be and why?

Roxie Hart in Chicago! I love fishnets, flapper girls and murder.

What’s the most unusual or funny thing that’s happened to you backstage while performing The Screen Test?

Just as I walked on stage to start the show in October, I trod in my pressed powder and walked white footprints all over the stage. I didn’t notice until 20 minutes into the show - it looked like a ghost was shadowing me. It was quite fitting actually. Ghost of an actress' past!

Betsy’s journey raises the question of what it means to “make it.” How do you interpret this theme within the context of The Screen Test, and do you think the pursuit of fame has changed since the 1930s?

I think it’s very human to have creative ambition, a dream, and to want to share your story in an artistic way. People have expressed themselves in a million different mediums throughout history, and the pursuit of ‘fame’ or recognition is a timeless concept. I think people want to be seen, praised and cherished. Actors (like Betsy) are just especially hungry for it!!

The Screen Test plays at London’s Seven Dials Playhouse until 15 February, with further info here.