KIDS
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CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG
Claire Sweeney talks about her child-hating role in the popular family musical
Claire Sweeney has a confession to make. Although she loves it now, the former Brookside and Clocking Off star was unfamiliar with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang until just before she joined the cast alongside Jason Manford and Phill Jupitus. ‘I came to it late and only saw the i lm recently,’ she says. ‘But when
I did, I completely got it. It’s absolutely beautiful, and I think it’s that magical quality that people of all ages fall in love with.’
Following successful West End runs in Chicago and Guys and Dolls, Sweeney is now as well known for her work on stage as on screen. In particular, her portrayal of the spiteful Velma Von Tussle in Hairspray won her acclaim – and proved the perfect breeding ground for her role as the equally nasty Baroness Bomburst in Chitty. But as new mum to a two-year-old son, she’s found the part a tad ironic.
‘Velma in Hairspray is absolutely vile, so playing the Baroness, another baddie, is the same kind of character, although I’m i nding different elements to her as we go along,’ says Sweeney. ‘But it’s funny, because since my son was born I’ve been obsessed with babies – and, of course, the Baroness hates kids!’ (Kelly Apter) ■ Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Wed 5–Sun 16 Oct; King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Wed 19-Sat 29 Oct.
1 Sep–3 Nov 2016 THE LIST 61
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