Becoming Anne, Hen and Chickens Theatre
We had planned to release our Camden Fringe interviews based on the opening night, so all shows opening on the 28 July were going to be published on 1 July! Except we found we had a LOT of ionterviews for the opening night! So as you may have noticed, we’ve spaced them out over a few days instead.
But it all bodes well for our target of 100 interviews during July. You can find all our currently published Camden Fringe interviews here with more being published each and every day this month.
Another show opening on 28 July is Cayley Rae‘s Becoming Anne, her one-woman show (currently with Zero Oscars apparently), about looking how she looks like Anne Hathaway. Of course, it’s about much more than that, and if you want to know more, just read on.
Becoming Anne will play at Hen and Chickens Theatre from 28 to 30 July, tickets available here.
What can audiences expect from the show?
One woman. One dream. One tragically low-budget Les Mis number. Cayley Rae has spent her whole life hearing it: “You look just like Anne Hathaway!” So, after years of chasing the acting dream and facing only rejection, she’s finally doing the logical thing… becoming Anne.
Armed with a few wigs, some wildly questionable singing, and a disturbingly enthusiastic commitment to bad impressions, Cayley is diving headfirst into Hathaway’s Hollywood hits – from a Disney Princess to Oscar-bait breakdowns – and dragging you along for this identity-crisis-fueled ride.
Is Camden Fringe going to be the show’s first time on stage, or have you already performed elsewhere?
I first tested a shorter version of this show at an open mic night in Cape Town and people laughed (on purpose, I swear). Now I’ve made it longer, riskier, and slightly more unhinged… here’s hoping they still do.
What was your inspiration behind the show?
After the millionth person told me I looked like Anne Hathaway – and the millionth casting rejection – I decided to stop waiting for someone else to give me a role… and finally write the one life had been typecasting me for all along.
So here it is: my life, my delusions, and a dash of Anne Hathaway, all rolled into one.
Are there any plans for what comes next after the show has finished its run – for you or the show?
My only plan (and deep desire) is that Anne Hathaway sees this show, agrees we do look alike, and writes to me personally suggesting we star in a doppelgänger movie together.
I’m thinking a modern-day remake of The Parent Trap or It Takes Two – but honestly, I’m flexible. Anne can take the lead. She usually does.
Is there even any need to ask who would play you in the Hollywood adaptation of your future autobiography?
If Anne doesn’t put her hand up, I’m not sure my heart will recover. And honestly, at the rate she’s aging – or rather, not aging – it’s entirely possible she could still pull it off no matter how far in the future this happens.
If you had to describe your show as a meal what would it be?
If my show were a meal, it’d be that forbidden late-night snack you devour on the kitchen floor – totally reckless, definitely unhealthy, but impossible to resist. You might regret it in the morning but it’ll be one of those guilty pleasures you secretly love to remember.
What’s the most valuable piece of advice you’ve received during your career, and how has it influenced your work on this show?
Embrace the cringe. Because that’s the only way to put yourself out there. Sure, a few will judge but the ones who will (eventually) love you will make every awkward moment totally worth it. So here I am – ready to be cringe at the Camden Fringe. (Yes, things will rhyme in my show too – you’ve been warned.)
Thanks to Cayley for chatting with us. If Anne Hathaway is reading this, do get in touch. For everyone else, you can catch Becoming Anne when it plays at Hen and Chickens Theatre for Camden Fringe from Monday 28 to Wednesday 30 July.
