Charlotte Jaconelli speaks to Theatrefullstop about her new role in the Musical, She Loves Me!

As Britain’s Got Talent prepares for a new year of the good, the bad and the absolutely bewildering, the national competition is renowned for its showcasing of talent, giving performers from all walks of life the opportunity to change their lives and pursue their dreams. At just 16, Charlotte found herself auditioning in front of the infamous Britain’s Got Talent crowd alongside her singing partner, Jonathon Antoine. Together they wowed audiences, charming the nation and the four judges with their classical vocals. They both finished as runners up, however fast forward 3 years and Charlotte has enjoyed much deserved success, having performed at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall and releasing her debut solo album, Solitaire last year. Charlotte is set to star in Joe Masteroff’s 1963 hit musical, She Loves Me at the Landor Theatre from next week. Ahead of the production, Charlotte speaks to Theatrefullstop about what drew her to the musical, working with director Robert McWhir and what inspired her to audition for BGT.

Hi Charlotte! You’ll be starring in Joe Masteroff’s 1963 Broadway hit, She Loves Me at the Landor Theatre from the 4th February. How are you feeling ahead of the production?

I’m extremely excited! The cast are so fabulous and so brilliant to work with. Nerves are definitely up there too!

For those that may not be familiar with the narrative, could you explain what the musical is about?

It’s a musical love story of a young girl and guy in a small perfumery in Budapest. They have both been writing letters to their ‘dear friend’ and it’s a beautiful story of all their ups and downs and how they discover who they’ve been corresponding with!

Could you describe your character? Is she similar to you in any way?

She is very ambitious and knows what she is after! She’s quite different to your typical stereotype 1930s woman, she’s quite a strong personality and likes to share her view. And she’s quite the hopeless romantic at heart! I’d say we were identical.

What drew you to the role?

It’s a musical I’ve grown up loving and singing songs from! I’ve always wanted to play the role, and when I was told they were auditioning for Amalia, I knew I had to go.

She Loves Me was famously adapted into the much loved You’ve Got Mail in 1998, with Hollywood Heavyweights Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan taking the lead roles. Does that place any pressure on yourself and the rest of the cast?

You’ve Got Mail is a fabulous film with fabulous actors, but I think the musical holds a special spark. It’s very old school and I think everyone will always interpret the show in their own way. We are just having fun creating our version and we hope everyone will enjoy watching it just as much as we’ve enjoyed creating it.

Artistic Director of the Landor Theatre, Robert McWhir directs this adaptation of She Loves Me. How is he to work with? Could you describe the rehearsal process?

He has been brilliant I couldn’t ask for a better director to work with on my first show. He’s made it such an enjoyable experience and allowed me to really find my feet in the show.

Is this the first musical that you have starred in?

I spent my childhood in and out of stage school productions and I actually trained in musical theatre, but this is my first ever professional musical. I’m so excited!

You rose to prominence by auditioning on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 with singing partner Jonathan Antoine, what inspired you to audition for the show?

It was so bizarre I don’t actually remember why I applied, I saw the application online and just entered without really considering what could happen.

You became a runner up on the show, how did you find the BGT experience?

It was such a learning curve and such an amazing platform. I matured so much and met so many amazing people, I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.

Simon Cowell is renowned for being very straight talking, how did you find working with him?

I really enjoyed it. I love people who just tell it like it is. I work a lot better as an artist when people are really honest with me, so for this he was great.

What advice would you give to performers looking to audition for talent shows such as the X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent?

Just go for it! You never know what might happen, it’s all an experience, you’ve got nothing to lose!

Interview by Lucy Basaba.

Charlotte will be starring in She Loves Me at the Landor Theatre from Wednesday 4th March until Saturday 7th March 2015. For more information on the production, visit here…