In our profile series, Tell Us In 10, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions.
This week we have Vivien Keene who is currently playing the role of Mrs Boyle in The Mousetrap written by the one and only Agatha Christie! As one of the most famous whodunnits in the world, The Mousetrap has been keeping London theatregoers on their toes since its opening on 25 November 1952. When you’ve got audiences still trying to suss out the culprit after more than 60 years, you know it’s a murder mystery well worth watching!
1. My route into theatre was…
I had an English Teacher in Devon who was very keen on theatre and we used to put on very good productions. I got the bug! Then I went to the Drama Centre, got kicked out (60% did!), took a while to get going, and started to get work in small-scale productions, then commercial theatre and into the larger tours and West End.
2. My West End idol is…
Iain Glen
Tamsin Greig and Iain Glen star in Longing. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
Could be anything! I would think… professional and slightly wacky.
4. My favourite show present or past (that isn’t one I star in) is…
The Crucible with Iain Glen
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
This one!
Vivien Keene as Mrs Boyle in The Mousetrap
6. The hardest part about my role is…
The lack of auditions and the difficulty of finding out what’s being cast.
7. If I didn’t work in theatre I would be…
Something to do with nature and the countryside. A ranger, maybe?
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I can easily eat a whole block of marzipan.
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Stop being negative, it brings everybody down.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Get as many skills as you possibly can! Musical instruments, sport, office… anything!
If you’d like to catch Vivien on stage, book a trip to see The Mousetrap playing at St. Martin’s Theatre until 7 November .