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. From how their castmates would describe them and alternative careers, to their Theatreland idols, we want to know it all!
This week, we hear from Charlotte Gooch, who is currently playing Penny Johnson in Dirty Dancing at the Dominion Theatre.
Find out more about Charlotte and her career so far below:
1) My route into theatre was…
Via my auntie, she was a professional ballet dancer before moving in to teaching. She would always take me to see shows at our local theatre and that’s when I feel in love with it all.
2) My West End idol is…
Sutton Foster (I know she’s more of a Broadway baby but seeing as she was recently in the West End I hope I’m allowed her!) she is a force to be reckoned with; her talent and CV speaks for itself but what I admire most of all is how she succeeds as a working Mum in theatre.
3) My colleagues would describe me as…
Dedicated (I hope!)
4) My favourite show (that isn’t one I star in/work on) is…
A Chorus Line. An oldie but a goodie! Not only do I love the choreography and the music the story really resonates with me, I would love to play Cassie one day (whilst I can still kick a leg! So it better come back soon!!)
5) The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Top Hat at The Aldwych, seeing my face above a west end theatre for the first time will stay with me forever.
6) The hardest part about my job/role is…
Penny is a very physically demanding role and keeping my stamina and physical condition strong enough to get through it 8 times a week is challenging.
7) If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
A landscape designer
8) Something people don’t know about me is…
I speak fluent German
9) The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Be kind to everyone on the way up because you never who you’ll meet on the way down. This was the advice given by Kerry Ellis at my graduation from Laines and I’ve always held on to it. It’s much easier to be a nice person than it is to be a nasty one in this industry and if you treat everyone you work with with kindness and respect it will serve you well.
10) The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Don’t let the No get you down for too long, something bigger and better is always on its way.