Colleen Rose Curran told David Hennessy about being part of The Phantom of the Opera and having Daniel O’Donnell as an encouraging uncle.
Colleen Rose Curran (25), a Birmingham actress with Irish roots, is currently starring as Christine in certain performances of The Phantom of the Opera in the West End.
The part is Colleen’s West End debut.
Colleen, from Sutton Coldfield, has family in Donegal including her uncle who is none other than Daniel O’Donnell.
The Phantom of the Opera is showing at His Majesty’s Theatre in London.
The musical is London’s second longest running musical, surpassed only by Cameron Mackintosh’s other West End phenomenon Les Miserables, and celebrates its 40th anniversary this November.
Colleen told us whey it is a show that has long had a special place in her heart when we caught up with her recently.
How does it feel to be making your West End debut?
“It’s very surreal, especially in a show as iconic as Phantom.
“It’s like I’m dreaming.”
Has it been the kind of role that you dreamed of getting to play one day?
“Yeah, I first watched it when I was 15 and I dreamt about even just wearing the costumes.”
I bet if someone told you at 15 that you would one day be part of the production, you wouldn’t have believed them for a second…
“No, absolutely not.
“It’s very bizarre.
“My friend introduced me to it.
“We watched the film so many times that by the time that I got the role, I knew all the words anyway.”
I bet you would have been happy playing any role but Christine is a special one..
“She’s got just an incredible story.
“There aren’t many roles that I can think of that parallel that which is humbling.
“I think she has such an arc.
“She goes through every possible emotion you can think of because it’s a story about grief at the end of the day.
“It’s a weird story but it’s wonderful.”
Do you have a favourite number in the show?
“I’ve got a few.
“I love the first moment in Think of Me.
“It’s such a wonderful role to debut in because at the very start, Christine’s supposed to be nervous so you don’t have to act, which is wonderful. That’s all there for you.
“And then you get into the next part where there’s this transformation.
“They put a big skirt on you and then you perform the rest of the number but you don’t really have to act so much because it just feels great to be there.
“It (my favourite number) constantly changes.
“Wishing you Were Somehow Here Again maybe.
“It’s just a beautiful song.
“It’s so strange but hearing the orchestrations actually sometimes does make me cry on stage.
“I always have to wipe it away but it’s wonderful, and it’s one of the first ones that I ever sung in a singing lessons so quite full circle.”
How do you deal with nerves? Do you just throw yourself into the numbers?
“Yeah, you’re always going to be nervous.
“I’m kind of at a different point because I was an understudy before I got the part so I’ve sort of gone through every possible stage of playing the role.
“Being like a second is always nerve wracking because you don’t do it a lot so it’s like the muscle memory is not there but the more you do it, it just becomes more secure and you can have a bit more fun with it which is wonderful.”
Is it a bit like being a substitute, your role? You don’t play the part every night but you have to be ready to step in at any time when needed..
“Exactly you might go on halfway through the show. It happens.”
In any case you are often the only actress that some people coming to see the show will see play Christine. Do you get overwhelming reactions from audience members?
“Absolutely. I mean people come across continents to watch the show.
“It’s one of those where it’s just an honour to sort of be able to tell that story when it means so much to people as well.
“There are people that have seen the original cast and then come back.
“It’s been open for nearly 40 years now.
“They’ve come back 40 years later to watch it again.
“It’s so huge, the scale of the production.”
What are your plans after this? Would you like to do different roles, perhaps Irish pieces?
“I would love to.
“I’m very open minded about what I do after this.
“I think it would be fun to do something a bit crazy and whimsical.”
Are you enjoying every moment of it?
“It’s a really wonderful group of people.
“I do have a laugh in that building which is really important, I think.
“You’re spending so much time with the rest of the cast and company, and they’re all great.”
Do you ever have a pinch me moment when you are up there onstage and realise you are in Phantom of the Opera?
“It feels completely unreal.
“Yeah, I have a few moments where I look up to where I was sat when I first watched it which was in the nosebleed seats.
“I like to look at the seat I was sitting in when I was 15 and watching it for the first time.”
When a piece is as well known as this, do you ever think about other actresses who played the role?
“I try not to.
“Since I got the part I haven’t rewatched anyone else’s version because I’m trying to not steal or be swayed.
“But I think the first Christine I saw was Gina Beck and she was one of the performers that made me want to do it as a career.
“With a role like Christine in the West End alone, hundreds of women have played it and then not even to mention Broadway and how many other versions of the show there are.”
How do you connect with the role in your own way, would you say?
“I try to play it very honestly rather than leaning into any style.
“When I started I was 22 so it was easier to play it more honestly because I was young and maybe quite naive as well.”
Andrew Lloyd Webber created the show, do you ever see him?
“He’s come to the show a couple of times.
“I’ve never met him personally but he’s come and then after the show, spoken to the whole cast.
“He’s very sweet about it actually.
“I’ve never sang to him one on one in person but you never know.”
It must be special when someone like him drops by..
“Oh yeah, you can feel the energy changes a little bit.”
Didn’t you have a famous member of the family come to see you in Phantom of the Opera? I remember seeing Daniel O’Donnell on Loose Women not so long ago and he spoke about going to see it while he was in town..
“I know, it was so kind of him.
“He’s a great guy.
“It was really lovely to see them as well very briefly after the show.
“So kind of him to fit that in because I know he’s a busy man.”
What is it like having someone like that in the family when you’re embarking on a career in the performance arts? Has he always been very encouraging?
“Oh yeah, he’s extremely kind.
“My grandparents always forced me to sing when we had guests over, much to my dismay, when I was younger but I got used to it.
“They’d always get me to sing when he came around and he was always really kind and encouraging.
“Wonderful to have.”
Did you always know you wanted to act or when did you know you wanted to be in musical theatre?
“I grew up around music.
“I mean Donegal is one of the most musical counties.
“My family’s always encouraged me, maybe not to do it as a career but to always perform and play instruments and sing.
“That’s always been a big part of my life.
“But then I realised I can’t really do anything else.
“My concentration span will not allow it.
“I had my first singing lesson at 18 so I got into it quite late really.
“I know a lot of people did it when they were five, six but I’ve always grown up around music and I’ve always known it was going to be a big part of my life.”
You grew up in Birmingham but was it a case of you going back to Donegal every summer holidays or chance you got?
“Yeah, absolutely every single break from school.
“We were over there at my grandparents’ house which is wonderful and always at the festivals and things.
“I used to go to the Mary from Dungloe festival every year.
“I didn’t really grow up going to the theatre but I saw a few shows and that got me into it.
“But I would say it was a bit later than everyone else.
“But I’ve always known I wanted to do something creative.
“I’ve always written and played but I didn’t really consider it until my late teens really and then I thought, ‘I have to commit to it’.”
Did I read that you also play the harp?
“I actually have played it for quite a while, not to a great standard but I can play a tune here and there.
“I started playing the folk harp when I was 13, 14 and now I’ve just gotten a bit more into it because I’ve got more free time which is a lot of fun.”
Would you do straight theatre roles as well or is musical theatre your passion?
“I would do straight theatre as well.
“It’s just about what roles are out there and what they’re looking for.
“I’m very open minded for what I do next which I think it could be a lot of fun to do something completely different and mix it up.”
Where in Donegal is it you have family?
“My grandparents are from Cruit Island.
“It’s so different from London.
“Every time I go back, it’s like a complete reset.
“It’s wonderful.”
Colleen also has family in Leitrim and Meath.
“I always used to go to Donegal, so I think they got a bit neglected on his side.”
Phantom of the Opera is at His Majesty’s Theatre, Haymarket until October 2026. For tickets and more information, click here.
