Chapter Text
My walk to the theater was probably, the most nerve-wrecking thing I have ever done in my life. Mamma Mia, the musical that I had spent my whole life trying to get a part in, not even caring if I was just in the ensemble, I had gotten a part. Not just a part, but also a lead! I was Sophie Sheridan! I was the main character, in the musical that I had loved since childhood.
I was almost running down the street to the stage door. I was not prepared for this honor. Being as nervous as I am, I kept running lines and songs through my mind at rapid speed. I needed to impress the director, producers, and the cast members because this was my first lead/non-understudy role on the West End! I was American, and no one in English theater took me seriously, until my audition for this show. I showed them that I was enough, that I was more than enough, than what they thought I was. My performance gave their prejudice against Americans, a run for their money. They called me back that night, to read for Tanya, and Sophie. The hierarchy of the theater does not normally call in for callbacks until at least a day after auditions. But, I was the exception; my callback was even better than my audition for both roles. When I was mailed a script, my name and ‘Sophie’ was written on the front cover. I’m not going to lie, I did actually scream and jump for joy when I opened it.
What they didn’t tell me though was whom I was going to be cast with. I knew nothing about who Sky (Sophie’s Fiancé), or Donna (Sophie’s mother), were being played by. That’s what gave me extreme anxiety; not knowing if I was going to get on with the cast, basically gave me nightmares. Getting along and harmony throughout the entirety of a show is the backbone, and is what makes the show amazing.
I slid in the front door, breathing heavily from running down the street. There was a tall security guard standing at the front with a list of the cast’s names and our roles.
“Uh, I’m Fiona Lyon, I’m playing Sophie?” I told him, and he searched for my name on the list.
When he found it, he put a check next to my name and told me to go into the theater. I wasn’t the last one there, but I also wasn’t one of the first. I went up to meet the Director, Manny Johnston. He was tall, with rugged blond hair, and a permanent serious grin across his face. The assistant director though, I could’ve sworn that he was always drunk: Gavin Berkechetti, the Assistant, sat back in one of the seats of the theater, sleeping. His longer, brown hair flopped over his face, and into his deep brown eyes. Manny greeted me halfway up the aisle, and shook my hand.
“Hey! I’ll keep you in the dark until everyone else shows up. There are only a few more people still to come in.” His London accent echoed throughout the theater. I just smiled, and was told to take a seat. I found one a few rows from the front, behind a group of girls who were chatting away about their past shows, because they knew each other. I waited, and played on my phone for a while before I saw the heads of the girls in front of me, shoot up. I followed their eyes with my own, to the door leading into the house of a theater. I lost my breath, for a second. I turned my body forward, and pretended not to see who just walked into the theater. I was breathing heavily, since I was in shock. I tried to tell myself that it wasn’t happening, but it was. And it was too real to deny.
Manny stood up from his seat and positioned himself in front of the stage, to address the cast.
“Welcome everyone to the new production of Mamma Mia! coming to the West End! My assistant, Gavin, and I have negotiated that we keep the cast in the dark of their roles; except for the main eight, Sophie, Donna, Tanya, Rosie, etc. they know who they are, and here is Gavin, to introduce them to you.” He then gave Gavin a little tap on the forehead to wake him from his mid-morning nap.
Gavin grunted and stood up, Manny handed him a list, and told him to read from it. “Uh, Matilda Henry will be playing the role of Donna Sheridan, along with Molly Cooper as her understudy. “ Matilda stood up and gave a small smile to the rest of the cast. She was a little older, in her thirties, with short blonde hair, and grey-blue eye. She was also shorter than me by a good two inches. I didn’t think she reached five foot two.
“Next, Tanya will be played by Raychel Anderson, and Rosie will be played by Victoria Russell.” Then they stood up, and waved, and smiled. Raychel was tall and thin, while Victoria was older, and short.
“Making her West End debut will be Fiona Lyon, our new Sophie!” My face turned red as I stood from my lonesome seat, waved and smiled. The whole cast gave me a round of applause, and I tried not to be embarrassed. That was when we locked eyes. I sat down quietly, and Gavin continued.
“Now for Sky, a veteran to the stage, and screen; we are so lucky to be joined by Daniel Radcliffe!” Daniel stood up and smiled as we all gave him a large round of applause. I couldn’t believe that he was the guy I wound up being able to kiss every night, even though we also almost break up every night. Daniel saw that I was unintentionally staring at him, and he shot me a small smile, and a wink. I could feel my face turn tomato red, and chills shoot up my spine; I turned away, and looked down at my hands sitting on my lap. Gavin finished calling the names, and Manny handed out sheets with all the rehearsal times, normal theater business, before getting us to start running scenes. I tried not to stare at Daniel, but I was in a state of shock (and I would be for at least two hours after practice ended).
“Fiona, Daniel!” Manny called to us. “First, we’re going to have you run ‘Lay All Your Love on Me’, with Phillip Dickinson, our music director.” I knew Phillip from other shows in America, and I knew that he would push Daniel and I to our limits of comfortableness. Our rehearsal space, until we finished blocking and choreographing, was at a dance studio, a few blocks away from the theater; Manny told us to meet Phillip there in a half an hour, while the rest of the cast meets there after a two hour lunch break (he was being lenient since it was the first rehearsal).
As I was getting my purse together Daniel came over to me, “Fiona, is it?” My back was still facing him, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
“Yeah,” I replied trying not to loose my cool.
“Do you want to go get lunch with me before we go to the studio? I would like to get to know the girl I have to almost marry every night.” I faced him, and my face flushed.
I didn’t know what to say so I blurted out, “No.” Then walked out the door quickly. What the hell were you thinking? I told myself as I walked straight out the door and down the street. Putting my ear buds in to block the sounds of the noisy London streets, I realized that I was walking the wrong way, and abruptly turned to go the opposite way.
“OH!” I heard a voice yell, but we were already on the ground.
“I’m so sorry—“