Kerry Ellis and Adam Garcia on IF/THEN: 'This may not happen again'

Ever thought ‘what if I’d made different decision?’ For instance, what if it hadn’t been journalism, but botany? Well, specified Sliding Doors reasoning is down the deed US philharmonic IF/THEN, which has announced a 2nd London day connected 17th February to travel its London debut tonight.

IF/THEN is by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, and follows Elizabeth, a metropolis planner returning to New York aft 12 years to rebuild her beingness aft a divorce. She reaches a constituent wherever she has a prime betwixt 2 antithetic activities: either spell disconnected with her aged person Lucas astatine a governmental rally. Or caput retired with her caller neighbour Kate for a spot of euphony and fun. We past travel the parallel lives Elisabeth goes down.

Appearing arsenic Elisabeth – oregon Liz and Beth successful the 2 antithetic worlds – is West End fable Kerry Ellis, and playing 1 of her emotion interests Josh, is different West End fable Adam Garcia.

We spoke to Ellis and Garcia arsenic they were successful the heavy of rehearsals, for what has been an ultra-fast turnaround for the production, a specified 2 weeks successful fact. Clearly buzzing disconnected the adrenaline of the situation, Ellis says, “This whitethorn not hap again. To get this radical of radical unneurotic successful the Savoy Theatre with a fantastic band, a fantastic originative squad erstwhile we're lone doing it twice… it is simply a uncommon opportunity. And it means there's other excitement successful that room.”

Garcia adds, “This show's ne'er been done successful the UK. It whitethorn not beryllium done successful the UK again. So this is the close accidental to travel and spot what is, I think, an unthinkable story.”

The set-up surely is, 1 which everyone tin subordinate to. Ellis says, “We ever marque a determination and past deliberation what if I'd person made the different decision? In this show, you get to spot however some of those choices play out. But predominantly it's astir relationships and it's precise human, it's precise emotional. Friendships, love, loss.”

“This communicative successful particular, is incredibly nuanced and idiosyncratic and heartfelt and real,” says Garcia, “It’s astir similar a play. I conjecture immoderate radical deliberation musicals are a small spot much heightened, but this is not needfully heightened. This is simply a play with music.”

The brace are aged friends, having worked unneurotic successful the West End connected Wicked, and you get the consciousness that they are having a shot together, turning this astir truthful quickly.

Says Ellis, “There's thing amended than moving with your friends and radical that you already cognize and attraction about. That's ever a joy. It conscionable means you're benignant of 10 steps up erstwhile you spell into the country connected time one.”

“Yeah, surely and the characters we're playing, there's got to beryllium transportation and warmth,” says Garcia, “Knowing each different helps, you’ve already breached that ice, you've got past and I surely feel… well, perchance too comfortable.”

Ellis: “We're consenting to instrumentality risks with each other. We don't person immoderate fearfulness astir that.”

Garcia: “Like this morning, I deed specified a atrocious enactment and Kerry conscionable laughed.”

She laughs again astatine that. And rather honestly, anyone who heads on to this accumulation is intelligibly going to person a large clip time.

As for their ain idiosyncratic Sliding Doors moments, Garcia has one: “Specifically determination was an accidental for maine to spell to Broadway and bash Saturday Night Fever and past I got a movie called Coyote Ugly and I ne'er got to play Broadway. But evidently Coyote Ugly volition changed my beingness and if I hadn’t, I wouldn't person met my wife, and had my children. And that is what the communicative is about.

It ever comes backmost to: I don't truly person immoderate regrets. There's thing you tin bash to spell back. But I conjecture the quality of this amusement is you get to research the precise quality of that question.”