We sit down with Eleanor and Burhan to talk about the musical Scouts!, a heart- warming new musical starting their national tour this June.
Eliza and Joe start off as rivals in the Scout Games but end up working together to save the day. How did you approach building that transformation in your character relationships on stage?
Eleanor: With such a short rehearsal process, I’ll be honest, I was worried about having the time to organically develop their relationship. However, this has caused no issues at all because from the minute I met Burhan, we instantly became really good friends. This makes working across from him completely effortless. Burhan has a very happy go lucky quality about his personality, which is very similar to Joe’s. He brings such a positive aura into the rehearsal room which is such a delight to work with and one I have been inspired by. In that way, he is very similar to Joe and I feel as though I have had a similar experience to Eliza, as I have met someone that has done nothing but encourage me to be my best self.
Burhan : I think Joe and Eliza being young & eager to prove their worth and be their best – both in different ways – gives them something to rival over. I think from Joe’s perspective, he wants to make friends, and he sees the brightness in Eliza, and her hunger to prove herself as well, and Joe holds onto that. Eleanor, as a person and performer, is so intelligent and such a bright presence in the rehearsal room and really embodies Eliza’s braveness which often Joe (and myself) lack. I think the characters both have a bit of what the other lacks and we’ve had a lot of fun exploring that as performers!
This show features everything from hypnotic tango breaks to campfire rock ballads — how has the actor-musician format shaped your performance and interaction with the music?
The actor musicianship format of the show has allowed us to have so much fun because we have been able to personalise the music to our interpretations of the characters. For example, Rosie (played by Katie) is a very funny and chaotic character, which inspired a new song to be added to this run of Scouts, showing off many of her brilliant skills. We were able to try this song out for the first time, with the instruments in the room. We are so lucky because the score (by David Fallon) was already impeccable and brilliantly written to be funny and intricate. But as we are playing our instruments as our characters, we have been able to add little touches with our amazing Musical Director, Rob Gathercole (also playing the part of Luke) to make it feel really personal to us as an ensemble.
Eliza is a strong-willed character who finds herself at the heart of the show’s mystery and teamwork. What drew you to her role, and how did you connect with her personality?
Eleanor: I am absolutely delighted to be able to take on the role of Eliza. Eliza is determined to not let anything stop her from reaching her goals which is something I feel I have been able to resonate with, as when I was Eliza’s age, I knew I wanted to become an actress, which I was told many times, is unrealistic. However, I didn’t let that stop me. Sam Cochrane has managed to create a fantastic, young, female protagonist that my younger self would have watched in awe. And I hope when audience members watch the show, they can be inspired by her to strive to achieve what they want to achieve too. For Eliza, she achieves something entirely different to what it was she had originally set out to accomplish and I think it’s important to remember that the lessons we learn along the way are often more important than succeeding at the original goal.
Joe is thrust into a heroic position amid fierce competition and unexpected sabotage. What were some of the challenges or surprises in stepping into his journey?
Burhan: Stepping into Joe for this rehearsal and performance process has been one of the biggest delights of my career so far! I think Joe has faced some challenges that I can relate to and goes on a huge journey through the show, the challenge of Joe is touching on each of those moments in his journey, sometimes goofy and funny, other times hurt and frustrated but also to not sit in one of those emotions for too long, it is a fast paced, quick witted & punchy comedy show after all!
The show celebrates skills for life and scout values through comedy and music. What do you hope younger audiences — especially Scouts and Guides — take away from the experience?
We are in the thick of rehearsals at the moment and for us, being surrounded by such a supportive cast and team feels very reflective of the message that we would like to send to everyone, but especially the Scouts and Guides everywhere: with a friend by your side, you’re at home! Our friends and support networks are there for us to turn to when we need help. Life can present us with challenges we are not expecting to face but we should never be afraid to ask for help. Another message that rehearsing for Scouts has taught us is that it is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes, and it is very brave to admit when we have done something that may have upset someone. But we should always aim to learn and grow from these mistakes to become the best and kindest versions of ourselves.
For Tour Info:
The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham from 3rd – 7th June
The Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester from 10th – 15th June
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London from 18th – 22nd June
The Egg Theatre, Bath from 26th – 29th June
Tickets and more info available here: https://linktr.ee/ScoutsTheMusical