We sat down for an exclusive interview with Liz Tait to discuss ‘Who Do They Think They Are?’
This show will be performed at Leconfield Hall, Petworth on 13th June (tickets here) and at Greenwich Theatre on 20th June (tickets here)
When you originally wrote ‘Who Do They Think They Are?’ did you envisage the key role played by the music and dance, or was that something that only entered the picture later on?
I have always enjoyed using music as a key component in my plays. ‘Who Do They Think They Are?’ started life as a hen party scenario, so I always envisaged dance having a vital role to play.
Why the Spice Girls exactly?
I’ve always been a big fan of the Spice Girls, and ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ is the epic disco-infused track I chose for the women to learn a dance routine to – guaranteed to have audiences humming all the way home. The music and collective empowerment of the Spice Girls never goes out of fashion – this year marks the 30th anniversary of their debut single, ‘Wannabe’. Girl Power is alive and well in 2026!
How does the play explore ideas around memory, nostalgia, and being honest about the past without getting lost in it?
The play uses friendship and dance as cathartic tools to let go of past grievances. By dancing to the heartbeat of the show – the music of the Spice Girls – the characters find support in the present day, using physical movement to process and, in most cases, move past the lingering historical traumas from their college days.
How did you come up with and develop the main characters?
The show is an ensemble piece for four actors who are all main characters. I used to work on cruise ships in my dim and distant past, and I was keen to base the character of Pippa on a rather bossy dance captain that I knew.
As a sister myself, I felt very well placed to feature two sisters where I was able to delve into deep-seated jealousy, inheritance fall-out, and fractured family dynamics. The character of Marion has elements of someone I worked with a long time ago; someone who absolutely fascinated me with her innocence and puppy-like joy. I always hoped that I would find a way to incorporate her into a story.
What makes ‘Who Do They Think They Are’ current and relevant to modern life and society?
The play celebrates the lasting friendship of midlife women, who are managing the challenges of the menopause; the ageing process; grand-parenting and bereavement, whilst confronting the choices their younger selves made at college.
There has definitely been a shift in recent times – rather than viewing midlife as an erasure, many women are re-framing this stage as an era of new influence, unencumbered by outdated societal pressures.
What’s the importance and effect of exploring serious topics in a lighthearted way?
By balancing laugh-out-loud comedy with poignant, heart-hurting truths, the play argues that whilst you cannot rewrite your personal history, you can control how it defines you. The effect is a refreshingly honest delve into deep-seated trauma and the fierce pull of female friendship, wrapped in a cosy blanket of celebration and nostalgia.