The Enormous Crocodile The Musical makes its way around the world, as the production that began in Leeds moves to the United States on tour. The performance, derived from the famous Roald Dahl book, creates a magical experience for families everywhere. Bandon actress Alison Arnopp sat down with The University Times to discuss her experience playing the role of the Roly Poly Bird.
The musical tells the story of a hungry crocodile in the jungle that likes to eat innocent children for lunch. To stop him, the animals, including the Roly Poly Bird, band together to teach the crocodile a lesson about being too greedy. The performances have taken place on a variety of stages, both outdoor and indoor. Arnopp spoke of the challenges of performing on an outdoor stage, saying, “There was an element of it being distracting, initially, but I think because it’s a family show, you’ve got kids chatting and crying… you know. So it was actually a really good practice to just be in the story.”
The art of “just being in the story” is important when it comes to acting in a way that captivates children. Arnopp explained that when playing a character that looks a little bit ridiculous, it’s important to keep the integrity of the character, saying, “No matter how silly or ridiculous you look, that person, that character, they [the children] don’t think you’re silly. They fully believe everything you’re saying.” She went on to say that it’s similar to improv, the way she has to play to the top of her intelligence. “Don’t be aware of being ridiculous. Just be like, honest, even if that is kind of crazy,” she explained, sharing how much she enjoyed the role.
The musical also involves puppets, which Arnopp described as a lot of fun, adding to the magic of the whole performance. It’s essential to truly get immersed in the fantastical elements to portray the characters accurately. “… when you have to talk, you have to look at the puppet so the focus goes on the puppet, right? So I kind of just imagine that it’s actually the puppets talking to me and I’m just listening to the puppet talk… Just like you would as a child. It’s just like fully being in the make-believe world.”
This type of role was different from what Arnopp was accustomed to, as she had previously worked only on more adult shows such as cabarets. She fell in love with acting in her speech and drama classes in school, and she discovered her passion for singing at a young age as well. As a University College Cork alumna, she studied drama and theatre alongside a musical degree, where she could combine her two interests. She explained that she’s tried different things along with her acting career, including being an opera singer. “Since then, my career has always kind of been a mixture of using my voice, whether it’s voice acting and voice over, or whether it’s session singing or gigging as a singer, or whether it’s, you know, in, like, actually just strict musical theatre.” She told me that her singing brought her into the acting world.
Arnopp also discussed the experience of being Irish in the acting world. She said she believes there are more opportunities for young Irish actors than in the past. “There is a big community of Irish actors in London, but it’s amazing that… they’re being given opportunities in Ireland and students coming through the Irish system are being given opportunities to perform in Ireland, rather than having to, you know, emigrate.” Storytelling is in Irish culture, she explained, saying, “As actors we’re good at storytelling and there’s a kind of inherent melancholy in Irish people that is fun to watch.”
In response to being asked about what she thinks young Irish aspiring actors should know, Arnopp prudently told me that “You need to have lived to be able to tell the stories.” She emphasised that there is no rush to break into the acting scene right away. She recommends taking some time to ascertain why exactly you’re drawn to the theatre industry, and if you find that you’re looking for validation, you should sort that out first. “You’ll be a better actor and you’ll have a better life and there will be more balance in your life, if you’re not relying on your next job or your next audition to tell you that you’re worthy and good enough.” Arnopp took her time with her career path, exploring many different possibilities. She told me that if she could give advice to her previous self, it would simply be to “calm down and figure out who you are.”
The Enormous Crocodile is coming to Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis, MN (1 Oct – 23 Nov), the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles, CA (5 Dec – 4 Jan), and The Lowry, Salford (Wed 10 Dec – Sun 4 Jan).
