Five questions with Carrie Hope Fletcher

The West End star is performing as Jovie in the heart-warming Christmas musical about Buddy the Elf, who travels to New York City in search of his birth father.

Summary

• Carrie Hope Fletcher comes from the same musical family as McFly's Tom Fletcher
• She stars in Elf The Musical opposite husband Joel Montague
• Fletcher's musical credits include Heathers Les Misérables and Cinderella

"Musical theatre has always been such a huge part of our family," says Carrie Hope Fletcher, star of Elf The Musical. Fletcher has been treading the boards since she was a child, making her West End debut as young Éponine in Les Misérables at the age of seven. She is also sister to the singer-songwriter Tom Fletcher, who has written the music and lyrics for the upcoming Paddington musical. This onstage talent further extends to Fletcher's other half Joel Montague, who stars opposite her in Elf.

Fletcher spoke to London Theatre Magazine about Christmas traditions and the role that changed everything for her.

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Were you a fan of Elf before starring in the musical?

The movie was a classic as soon as it came out. It's such a gorgeous and smart film, and it has a really clever story. I saw the musical two years ago when I was heavily pregnant with my daughter. Elf bridges the gap between panto and musical theatre. If you love the movie, you're going to love the show, but it's got the added bonus of original songs that not many people will have heard before.

And it must be lovely appearing in the show opposite your husband Joel Montague.

We've wanted to work on something since before we were together because we were friends for such a long time. He'd worked with all of my friends and I'd worked with all of his friends, but we'd never actually worked together. It's nice now that we are married and we get to fall in love with each other on stage every night. We're both very independent people and until now we've gone off to do our own jobs, but it's really lovely having your safe person in the room, so if there is a slightly stressful day or you're feeling the effects of a fast-moving rehearsal room, you've got that person to lean on.

Do you have any fun Christmas traditions in your family?

Bacon sandwiches as soon as you wake up, that's always been our thing. Bacon sandwiches, in pyjamas, big jugs of orange juice, and opening the stocking stuffers. But there's one thing that has been a running tradition between me, my brother [Tom Fletcher] and my sister-in-law [Giovanna Fletcher]: I'm not allowed in their house unless I've brought millionaire shortbread. I bake it every year and you are not allowed in the front door unless you have a tin of it on Christmas day.

You recently toured Calamity Jane around the UK. How did you balance this with having a young family?

We had so many plans. She was going to come with me for a lot of the venues and stay [at home] for some. She was 10 months old when I started the tour, and she just wouldn't settle. She was waking up at about half 11 when I got in from the show and then wouldn't go to bed until 5 or 6 in the morning. So we had to rejig the plans, and we've got an incredible support network. We've got our village.

You have performed in several of the West End’s biggest musicals from Les Misérables to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Cinderella. Which has been the most transformative for your career?

The one that springs to mind is Heathers. I'd starred in some really iconic shows, but there was something about the reaction to Heathers and being part of that original cast. I remember our director Andy Fickman saying, “It's going to be like a rock concert.” He kept saying, “The audience is the fifth Beatle, they are part of the cast as much as you are part of the cast, so include them.” On the first night, the wall of sound that you walk out to when the Heathers are revealed, I remember thinking, “I might need earplugs for this show.” It was electric.

Book Elf The Musical tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the November 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Carrie Hope Fletcher. (Courtesy of production)