Louis Gaunt on heading to the Highlands in 'Brigadoon'

As Brigadoon returns to London for the first time in 35 years, the show’s leading man Louis Gaunt reflects on the power of revisiting this classic musical.

Growing up in Nottingham, Louis Gaunt dreamed of becoming a dancer, whether that was backing a pop star or joining Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. “Gene Kelly was always my idol growing up,” he says, “I was infatuated with his work.” It is appropriate, therefore, that along with screen roles in shows like Bridgerton, Gaunt’s career has led him to a number of Golden Age musicals such as Gypsy, Kiss Me, Kate, Oklahoma!, and now Brigadoon at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

The Lerner and Loewe musical, which has not been seen in London for 35 years, tells the post-World War Two story of friends on a hunting trip in Scotland who stumble across the magical village of Brigadoon, which only appears once every 100 years. However, in Scottish playwright Rona Munro’s new adaptation, Tommy Albright (played by Gaunt, and by his hero Kelly in the 1955 film) and Jeff Douglas are instead American fighter pilots whose plane has been shot down in the Highlands.

Gaunt speaks to London Theatre Magazine about finding his version of Tommy, starring opposite powerhouse performers Georgina Onuorah and Danielle Fiamanya, and why the Palladium pantomime will always hold a special place in his heart.

How have you approached the role of Tommy in this adaptation?

When I got the job, I remember speaking to our director Drew McOnie about the fact Gene Kelly played the role originally and I asked how much he wanted to use that skillset. [But] he was really keen for Tommy not to dance. He thought it was strange for Tommy, as an outsider, to enter this mythical village and front a dance number because it stops him from having that uncomfortable journey of finding himself there. Instead he accesses the magic of Brigadoon through song [...] and Drew was keen to show me off in a different light, which I really appreciated. I did say to Drew in rehearsals, “What I would give to be in some of these numbers…” and he said, “Maybe we’ll put you in a wig and a kilt and get you on at the back!”

Why is now a good time to bring back Brigadoon?

It’s a show about love and I don't think there is enough theatre at the moment that is simply a celebration of love — that it is fulfilling, and gives you purpose, but comes at a cost. Love comes with loss. It’s also a show about seeking refuge from war, and with everything that's going on in the world, [the show has a message] that can give people hope. As much as it is an old-style MGM musical, there are political references within this show if you're open enough to see them.

And with Munro updating the text so it is set during rather than after the war, surely those references have been magnified?

It massively amplifies the stakes of the show. As soon as you enter our production, the stakes are life and death, rather than two tourists out grouse shooting. In our version, everything is on the line.

Georgina Onuorah and Danielle Fiamanya are role-sharing the part of leading lady Fiona. What is it like alternately starring opposite these performers?

It is so inspiring to see two women supporting each other. My relationship with Danielle has been seamless because we’ve been best friends for years, so it was easy to change our platonic love for each other into a romantic love for the audience. In Danielle’s interpretation, you can really see the cost of choosing Tommy and it carries a weight which creates so much tension on stage. I starred with Georgina in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium and our friendship is formed on humour, so the initial attraction between our characters feels very cheeky. It feels like more of a risk-it-all approach.

And, of course, you have another key relationship in the show with Jeff. How have you developed your on-stage chemistry?

Cavan [Clarke] is a phenomenal scene partner. We wanted to build a bond that showed our working relationship is imperative to our own survival, and that post-mission, we share a unique experience of trauma.

For a musical rooted in the Scottish Highlands, what has it been like performing in an outdoor setting at Regent’s Park?

During one performance, when Tommy is bleeding out, an ambulance siren was going off, and in that same scene on another day, a plane flew over. In that moment, Jeff is waiting for an RAF rescue team, so it really felt like art imitating life. And I can’t complain about the sun, but it’s obviously very hot, very sweaty, particularly entering in that sheepskin coat at the beginning of the show!

Beyond Brigadoon, what has been your most special stage role to date?

Getting to play Bert in Mary Poppins in the West End was a huge milestone because it was my first time in a lead role — and starring opposite Zizi Strallen was an out-of-this-world experience. Tapping upside down on the proscenium arch every night was pretty cool too. It’s also a privilege to be at the Palladium. There’s something transcendental about performing there, particularly in a panto that brings so much laughter and joy. Being opposite people like Julian Clary — I’ve never heard a wall of sound like it before. When you hear that bellyache laughter line after line, it’s addictive.

If you were given Tommy’s choice to sacrifice everything for love and stay in Brigadoon, would you take the leap?

I’ve always been a big dreamer, and I’m an all-or-nothing kind of person. I think I’d risk it.

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Photo credit: Louis Gaunt in Brigadoon. (Photo by Marc Senior). Inset: with Dawn French in Jack and the Beanstalk. (Courtesy of production)