Stevie Doc is the girl for the job in 'The Devil Wears Prada'

She rose to fame in an ITV talent contest for Mamma Mia! — but now Stevie Doc is turning heads in The Devil Wears Prada.

Summary

• Stevie Doc is starring as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada in the West End
• She stars opposite Vanessa Williams as Miranda Priestly
• She came to prominence on ITV talent search competition Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream

Stevie Doc was in her third year at London drama school ArtsEd when her life changed forever. She was cast in the ITV talent search competition Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, which counted Jessie Ware, Amber Riley, Samantha Barks, and recent Traitors winner Alan Carr among its judges. She and Tobias Turley won the show, becoming the West End’s newest Sophie and Sky in 2024.

“I had my professional debut, West End debut, first ever media night, first leading role, all of my firsts on that job. It was petrifying,” she laughs.

The Scottish performer is now taking on her next, big West End challenge, starring as Andy Sachs in the musical adaptation of the hit film The Devil Wears Prada, about a budding journalist who is hired as an assistant to Miranda Priestly (played by Vanessa Williams), the terrifying editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Runway.

Doc speaks to London Theatre Magazine about her unusual route into the West End and working with icons like Mazz Murray and Williams.

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What was it like being catapulted into the spotlight with Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream?
All of the things people have separate debuts for, I had them all on one night. I think to this day that the TV show set me up to do that. If I had auditioned for Mamma Mia! in a regular way, I think it would have been way more terrifying. During the TV show, there were so many times where I had to get on with it and it really taught me how to deal with my nerves. When I got to opening night, I was petrified, but I could do it.

There must have been some tough moments.
The second week was the ‘Sophie Week’. We all had to sing by ourselves and my song didn’t go very well vocally. That was probably the worst performance I did on the show, and I think it really helped me. I just thought: “I’ve stayed in, it’s probably the worst that I’ll ever do, and I got through it.” I wasn’t so nervous after that, because I’d already done the worst that I thought could happen. After that point, I was given songs that sat really well with me, I really enjoyed doing, I was partnered with people who were fantastic, so I felt like I was in a strong position.

Can you talk to me about the value of these talent search competitions?
There needs to be way more of them. They’re great entertainment, but for the people in the TV show you learn so much and they give you so much exposure. If you look at the seven Sophies and seven Skys, we’re all doing pretty well for ourselves. I had huge imposter syndrome after I won when it came to auditioning for other jobs because in my head, I worried: “Are they just going to hire me because I won a TV show?” And then I had to remind myself that I won a TV show because I trained to do it.

Was it hard picking your next role?
After Mamma Mia!, I wasn’t in a musical for a year. I was doing concerts and solo performances, like my own concert with Toby, Sam Barks’s concert at the Palladium, and I did an ABBA concert in Thailand. It wasn’t an intentional break, but it’s because I was waiting for something to happen. A lot of opportunities came up that we spoke about — do I want to go into a show that has been running for years in the West End? Do I want to go into a new musical? Do I want to go into film and TV? What I really didn’t want to do was play another Sophie-esque role. I didn’t want to end up in a pool of people who can only play that type of character. Vocally, The Devil Wears Prada is a very different show.

Which brings us to my next question. Have you been a fan of The Devil Wears Prada since seeing the film growing up?
I don’t remember the first time I watched it, I just know that I’ve watched it a lot. Everyone knows the quotes, everyone knows who Miranda Priestly or Andy Sachs is. When I told people I was doing this job, even people who didn’t know about musical theatre knew what I was talking about. I can’t believe I get to take on a role previously played by Anne Hathaway. Also, funnily enough, of the two musicals I have starred in, Meryl Streep has been in the films. So I’m not sure what my next job will be… Death Becomes Her? But I’m not sure there’s a part for me in that yet!

How does it feel taking on the role of Andy?
It’s a mammoth role. Vocally, it’s very challenging. Physically, you are on stage all the time. Last year, they timed how long Georgie [Buckland, who originated Andy in the West End] was off stage and for the whole show it’s 22 minutes, seven minutes of which was one change. When I say quick changes, they are quick! It’s a very different role to Sophie vocally. Every time I practised “Miranda Girl” at home, my voice would crack, but when I went into the audition room, it was fine, dare I say, good.

You’ve worked with two icons: Mazz Murray in Mamma Mia! and now Vanessa Williams in Prada. What has that been like?
Working with Mazz set me up for working with Vanessa. Both are very intimidating women — if you don’t know them. They’re both phenomenal actresses. Mazz is the queen of musical theatre, and Vanessa has this amazing career in TV. They have lots of similarities and differences, but it’s amazing to work with people who are so experienced. I learn so much from watching them, even if they don’t realise it. Mazz performing “The Winner Takes It All” is a masterclass in how to do musical theatre. She wasn’t a carbon copy of herself every night — she changed it up and let herself play and have fun.

It must be scary being on the end of Vanessa’s cerulean speech?
Petrifying! It scares the living daylights out of me every night. She really does make me feel like Andy on stage.

Do you have a favourite moment in the show?
“Bon Voyage” — and I’m not even in it. It is one of the best examples of how to take a movie and make it into a musical.

What is it like starring alongside your real-life partner in the show?
Harry [Tunningley] booked the job before I’d even auditioned. He’s in the ensemble and plays second cover Nate. He’s in my dressing room more than I am because I don’t get to use it during the show. He jokes about putting his PlayStation in there, which is not going to happen! On two-show days, we have a classic movie list we’re trying to work through. We’ve just finished Indiana Jones.

What have you learned about yourself since winning Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream?
I think I’m quite a resilient person. Not much keeps me down for long. I think that’s the only way to survive in this industry. Andy’s not that dissimilar to me: she wants to be a writer and has been in for all of these interviews and been told no; I’m an actor, I’ve been in for all these auditions and I’ve been told no. [Unlike Andy], I just didn’t betray anyone to get there!

Book The Devil Wears Prada tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Stevie Doc in The Devil Wears Prada. (Photo by Matt Crockett). Inset: Mamma Mia! and The Devil Wears Prada. (Photos by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg and Crockett)

This article first appeared in the January 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.