Walking The Dog with Emily Dean - Marisha Wallace (Part Two)

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Welcome back to the second part of our conversation with musical powerhouse Marisha Wallace.Marisha tells us all about her interpretations of the iconic roles of Ado Annie in Oklahoma and Miss Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She tells us about finding out she was nominated for an Olivier Award in the Celebrity Big Brother house. Marisha also speaks candidly about being a victim of a cruel financial scam, and how she has moved forward from that low point.We spoke to Marisha on the day it was announced she will be taking over the role of Sally Bowles in Cabaret from January 2025. Marisha explains what it means to be a black woman playing that iconic role, and how hard she has worked to get to this point. On 11th March - Marisha is returning to the Adelphi Theatre for her biggest ever headline show. It's going to be an absolutely spectacular evening of music - and you can find out more information and get your tickets here!Marisha will be playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret from 28th January 2025 - get your tickets here!Marisha is also currently playing The Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood at The London Palladium - get your tickets here!Follow @marishawallace on InstagramFollow Emily: Instagram - @emilyrebeccadeanX - @divine_miss_emWalking The Dog is produced by Faye LawrenceMusic: Rich Jarman Artwork: Alice LudlamPhotography: Karla Gowlett  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Really hope you enjoy part two of Walking the Dog with Marisha Wallace. Do go back and give Part 1 a listen if you haven't already. And do get your tickets now to go and see Marisha in her biggest ever headline show at the Adelphi on March the 11th next year. You can get tickets at LW Theatres.co.uk. And if you fancy seeing Marisha in Panto, she's starring in Robin Hood at the Palladium until January the 12th. Thanks so much for listening to Walking the Dog. And I'd also love it if you gave us a like and a follow so you don't miss an episode. Here's Marisha and Ray Ray.

Obviously, the Queen was very impressed by your performance. It was Guys and Dolls, she'd seen you in. And there was Oklahoma. I want to mention those two together because I think there's similarities in what you did with both those roles. As someone a little bit older than you, who was sort of raised in musical theatre. So my parents took me to see,

I'm afraid I'm going to have to show my age. But there was a really significant production in like the 80s at the National. And my parents took me to see it. I loved that musical. And we'd listen to it in the car, and it was sort of a theme track to my life. I know this sounds weird, but it's kind of moving to me that in my lifetime,

just seeing how different women can be now. I feel like I had to go through each of the roles to get to the next one. So it started with Ato Annie, where we just looked at the text, because a lot of times when roles been done multiple, multiple times, we just look at the people who've done it before, and we don't actually go back to the source material.

And so for me, you know, I know the essence of what the character is supposed to be. But then I look at the text. I was like, what does the text tell me about these characters? Because there's so much in the text and how you say a line and the intention of a line that you don't have to change a word, but you can change the intention of the line. So when I did, I know, Annie, because I'm from, from the South and I grew up on a farm. I was like, I can bring my own personal experience of a real Southern woman to this role.

And I think that's what I loved about it was that I didn't change a word. It's just in the casting, I'm already going to be different. But then also in the intention of how I sing and I brought my gospel and, you know, blues chops to the role. didn't change a word, just change the color of the sound, change how we interpret it. So then I took that with me to Guys and Dolls and then I did it with Nick Heitner, who is a master of text because he did Shakespeare. So when we approached the text of Guys and Dolls, I was like, first he had to get all the cheese off of the meal, like because Oklahoma is pretty cheesy, guys and dolls can be cheesy.

But if you actually just look at the book, it's just such well-written. stuff. And we looked at Adelaide. I was like, we were so focused on the cold and we were so focused on her sneezing and snobble that we didn't really hear what she was saying because we were so obsessed with that voice that she makes. But I was like, what about what she actually says, not just how she says it? And so I was like, her story is actually pretty incredible. She's like this working woman in a nightclub. And she's like, she wants to have the best of both worlds. And I was like, that's something everyone can relate to.

She wants a family life, but she also wants to be this powerful star in this amazing cabaret that she's in, like this hotbox. And so I was like, that's a story people can relate to. She just wants him to show up as well, doesn't she? It's just like, you know, it's not a sort of nagging thing. No. And every woman can relate to that, where you have this man that you just want him to commit to you, you just want him to say, you're mine. You know what I mean? And even when you're a

powerful woman, you still want that. And I think that was what was cool about her is that you saw her power of vulnerability, the times where she was weak, the times where she was strong. And in her sexuality, she was strong. Like, sometimes they play that role very cutesy, like, which is fine. But I was like, what if she's just a badass when she's in that? That's what? That's where she has the most control in the hotbox. Yeah. But then she can't take that same control with her outside of her life, which I think to have a fully well-rounded woman.

Because these characters aren't always built that way, but we can build it in. No, I loved your interpretation of those roles. And I also loved you. I'm going to have to mention Celebrity Big Brother before we go on to your future projects. Because honestly, I loved you. in Celebrity Big Brother. And you ended up getting the news during one of the tasks that you'd been nominated for an Olivier. And it was a really nice moment when they broke that war, which they don't often do.

But I love that they did that. They never do. I was shocked that they did it. Well, because the day before, because I knew I had been counting the days because, you know, we don't have calendars and phones or whatever. So I knew it had happened. And so I went to Big Brother and said, Big Brother, am I nominated for Olivia?

And Big Brother said, Big Brother said, Just know you are a star in the Big Brother House and don't worry about the house I world. I know what? I kind of was like, you know what? Fine. I'll find out when I get out.

Fine. I had no idea. And then we were doing a task. And at that time, Big Brother was like heating up with like trickery. So I was like, oh, this, when I was going to pull the ball out, I was for certain it was going to say, you're going to have to evict someone. And then when it says in the future, you will be at the Royal Albert Hall because you've been nominated for Best Actress in a musical. I screamed. I was just like, but the whole house knew that I was waiting for the news.

And then when we found out that way, it was the most surreal moment in my whole career. I will never be able to top that moment because I was in a Big Brother house and a reality TV show, having something happened to me about something that was happening in reality. Like, it was crazy. You were so funny in that house. What I like, though, is that you had gone on record afterwards as well as saying that, look, you were very honest when you nominated, there was one moment with the Ekin, Sue, and you said something like, you were very honest.

about why you nominated her, which is, you know, I thought it was quite a good reason because it wasn't personal. It was completely non-personal. You said, look, I think you're going to win, and I'm quite, so may as well nominate you, which, and she got very upset by it, and I thought it was interesting your tape on that afterwards. You said, look, it's a weird thing when people go in there because you get sort of attacked a bit for playing the game, but that's all it is, is literally a game. It's a game. Even the people who are saying they're not playing a game, are playing a game. Like, their game they're playing is to try not to look like they're playing a game. That's like, it's crazy.

And also, we're nominating people. It's a game show. Like, we didn't go there for a summer holiday. We went there to stay in the house the best way that we could. And also, I couldn't lie. Like, I had a great relationship with everyone in the house. So it was hard for me to say, I want her to go because I don't like her. because that wasn't true.

Like, I, you know what I mean? That's not, I'm a very authentic person. Like, I'm not just going to make up something about someone to, you know, appease a reality show. Like, that was my truth and that's what I said. So, you know, I could have played the game and just said, oh, I don't like her because she's KG or whatever. But we actually had a really good relationship. And, you know, the crazy part is afterwards, she, She was fine, but she just went wild.

But I think also she's a reality TV show person. So that's kind of they, and she'd come off Love Island, which is a whole different kind of of other show. And I was just there being myself. Like, but for reality show people, this is their job. But this is what they, which I didn't realize. I was like, oh, these other people are working. But this is, so if this doesn't work out for them, this is like, you know, this is like

their business. This is their brand. So I think I really underestimated that as well because I was like, this is their job job. Like if I leave this, I just go back to what I was doing before. You know what I mean? And no one cares when you're singing, you know, if you can deliver a great performance of Adelaide or whatever you're playing.

No one cares if you said the wrong thing in the Celebrity Big Brother House. Whereas you're right, if that's your career, every move you make becomes vital. Yeah. If people don't like you, that's a big. thing, like, is a big thing. Yeah. And have you noticed, Meshid, you mentioned being authentic, and you obviously are, you're very honest, sort of disarmingly so. And I wonder, is that something that struck you about Brits coming over here? Are you a lot more forthright and direct than a lot of British people, do you think? Oh, well, Americans are just very more direct and forthcoming.

So that's kind of been something that I've had to navigate, because if we need something, If you need a bobby pin, for instance, you'd be like, can I get this bobby pin? Great. Brice would be like, could I please? I mean, sorry, I don't want to bother you, but did you please get it? I was like, oh, it just takes forever. Just ask for the bike pin. Do you know what I mean?

We do have a tendency to do that. Oh, God, completely. Where it's like I notice with my American friends, she's Canadian, but you know, you're sort of close enough cousins work. and Ryan, the comic, who's a great friend of mine. I love her. Yeah, she's great. She's done this, and she's so direct.

And I kind of aspire to be like her, because we'll go and try and park somewhere. And, you know, British, the man will come out and say, excuse me, but I'd rather you didn't park it. This is our drive. And I do apologize. I'm so sorry. We'll move our cars immediately. And Catherine's like, I don't see a sign. Oh, God, here we go.

Oh, God. I don't see a sign nowhere. She's like, who do you think you are? a sultan. This isn't your land. Oh, my God, I feel sick. This is all going to kick off. It's crazy, though. The worst part is that how you guys don't big yourselves up, like, you don't, like, it's hard for you to take a compliment. Like, when I'm giving a compliment, I'm like, oh, you did a great job. I'm like, oh, wasn't that great? No, no, no. But, like, I've actually had to teach them by my British friends. I was like,

it's okay to say you've done a good job. Like, pick yourself up. up, you've done a good job, you know? So that's kind of, that confidence, I didn't know that was not something that was learned. You almost can't like think that you're good at something, which is wow, when you're trying to sell it to people, which is a hard thing. Yeah, but I think you're right. I think it is a very British disease, which is that idea that it's being, you know, it's the show off thing. Yeah. There's something distasteful about it. It's vulgar to say, Yeah, that's good. But what I've realized increasingly as I've got older

is that when someone compliments you and you reject it, that you're rejecting them. And actually, so that's not a kind thing to do because why reject them and all I've done is something nice? Just say, you know, someone says, and I used to do it, oh, your hair looks. I saw this, it's an absolute mess. It's got, you know, I said, thanks so much.

Yeah. Because that makes them feel better. You know. Take the compliment. It's an act of generosity, I think, accepting of things. compliment. But also love yourself. If you can't love yourself, how the hell you're going to love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in here? Always. Do you hear that British people, love yourselves? We're going to, we're going to take a while. We're not as evolved as you. It will take us a while to

love yourself. But we're getting there. But if you don't love yourself, how are you going to love somebody else? You've got to love yourself too. Like, but it's self-love. I think there's a lot of self-love going on with Raymond. Oh, Raymond, he got it down. Raymond, I told you he's a guru. Look at him. We're going to leave Big Brother, but just I wanted to say one thing that I really loved. You made me laugh so much when I saw you interviewed.

I think you were on Lorraine, and you were talking about Louis Walsh. Louis. And you came out with a great quote, though. Do you remember it? You said there's one thing that's going to survive of all of us. Louis Walsh and cockroaches. Cockroaches and Louis Walsh, babe.

He ain't going nowhere. That was my homie, actually. I talked him the other day, took a bad. He's going to come see the pantow. I'm trying to give him to come down. He is just, I didn't know all the stuff he was saying when I wasn't around. Like, he, he don't care. He literally does not care.

He's like, I've done my time. I know what I know. But he knows everything about everybody in the music business. Like he did teach me a lot as well. Like how the sausages made is wild. Like I was like, whoa. And that time in the music industry was so crazy with the boy bands and how they were doing X Factor and all that. Like we did a challenge where we did like a pop star challenge on the show and I was a judge.

And I had to teach the house how to sing. and Louis went straight back into X-Factor mobaves. Like, he was critiquing Colson on his singing. He wore Colson out. Do you hear me? I had to go talk Colson off the ledge. He did not want to even do it because he wore him. I said he's not really in a band.

This is fake. There's one last thing I wanted to say to you before we talk about what you've got coming up, which is you talked really honestly, and I just wanted to say, I really respected you for this because you opened up not long ago about being the victim of a scam, really, a financial scam with a guy you were dating online.

Yeah. And I don't know, I thought that took courage to talk about that because there's shame attached to that, I imagine, when it happens to you. Oh, my shame. Like, you know, it's something that buried deep down inside of me. that I didn't want anyone to know. And it was almost eating me alive because I felt like,

because I didn't get the money back. And I also felt like I didn't, nothing ever happened to them. And I was like, well, how can I get some kind of justice? And the justice was awareness, letting people know. And I was like, because they're doing it, they could be doing it someone wrong. right now or someone else is doing someone.

And if I could stop that by saying something, then I've done it, then I've done my job. And I think since I've come, I remember when I was going on this morning to talk about it, I was so nervous. And I actually was like, I felt ill. Like I was like, oh my God, what are people going to think of me?

But there was also another part of me that was pushing me that was like, go, go, go, go. You have to do this. have to do this. And then when I did it, I feel so free. I feel like so free. Because it's almost like that person stops controlling the narrative then somehow. Do you know what I mean? You've reclaimed the narrative. Yes. I was in control. I was in the driver's seat. I could let people know what was going and then the amount of messages that I got from people so many people this has happened to and they were like I've never told anyone I've never told my mom I've never told

my family I have someone who's going through it right now that I need to stop how do I stop then it's happening everywhere like and now we should say misha just so people are what what happened was he came across as so kind of you know like an upstanding guy you know he was so when I was dating. You had savings to invest. And did he say I can offer you financial advice or something? Well, he was like, it was very casual. It was very like, oh, I just, you know, put some of my savings into this investment account that you make a return off of. And I actually have other accounts like that. So it's not something that's foreign to me. Do you know what I mean? Like I've had high yield savings accounts now that that are legit, you know? So I said that,

So he was like, I have an accounts manager that you could use, you can speak to him yourself. So I did. And then he kept kind of pressuring being like, oh, I just put in this amount and I got this amount out. But it was nothing like, do this, do this, do you know what I mean? It was very covert. It was very slow. It was like a long con. It was a long con.

So I put the money in the first little bit of money in, got a return, vetted the accounts manager. I got a return. So I was like, oh, okay, well, I put a little more in because the interest rates are going up. And then when I put the more in, that's when things went weird. So the accounts manager who was talking to me every single day all the time, just stopped speaking to me. Like I called and he didn't respond. And that's when I was like, oh, it's a scam. That's when the shoe dropped.

And I called the guy I was dating. I was like, I want my money out of there. tell me how to get this money out. And then it just all turned into some kind of like, it was just like a movie. Like I went down a dark hole trying to get the money out. Multiple people were calling me, selling me they can help me get the money out.

If I send X amount of dollars, I could get the money out. Then they said I was going to have to pay a penalty. And then the website that, so I had like a full like login, everything. I have it was legit it looked legit so then I went to the police but he messed up the guy he actually told me where he actually worked so what he did was was learn what they did at that finance place right and sold it to me basically so go down they sent my money to like an offshore account in turkey that's what they did so instead of it staying in the UK they sent it there And then I went to the place where he worked and they fired him.

He confessed. And then he left country and went back to Cyprus. So there was really nothing we could do. It was bad. And I lost 60 grand. And that was like my mom's house that I wanted to buy for all my 20 years of work. It was like 15 years of working at that time. All my savings.

Gone. And it was the best. thing happened to me too because I stayed in London because I had got waitress and I was like, I can't leave because I need to make this money back. And I had to pay tax bill on top of that. And that was like my tax money gone, everything gone. But I climbed out. I mean, I hate him and I hate what he did to you and I hate that that happened to you. But I'm really glad we got you and you're still here. Everything happens for a reason.

Yeah, everything happens for a reason. So I'm getting justice by, you know, bringing awareness and it's going to stop some people because it is an organized crime. Like, I was really scared to say something because I thought they might try to kill me. That's how organized it was. And you know, everyone is affected by it in some way. I had, you know, I came within seconds of nearly giving away

a huge amount of money. again and it was money that was left to me by my mum, you know, just felt, you know, and I'm a single independent woman. I don't have a partner who helps me out. So it's like every penny I earn, and I'm sure it's the same for you. I think I earn every penny of that. And I had one of those phone calls really, oh, it's the fraud department. I had one of those. I mean, but it got quite far. And luckily, I'm just at the last minute I realized. But what I would say is for you, what's difficult is that was personal he was in the room with me that was crazy like he was somebody i like had long chats with who would have been in my house yeah it was just that betrayal was horrible i actually

um got with the girl who was a part of tender swindler do you know her uh her name cecilia i've seen the documentary yeah she found my story on ticot we got together and we did an instagram live and just talked about it and it was just the most That conversation was the most life-changing because to speak to someone that had happened to, and she still, to this day, is trying to recover the money and pay back money that was taken by him. Like, to this day, it's been like six years. She's still trying to recoup. And I think so many women feel shame and guilt. And, you know, the first thing people say, you're an idiot, blah, blah, blah.

but it happens to smart people. You got to be smart to make money. You got to be smart to have enough money to lose it. Like, you've got to be smart. I also think it's weird. Whenever people say, oh, you're an idiot to trust them or blah, blah, blah. And I think, well, no, I think that shows that you're an empathetic, decent person that you give people the benefit of the doubt.

Yeah. You know, you don't walk around thinking everyone's trying to steal from you because I don't want to live like that. Yeah. And did it put you off online dating for a period? Was it tough to get back in the game, as it were? It put me off men for a long time. Like, I was just like, wow, this is what we got.

I was like, this is what we're working with. Wow, this is a dark time out here. I was like, whoa, okay. Are you still off men now or how are you feeling about me? I have an amazing guy now named Mike who's awesome. We're here right now. Hi, Mike. You don't have to be on the podcast, but thank you for me.

Looking off to our goal. But it took me even a long time to trust him because of what happened to me. Just like the trust issues you have, like, I just am therapy and just time is what really helped me to trust again and to be like, you know, everybody's not like this. This was a moment in time. I'm a different person. But yeah, and also no risk, no reward. Sometimes you just have to go in and see what happens to you and hopefully hope for the best, you know,

but it did put me off for a long. I had such terrible trust you, commitment issues for a long time, but now I'm back and I feel like I can just be trusting again like I was before, you know. Well, I like the sound of Mike. He's great. He protects me and supports me. Yes, it's been good. Are we allowed to know what Mike does?

Is he in the same industry? He's a bodyguard. Shut up. And I'm Whitney Houston. It's just like the movie. It's crazy. My life is a movie, I think. Oh my God, it's so glamorous.

I'm loving it. It might get to wear headsets as well. Oh, yeah, he wears the headsets. Yeah, he works with amazing people. Madonna, Elton John, Tom Cruise. Does Mike say if she goes out on that stage tonight, she's dead anyway? He was like that

He's always like You know, because he goes out with me Just as my boyfriend And sometimes he's like working Even as my boyfriend I was like Mike you're not working He's like standing the room He's coming and he's going

And he'll tell me all the people Because he's like six foot five anyway So he's like towering over everyone He's like there's Anna Winteror There's Rob Williams There's this Mike will you stop talking into your wrist again I've told you about this

Start being a spy. You're just my boyfriend. You know what's interesting? I love that you've gone for Mike, because you've literally gone for the opposite of that low-life, pathetic con man. Yes. You've now gone for the guy that deals with people like that. Exactly. That's much better. Full circle. So listen, we need to bring everyone up today, and I need to let you go soon.

But I have to say, we've got some extraordinarily exciting news, has just broken this morning as I'm interviewing you. This morning. I know and my phone is going blah-la-l-l-la-l-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la. I'm so sorry. It's going wild. I'm going to be Sally Bowles and Cabaret

with Billy Porter as my emcee. This is such exciting news. You must be so thrilled. This has been a year in the making. It started from my, having a conversation with one of my best friends, and I said, why has there never been a black Sally Bowles? And he said to me, there weren't that many black people in Nazi Germany.

It would no black people in Nazi Germany at the time. And I was like, what? And I literally said, it was 1930s, not 1800, 1700. I was like, you talking about the same 1930s of Josephine Baker who actually did Cabaret in Berlin? But are you talking about the same 1930s of Billy Holliday traveled to, you know what I mean? So. Yeah. And Cabaret has lots to do with Bodville, which was, you know, a very American art form as well.

So I just did the research and there was so much research about black history in Nazi Germany that I didn't even know as a black person. Like I didn't know. I just remember in school when we studied the Holocaust, it was say, six million Jews died. And it would be one sentence that said blacks, gypsies, gays, disabled, you know, others. And that was always one line. And I was like, well, who are those people? I want to meet those people. Like, I want to know their stories.

So I sit there, research over to my agent, and I talked to the associate director of Cabaret, who directed me in Oklahoma. And I was like, do you think I can do this? I was like, you know my talent, you know me, do you think I can do this? And he said to me, if anybody can do it, you can. I'd agree with that. That's all I needed to hear. And then I went for it. But then even on top of that, I still had to do the work.

Like that was just to get into the room. That was not even to, it wasn't handed to me by any means. That's amazing. I think it's important for people to know because I've got to be honest, my ignorance measure is I would assume someone of your stature, now that, you know, once you get to those multiple Olivier Award nominations and, oh, right, she just, someone picks up the phone and says, please, will you do this part? We'd be honored to have you. But you still have to no. I sing and read for it, is it where? You have to audition, right?

I hired a dialect coach myself to learn the British accent because I wanted it to be amazing. I got Paul Mescal's dialect coach. Did the dialect coaching, was off book. Now, this is something I know as a black woman. I have to be undeniable. Because not only do I have to be good, I have to be 10 times as good. Like, I have to be undeniable. There can be no cracks in the package. And that's just what I know.

It is what it is. I've accepted that that is the fate of it. And I just work. I was like, I'm going to be undeniable. So if anyone says this was handed to you, it was not. I worked my butt off for it. And so then I was supposed to go in before Big Brother. And then someone got sick on the team.

I couldn't go. And then I went to Big Brother. And then everything happened with Big Brother before I went in. And then I still had to hold on to all the information. And then I found out four days after the Olivier's after I was doing the Olivier's that I had to go in. I went in four days after the Olivier. I went in and I just remember everyone was crying in the audition. and there was a black girl on the team who was from Texas.

And when I saw her in there, I was just like, I'm doing this for you, like, for us. And just her face and how she looked at me during the whole thing, was just like, wow. And it's just not about just being black. It's just about opening it up to anyone to do it. Because so many of those roles I play Adelaide, 8-0-0-0-0. They've never even been offered to people that look like me or do what I do.

And then just by casting me, it changed it in a beautiful way. And I was like, you just never know how these stories can be retold with a different filter, a different lens, a different lived experience. So I finally found out, so I had to wait another two months. I finally found out they loved it. So Rebecca Fragno loved it. And they were like, well, we need an MC to match you. And I was like, I got a perfect person. So me and Billy Porter have been friends since I was living in New York

and he came to my house for a barbecue and was eating a hot dog in my backyard. And I was like, oh, Billy Porter's eating a hot dog in my backyard because he was best friends with my friends. And so I called him and I said, I got this part. I wouldn't do this with me. And he's like, you would do a replacement? because usually like when you get to this level you don't replace, like you want to do something new. And I said, this isn't about replacing.

It's not about awards. This is not about. It said, this is an event. This is a cultural shift. This is going to break the glass ceiling to open this up to many other people who want to do it. And I said, and then he told me that when Alan Cumming was doing it in New York, that he tried to audition and they wouldn't even let him audition because he was black. He sent them this book called Destined to Witness,

which is about black history in Nazi Germany, and he sent it to the casting, producers of that time, that was doing the Allen Company one. And then they wrote him back and was like, thank you for that, but that's not the story we're trying to tell. And so he's had like this 20 years long vendetta, more than 20 years, maybe 30 years. to play this part.

And I had no idea. And then he was like, I'll do it or I'll only do it with you. And then that was it. How incredible. And then here we are today. And when I saw the pictures and everything, it's just like that belief that we've been talking about like that manifesting and pushing the boundaries of what art,

can do, and I learned that through Nick Heitner, through all the roles that I played previous, that like we don't have to limit ourselves to what is expected of us, that we can push past that and teach people about part of history that they didn't even know through the art. And that's what it's about. And that's what it's more about than the money or the fame or the awards. Because Nick Heiner told me something that I'll never forget. He said, don't chase. the awards, chase the work, and everything else will come. And that's what I've been doing. That's been like my motto now.

Everything else will come if we just try to use the art to service the community, not just use the art to service ourselves, like to use the art to tell stories that haven't been told. And I think, and we can do that without changing a word of cabaret. Just us being in it is a political enough statement. You know what I mean? Just our lived experience going through this filter of these characters is going to change it. And that's what we've done and I'm just so excited. And you know, you couldn't have picked a better time as well just with where we're at.

With Kamala and what's happening. And then also with Cynthia and Wicked and Audra McDonnell and Gypsy. and it's just always like divine timing, divine timing to see these roles done in a different way. So it's been amazing. Well, I'm so happy for you. And can I just, I just want to give Mike some advice, which is, I hope when Mike comes to see you, he doesn't go for high head gear because, and he sits at the back. because he's got some height on him

and I'm loving the concept of Mike I'm just not loving Mike right in front of me when I've come to see my Marisha I don't want Mike in row A if I'm in row B that's all I'm saying At least we got some like elevated raised Seatings rate is raised

I went box last time I'm saying it's worth investing I didn't pay for it But someone had bought a box It was a birthday and it was extraordinary, just there's on stage ones. Babe, you need to be close up. You need to be the sweat, the spit, you need the whole thing.

I need to see it all. We need to, I just want to briefly mention, that's not all you're doing because that's an extraordinary thing which is happening. Is that 20, 25 that you're going into that? Yes, that's January 28th. We start and then we go till May. But then in the middle of this, I'm doing my headline show at the Adelphi, March 11. of, you know, I'm a glutton for punchment, you see.

Well, you are, because haven't you got a, you've got the Panto as well. I have the Panto, which I'm currently in right now. I'm so excited, though, that you're doing Woburn Hood because you're playing the sheriff. I'm the villain, Ames. I'm playing Alan Rickman's part. But, you know what's funny? They're like, you've never done Pantop before? And I was like, no, they were like, well, how do you know what to do?

I was like, I'm a Disney kid, man. I know my Disney villains. Do you like it? How are you finding Pantam, Michelle? Do you enjoy it? I love it. Well, I'm doing it with the best of the best, of the best, like Nigel Havers, Julian and Clary, Paul Zerden, like, Jay McDonald's. Like, and Jane wasn't there the first couple of weeks because she was still on a tour.

So it was just, I was the only girl. And I just was like, you know, being initiated into this comic fraternity, like a comedy, improv comedy troupe. And you know when you first walk in, and they've been doing this for years, they're like, what's she going to do? And they have just taken me in and they're like, you are one of us. And it's just been so amazing. And I've learned so much watching it. It's a masterclass. Masterclass in British comedy.

Like absolute masterclass. It's so part of the tradition here, isn't it, as well? People love it because it's all that camp, ridiculous British humor. It's ridiculous. And also, like, well, I announced it because I was presenting Magical Christmas at the Palladium. That was the last show to go in. And I said to the audience, I said, I'm going to be in the Palladium Panto. And without missing a beat, the entire audience says, oh, no, you're not.

Is this what I'm up for? Oh. You know, Marisha, I could talk to you for hours. You're such brilliant company. I wanted to ask you just a kind of final thing, which is, it's interesting, isn't it? Because you come across so brilliantly, and you're very charismatic and you're, I've said this, you know, I'm saying this repeatedly because it's true. You know, you're unusually candid and warm and open.

And I can imagine you'd be a brilliant company player. And you're the kind of person that I call it the Norman Cheers factor that's walking, and everyone goes, Norm, it's like, Marisha's here, the party can stop. Yeah. I get all that. But what I feel is sometimes that can take pressure on you as a person when you're, I call it the tonic, you know, the tonic in gin or vodka or whatever, you're the tonic. You make everything work socially. That can take energy out of you and you expend a lot of energy when you perform emotionally.

Do you ever find that that you get a little burnt out sometimes? And how does it manifest itself when you have Marisha, I suppose just like mental health meltdowns, which we all get. at sometimes. Yeah, well, you know, like my apartment is my solitude. I live alone so that I can recharge my batteries. And if I feel like I can't be that tonic, I just go away, like I go sequester myself or I go hide in my dressing room to get myself together. But I also work out, like, so the gym is like my haven. So that's like my 90 minutes for myself where I live. heavy weights and I can just focus on me for like 90 minutes. Do you know what I mean?

Instead of like giving out, I'm like pouring into myself. But that's only been in the past couple of years and that's really helped me a lot because I used to just give everything away to everyone as much as I can. But then I didn't pour a lot into myself. And so I think mental health-wise, I do try to find those moments of quiet. And luckily, I have to be on vocaries a lot of the times when I'm not at work. So during the day, I'm pretty quiet. I try to be really quiet to myself so that I can have that energy at night to go for it.

But I do feel like mental health-wise, you have to take care of yourself. You have to like have something outside of your career or outside of what you're doing that brings you joy. That could be your dog that you have that always brings you down to earth, those walks that you have with your dog, they're not just for the dog, they're for you too. But they're for those moments of quiet and those moments where you can walk and find peace

and like hear your own voice. That's what I love about the gym and what I love about working out. It's like those moments I can hear my own voice because, you know, the world is so much stimulus. But find those moments that does help. It's really interesting to me that I asked you a question and you immediately brought me into it and related it to me and my personal situation.

Yeah. And I think that says a lot about you. That's like a generous spirit that you have. And I've really loved, I can't tell you how much I love chatting to you, Risha. What a special woman you are. I can talk to you all right. I love you. And Ray's taking a bit of a shine to you because I know this is awful.

I'm not proud. I'm a bit ashamed of it with this. He does like an attractive woman. Does he? He likes a pretty woman. Yeah, he's all, he does. Honestly, he does. I told you Raymond was wise, Annie. I actually still want to go on this walk with you and the dog. Can we meet up? I think we need to. Before we go, please do go and if you can, because I don't know,

this thing is going to sell out, I'm sure, but do go and see Marisha in Cabaret and also, I mean, Robin Hood, Marisha Wallace is the sheriff. I can't think of anything better. Also, the Adelphi, get tickets for the Delphi headline show. There's still tickets available. So go get that now. We're going to come to all three. Misha, thank you so much. And I really think we need to do this in person.

Before we go, can you sing a little lullaby, brief lullaby to Ray of some sort, or something to make him sleepy? Go on. Raymond, you're so beautiful with your distinguished hair and your beautiful stare. You walk with me every day and look at you when you look at me that way. I love you, my dog, Ray. Obsess. It's your new theme song for your show.

I really hope you enjoyed that episode of Walking the Dog. We'd love it if you subscribed. And do join us next time on Walking the Dog wherever you get your podcasts.