Laura Michelle Kelly Femalefirst Exclusive

09-05-2006 17:12

The future looks brilliant for Laura Michelle Kelly. The 24 year-old, already an established actress, is about to embark on an exciting new stage in her career with the release of her debut album ‘The Storm Inside’Laura’s career began treading the boards of London’s West End stage, starring in the likes of Mary Poppins, Mamma Mia and Beauty and the Beast. Music has always been a major part of Laura’s life. From as young as eight years old, she and three brothers would perform songs their Dad had written for friends. In fact they spent all their spare time singing, dancing and performing in local summer rock concerts.Although she received no formal training, Laura’s natural ability to sing has won her glowing national praise. As a celebrated actress, she has appeared on Broadway and won the coveted Olivier Award for Best Actress. The new album contains six original tracks and six interpretations of previously recorded material close to Laura’s heart, including Paul Weller’s ‘You Do Something To Me’, Nick Drake’s ‘Riverman’ and a twisted version of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Losing My Mind’.Laura shines as an outstanding songwriter with ‘There Was A Time’, ‘Butterflies’ and ‘The Storm Inside. Other album highlights include ‘Sweet Solution’ - which was written especially for Laura by Jamie Cullum - and the wonderfully evocative ‘Reach Out For Me’.Her first single ‘There Was A Time’ was released on May 1st.

She talks to Liz Frost:

You started out as an actress on the west end stage. How did that come about?

I’ve was interested in music from as early as I can remember really, since I was about six, that was my first memory of performing. My dad wrote a song and he got me and my brother, Paul who’s older than me, to sing along and do all the actions and the noises. I come from a really creative family, we grew up on a farm and had free reign of the land, so we could have our own little adventures and make our own music and entertain ourselves.

One day I saw an advertisement in The Stage and went for an open audition. My younger brother, Nathaniel had already been in a West End show, he was 12 when he got the lead role in Oliver. I was 16 when I got the part of dustpan and brush in Beauty and the Beast. I feel like we’ve been really lucky and had people pushing us and supporting us.

So you must have been quite ongoing when you were young?

Actually I was a little bit shy in some ways, so my music was a way to release emotions I wouldn’t otherwise have released. In some ways I’m still shy, but on the outside I’m always singing and dancing and encouraging people to have fun.

Performing in a West End show at such a young age must have been quite daunting for you?

At the time I felt older than I feel now. I think when you’re younger you think you can do anything, but when you get older you’re not quite so confident. When I was 12/13 I would perform for people from London who came to the Isle of White. I’d sing Madonna’s ‘Just Like a Prayer’ and the B52s ‘Love Shack’. I’ve grown up doing modern stuff and listening to my Dad’s LPs. All I knew was that I loved performing!

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

I didn’t have in mind a role as such. I always loved music, but I never thought it would be possible for me to do something like this for a job. I found a book once that I’d written in when I was six about what I wanted to be when I was grown up. I’d written that I wanted to be a nurse and have 8 children! I realise now, I probably wouldn’t have had the right temperament to be a nurse. I’m too emotional!