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'Playing Celine Dion on stage is a lot of pressure'

Lucy Owen
BBC News
Getty Images Picture of Lauren Drew at the National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals Red Carpet at the AO Arena. She is smiling at the camera wearing a sparkly silver dress with curly light brown hair. Getty Images
Lauren Drew, 32, from Port Talbot, plays Celine Dion in Titanique the musical in London's West End

When Lauren Drew was offered the role of Celine Dion in Titanique in London's West End, she did not have to think twice.

For the Port Talbot-born musical star, a lifelong fan of the "queen of power ballads", it was a dream come true.

Drew described the Olivier Award-winning show as a parody of the 1997 film Titanic, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

She said the role comes with "a lot of pressure," as she must deliver Dion's powerhouse vocals on the hit My Heart Will Go On.

Lauren Drew An old image of Lauren playing the trumpet in a St David's day costume on stage. She is standing in front of a Welsh flag. Lauren Drew
Lauren Drew began performing at a young age

Drew began performing at a young age as a champion freestyle disco dancer, but it was during school that she discovered her passion for singing and acting.

She trained at Neath Port Talbot College before earning a full scholarship to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London.

Growing up in a working-class family with limited means, Drew said she worked tirelessly to fund her dreams, taking on various jobs from the age of 14.

She said her family "kind of sacrificed everything for me, so I do this for them".

Now 32, she said she believed there was something special about her hometown, which has produced stars like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, and Richard Burton.

"I think the town naturally breeds very hardworking people," she added.

Getty Images Layton Williams and Lauren Drew standing together at the National Lottery's Big Night of Musicals Red Carpet at the AO Arena. Layton is on the left and is wearing a black suit with one arm in his trousers. Lauren is smiling at the camera wearing a sparkly silver dress with curly light brown hair. Getty Images
The musical also sees Bad Education star, Layton Williams playing The Iceberg

Following acclaimed performances in Six the Musical and Legally Blonde, Drew has reached new heights of recognition in Titanique, with celebrity fans including Alan Carr and Amanda Holden.

Drew said audiences should expect a wildly different experience from the film it parodies.

Co-created by Tye Blue, part of the team behind RuPaul's Drag Race, Drew said the show is "wacky, wonderful, and crazy" and "a real ride".

"I need you to imagine a Titanic Museum, and Celine Dion crashes and she says, 'Oh, no, no, no'. This is not actually what what went down. I'll tell you what went down because I was there and this story is a fever dream," she added.

The show also features Bad Education star Layton Williams, as the Iceberg.

But for Drew, a grounded performer playing an over-the-top diva, she said it was all about giving the audience a joyful escape.

She added: "I feel like the world needs it right now.

"You know, it's just kind of unapologetic, crazy joy.

"And everybody, every single show, they're on their feet, every single time, without fail, it's just, it's so much fun," Drew said.

Getty Images Celine Dion performing on stage at the Paris Olympic opening ceremony. She is wearing a long sleeved sparkly silver dress. She's holding a microphone in one hand and the other one is in the air. Getty Images
Celine Dion made her first performance since announcing her neurological disorder in 2022, singing on the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Olympics opening

In 2022, Celine Dion, widely known as the "queen of power ballads", revealed her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes severe muscle spasms.

It affected her ability to sing and perform and led to her cancelling tour dates.

Dion returned to live performance for the first time since revealing the condition at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where she sung on the Eiffel Tower.

However, her health struggles are not mentioned in Titanique, which takes a more playful, spoof-like approach to her legacy.

Getty Images Lauren Drew on stage with the seven members of the Titanique's cast. They all their rights arms up in the air and are smiling looking out at the audience. Getty Images
Lauren Drew says audiences need to brace themselves for a very different experience with Titanique to the 1997 Titanic movie

Although Lauren Drew's portrayal of the 200-million-record-selling Canadian star is an exaggerated version, audience expectations remain sky-high.

She said: "There is such pressure, because people love her so much, she's such a kooky person, but first and foremost, I know that people want the vocals, so I am living like a nun at the moment."

Determined to "make sure people get what they expect" from someone playing Celine Dion, Drew has been "guzzling down litres of water" and studying countless videos to capture the star's signature mannerisms.

She said: "I was such a massive fan of her anyway, and I've been told over the years that I remind people of her, so it wasn't too far a stretch.

"I kind of have that bonkers energy quite naturally anyway.

"But I've watched a lot of videos, things that she does when she's on stage, the flick of her hand and the pound of her chest, and she's very dynamic, in everything that she does, and everything is very deliberate," Drew added.

The hard work paid off for her as she was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

Drew said she hopes her success will show people "not to limit themselves because they came from nothing".

You can listen to full interview on BBC Sounds