DUBLIN-BORN but now London-based, Jacinta Whyte has been in showbusiness for many years.
She first found fame as a child when cast in the West End production of Annie and has continued to command stages and concert halls across the globe ever since as a successful singer and actor.
This month she will star in the new musical Coven, which gets its world premiere at the Kiln Theatre in North London.
Set in Lancashire in 1612, the show is based on the true story of the Pendle Witch Trials and adapted from the book ‘Coven’ by Rebecca Brewer.
With music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning Daisy Chute and direction by Olivier Award-winner Miranda Cromwell, Whyte says it’s something “special”.
She told the Irish Post why she had to get involved…
Jacinta Whyte stars in Coven at the Kiln Theatre (Pic: Kiln Theatre)What drew you to this production?
I was immediately drawn to the project when I realised the calibre of the artistic team onboard. Miranda Cromwell Director, Jennifer Whyte Musical Director & Supervisor and of course the writers Daisy Chute and Rebecca Brewer, two very exciting new writers.
I love creating new work too from the page, so that’s always a huge draw to me!
It’s a dark topic; how well does it translate to a musical?
The topic is so dark, so evil, it’s incomprehensible it ever happened, and it translates very well to a musical adaptation.
Many long running musicals have dark themes which audiences are moved by.
In Coven, the themes we cover, not just witchcraft but male dominance, church dominance, lack of rights for women, lack of healthcare etc are all pretty heavy and emotive but the songs and music are so anthemic and soaring in places, it really propels the narrative forward.
That’s not to say it’s all heavy, there are some incredibly funny/witty numbers poking fun at the ancient establishments of the time which are great fun.
How has director Miranda Cromwell approached the adaptation of Rebecca Brewer’s book?
Miranda is a breath of fresh air and an incredibly witty woman so whilst the subject matter is dark and historically correct, she also manages to find humour within the text which lightens the mood from time to time.
Her enthusiasm and fresh approach to the musical is invigorating and she has such a wonderful eye when creating a picture.
I love how she explores the text and it’s meanings whilst encouraging us to look for our objectives within each scene to enhance our characters.
How would you describe the story?
The story is true, set in Lancs during the era of witch hunting.
Our story tells the tale of Jenet, the youngest daughter of the Device family, who were all accused by her of witchcraft and murdered.
She was clearly coerced and years later finds herself accused of the same witchcraft crimes.
She ends up in a cell of condemned women. Many were accused of witchcraft in a male dominated society of clerics and religious orders living in a climate of fear.
It was a ludicrous time before the age of reason. Jenet is taken back to her past to make amends.
Can you tell us about your character?
I have the privilege of playing Maggie in Coven. Maggie is the matriarch of the women, she’s earthy and rooted in the ancient crafts of herbalism and astral travel.
She is knowing, wily and possesses heightened senses which enable her to traverse the past and the present, I see her as an ancient hypnotist.
She loves harmony within her community and with the elements.
I’m loving discovering her.
What has been most challenging about the role?
It’s a brand-new piece of work which is invigorating, originating a role is always very exciting but sometimes can be challenging with constant rewrites of script and lyrics.
Coven has a female-only cast, are you enjoying that aspect of it?
I’ve never been in an all-female rehearsal room and it’s a fantastic experience.
The laughs are off the scale as we all understand each other so well as women.
There’s a great dynamic as we are all so different as people and we are all very supportive of each other.
We have become our own little community in rehearsals.
Is there a message in Coven for the audience?
I think we are hoping that using our platform, Coven will highlight some of the injustices we still see in today’s society for women. If we look at some of the world today we can see that for women in certain countries, their voices have never been heard or indeed their voice and choices are now being withdrawn, for some, life is going backwards to dangerous times.
How does this piece compare to your previous stage work?
I have been so fortunate throughout my career and have worked on some major musicals Les Mis, Saigon, Cats, which have haunting, anthemic scores.
Coven’s score has such heart it holds its own against these other giants.
It’s special. The company of 13 is smaller than I’ve worked in previously, so we are all covering other roles too which is different for me.
You are a singer as well as an actor, do you have a preference when it comes to stage or concert work?
I love to juggle my work, so it’s varied and stays interesting to me.
Being in a theatre show creates a family, all working towards the same goal and I love becoming a character.
Performing in a concert with a 60-piece orchestra onstage means being myself with just my voice.
That privilege still hugely excites - and terrifies - me so it keeps me on my toes,
They are such different disciplines, but I love them equally.
Which is your favourite concert hall to perform in?
I love working at home in Dublin at the National Concert Hall and the Glasgow Concert Hall but working at the Royal Albert Hall for many years was a career highlight.
It’s so vast to look at but so intimate when you’re standing up there.
How do you feel about Coven opening for its world premiere this month?
I feel very privileged to originate Maggie and to tell this story.
I’m in awe of the talent which surrounds me daily from the cast, to the musicians, to the creative team, so I’m really excited to see how audiences will react.
What can the audiences expect from the show?
The audience can expect to laugh and cry and be moved.
I hope they feel they’ve witnessed a piece of true history which they may have had no previous knowledge of and the fact that as a society we really need to keep focused on moving forward together for the better.
Coven runs at the Kiln Theatre from October 31 until December 20. Click here for tickets.
See More: Coven, Jacinta Whyte, Kiln Theatre
