Singer Pixie Lott is returning to acting after a 12-year break with a bang, taking on the free-spirited role immortalised by Audrey Hepburn – Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.

I actually have that famous black and white photo of Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s on a coaster next to my bed...

I’ve had it there for ages – long before I found out I would be playing Holly on stage. It was obviously meant to be!

I haven’t watched the film since being cast in the play, as I didn’t want to get too caught up in it...

Our play still has all those wonderful characters, the different personalities that make up New York, just as Capote brilliantly wrote them. When you think about it, the story was incredibly ahead of its time, which is what makes it still so relevant today – a genuine modern classic.

This really is the dream role for me to take on for my first play. I feel incredibly lucky...

Of course people will make comparisons with Audrey Hepburn, but I would never try to replicate an icon like her as she was a one-off, truly unique. I hope audiences feel I bring my own interpretation and personality to the role. My Holly is free-spirited and has lots of energy, and we also see glimpses of the secrets of her past. But she is a survivor. She makes it through.

I have always believed in being as rounded as a performer as possible, and it’s always good to push yourself out of your comfort zone...

I did that when I took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014; I learnt ballroom and Latin from scratch, which I really loved. This year it’s been really amazing to focus on acting. I will still be working on my own music alongside the play, and in the two breaks I have from the tour. I’ve been writing new songs at every opportunity I can.

I had always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, and this play has given me the perfect excuse...

It was really hard though!

I’m still getting used to the cat (Holly’s pet cat, called Cat)...

I’m more of a dog person really, so I’m not familiar with being with cats or how to hold a cat. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to them.

New York is one of my favourite cities in the world...

I actually went and checked out the Tiffany’s store, which is at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street, the last time I was in New York. It was stunning! I’ve always been a fan of Tiffany’s, but I have never done the whole coffee and Danish thing outside the store. I’d say I’m more of a tea and toast kind of girl.

Holly has lots of costume changes, and wearing actual, fabulous vintage pieces and accessories from the era really helps me with her character...

They’re not custom-made Givenchy gowns like Audrey’s, which would be incredible, but they are the next best thing. I love experimenting with the way I look, with different hairdos, and with make-up, and this is so far removed from my usual get-ups.

I’m actually looking forward to spending time in cities where, ordinarily on a music tour, I would only get to be for one night, maybe two...

The play will give me the chance to explore parts of the UK and Ireland that I have never visited before and also to get to know places which I already love even better.

I’m a really messy person, so my dressing-room will be fairly chaotic...

Lots of make-up and clothes, maybe a candle and some pictures from the 1940s. If anyone complains about the mess, I will just blame it on Holly!

THE SHOW

This production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s is more closely based on Truman Capote’s 1958 novella, than the big-screen version.

Bromley-born Pixie, 25, who will play free-spirited, cat-loving Holly, the country bumpkin-turned New York party girl with a string of wealthy suitors and a mysterious past, is best known for a string of chart-topping UK hits including Mama Do and All About Tonight.

As a teenager, she trained at Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, appearing in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, before moving into music.
Playing opposite her as confidant Fred is Matt Barber, who played Atticus Aldridge in Downton Abbey.

With songs from the era, the stylish production of the play by Richard Greenberg is directed by Nikolai Foster and comes to Canterbury as part of a national tour.

THE DETAILS

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, starring Pixie Lott, will be at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from Tuesday, March 15, to Saturday, March 19. For tickets from £21, call 01227 787787 or go to marlowetheatre.com