SAMANTHA BARKS and STEPHANIE McKEON The Frozen stars on their close relationship
SHARE A HEART-MELTING BOND AS THEY GET READY FOR THE COOLEST SISTER ACT
When West End star Samantha Barks first met the actress cast to play her younger sister in Frozen, there was no need for anyone to break the ice. In fact, the two women warmed to one another instantly.
“We get on so well we could happily live together,” Samantha exclusively tells as she and co-star Stephanie McKeon prepare to play Elsa and Anna in the long-awaited stage adaptation of the hit animated film.
“After I found out Steph had been cast as my
hello!,
sister, Anna, I was very excited to meet her so I messaged her and said: ‘Do you want to go for a coffee and hang out?’” she adds. “We ended up spending all day and evening together.”
Since then, the two leading ladies have formed a special bond, with Dublin-born Stephanie telling us: “I understand what makes Sam tick. I know her rules and she knows mine.”
“She’s the organised, tidy sister,” says Samantha. Stephanie adds: “If we lived together, I’d be like: ‘ Why don’t you put your cup in the dishwasher?’ And she’d reply: ‘Steph, relax.’ We can be totally honest with each other like that.”
Frozen was set to open in London last year, but was postponed due to the pandemic. Next month, it will welcome fans to London’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, which has undergone a £60m revamp to return it to its former glory – and the two actresses couldn’t be more thrilled.
“The pandemic has been so hard on our industry, but knowing this moment would one day come got us through it,” says Stephanie, the star of
‘I understand what makes Sam tick. I know her rules and she knows mine’
previous West End hits including Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. “As people return to enjoying live events, we’ll be leading the way. It feels so special to be a part of that.”
Samantha adds: “I feel so grateful that we can finally share live performances with audiences.”
MAKING MAGIC
Born on the Isle of Man, Samantha, 30, first found fame in the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything in 2008, before gaining West End stardom as
Eponine in Les Misérables, a role she reprised in her film debut, starring alongside Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman in the Oscar-winning bigscreen version of the show.
She’s delighted to be playing Frozen’s Elsa, the princess whose icy powers inadvertently turn her kingdom into a land of ice and snow.
“It’s an honour stepping into the shoes of our amazing characters and the thought of seeing children’s faces light up as we give them that Disney magic feels like a big gift,” she tells us. “It’s also wonderful to be part of a story about sisterhood. The message behind it is different to traditional fairy tales. It’s that you don’t need a prince to save you, which is a powerful message for young girls. The true love is between the sisters.”
It’s a relationship both she and 28- year- old Stephanie understand well – they’re both close to their real-life older sisters, who are longing to see the show.
As well as making plans to introduce them,
‘You don’t need a prince to save you. That’s a powerful message — the true love is between the sisters’ Samantha
the actresses hope to form another foursome on Frozen’s opening night with Samantha’s actor fiancé Alex Stoll and Stephanie’s husband, musician Kyle Riabko.
“I want to set them up on a man-friend date,” Stephanie says, laughing. “They haven’t met yet, but I think they’ll get on well.
“My husband is Canadian, Sam’s fiancé is American and they have theatre divas as partners.”
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
Stephanie married Kyle in 2017, a f t e r they met when she auditioned for his musical Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined, a fresh interpretation of the music of US composer and producer Burt Bacharach.
“It sounds corny, but I sensed immediately he’d be important in my life,” she says. “Within weeks we knew we’d end up together.”
Samantha also met her leading man in a show. When they got together in 2018, she was playing the lead of Vivian in Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway and he was in the cast.
After dating for two years, Alex proposed in February, against the romantic backdrop of a snowcovered bridge in a location they’re choosing to keep private.
“It was an incredible surprise,” she says, showing hello! her exquisite diamond solitaire engagement ring.
They haven’t yet set a date for the wedding, but Samantha has plenty to keep her busy ahead of making plans for the big day.
As well as looking forward to the release of her new album, which includes a duet with Stephanie, she’s been shooting the film adaptation of the offBroadway musical Tomorrow Morning, starring alongside Dame Joan Collins.
“She’s such a legend,” she says of the British actress, who plays her character’s grandmother. “She was warm, kind and gracious to everyone.”
Now, Samantha and Stephanie are warming up to play the coolest sisters to hit the West End stage.
“Our audiences will be greeted by a sight so beautiful they’ll gasp: ‘ Wow!’” they promise. “The fairy tale is finally coming true.”
HFrozen opens at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, on 27 August. Visit frozenthemusical.co.uk.
‘Our audiences will be greeted by a sight so beautiful’ Samantha