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Up front with Shortland Street’s Lisa Chappell

Lisa Chappell stars as nurse Carrie Burton in the ASB season of Shortland Street – The Musical. Good gets the low down on the show, her go-to snacks and time-out tips.

What are your fav go-to snacks when you’re busy rehearsing or performing a show?

During rehearsal I’m pretty good it’s all almonds, fresh fruit, boiled eggs, salad and vegemite and lettuce sandwiches. But after rehearsal at home when no ones looking…. it’s wine, chocolate, takeaways and toast.

Have you got any amazing family or home remedies for fighting sickness when you are on the road performing?

I always travel with Harkers Herbals Ear Nose and Throat, paracetamol, OMR muscle rub and Clinicians Magnesium and Vitamin C. That seems to sort out most ailments and ills and spills.

What is a perfect night out (or in) look like?

A perfect night out is with friends at a great restaurant with good food, wine and a laugh. Then either a play or a movie. And the perfect night in is a series binge on Netflix with loads of treats and wine.

How do you make time for yourself when you’re busy with work?

I do a tiny yoga routine in the morning and a short meditation then I walk the dog. And at the end of the day, I check in with a friend on the phone while in traffic and then once I’m home I walk George somewhere beautiful; either the beach or a bush walk. If it’s an intense show either physically or emotionally I have regular healings and massages.

What parts of New Zealand are you most excited to perform in next year on tour with Shortland Street – the Musical, and why?

I’m really excited about going to Dunedin which I haven’t been to for 29 years! We’ll be there in summer which will be a vast improvement on my one and only winter visit. We lost Fortune Theatre this year so I’m really happy to bring such an amazing show to the Dunedin audience.

Happiness to me is….

Relaxed time with family; eating, playing board games and walking the beach. I also adore feeding my wild birds, hanging out with my dog and living simply.

What’s your favourite pre or post theatre food?

It changes depending on the show’s requirements, I expect for Shortland Street it might be a light omelette before and afterwards something more filling like pasta and of course wine and … yes you guessed it…. chocolate.

Have you been in Shortland Street the TV show before? How is the musical different?

I appeared briefly at the beginning of Shortland Street playing a young primary school teacher who had contracted H.I.V from her fiance. It was a powerful storyline that shocked NZ as back then, as we were under the misapprehension that H.I.V was a disease that only drug users or homosexuals could get. I was proud to be a part of that re-education.

Shortland Street – The Musical is profoundly different from the TV show because it’s so FUNNY! It’s an outrageous, fast moving, parody of the soap genre with all the WOW aspects of a Broadway musical including wonderful kiwi additions like Lionel’s tap dancing muffins!

You’re usually such an upbeat person. How is it playing the terse “Robonurse”?

It was a bit of a shock at first, I kept trying to lighten her up until Simon our director kindly pointed out that all the characters in soaps are based on archetypes and your job is to play each archetypes function. Lucky for us the musical doesn’t stick to the strict soap requirements and all the characters have an emotional journey and change. So now I embrace the Robonurse!

The cast of Shortland Street – The Musical.

Lisa Chappell stars as Nurse Carrie Burton in the ASB season of Shortland Street – The Musical on in Auckland at the ASB Waterfront Theatre 17 Nov – 8 Dec. The show will also tour New Zealand cities March/April 2019. shortlandstreetthemusical.co.nz

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