Five Questions With: Stephanie Costi

Musical theatre performer and actress STEPHANIE COSTI first came to wide public attention as a semi-finalist on ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream, the 2023 TV talent search for new stars to portray young lovers Sophie and Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!

Since then she’s built her stage career, including her recent role as Sandy in the immersive London production Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, where the classic film’s world was brought to life around audiences.

After training at Tring Park School and Guildford School of Acting, Costi’s roles have included Sandy in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical; Susan/first cover Vivian in Pretty Woman (Zurich); Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (Darlington Hippodrome); Serena Katz/first cover Carmen Diaz in Fame (international tour); Jasmine in Babies (West End Live); Dance Captain/cover Princess Jasmine/cover Genie in Aladdin (Harrogate Theatre); Cinderella in Cinderella (Godalming); Brigitta in The Sound of Music (Beirut and Lebanon tour); and Romeo & Juliet (English National Ballet).

Here Stephanie Costi continues Musical Theatre Review’s interview series: Five Questions With…

You gained a lot of recognition for taking part in ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream and reaching the final stages, what was that experience like for you and what impact did it have on your career?

It was honestly the most incredible experience. Every time I think about the fact 10,000 people auditioned to be on the show, I can’t fathom how I ended up getting all the way to Greece. I initially was first reserve for the show so I didn’t know I was flying out until the day before the UK rehearsals started so it was the biggest whirlwind of a few days.

A highlight for me was filming the ABBA opening numbers. I’ve always said one of my lifelong career dreams is to be in a movie musical and after the experience on the show I feel like I’ve got a taste of what it would be like. The care from every division on the show was crazy, everyone went above and beyond to ensure we were all okay. At first we all were super hesitant, as at the end of the day it was a reality competition, so we never knew how we’d end up getting painted. But overall it was just the most incredible experience. I made friends for life in not just the cast but also the crew and backstage team.

Picture: Danny Kaan

In terms of what impact it had on my career, I now have the loveliest group of people who have followed me from the show and are so incredibly supportive. It’s so lovely to know that people have supported me from such a long time ago and will continue to do so in any upcoming performing jobs. It’s something I will never take for granted. It was such an intense pressure to be on the show, we literally never stopped. It has definitely taught me to have determination and I bring that through to any job I do. Nothing will ever be as challenging as that experience so I’m prepared for anything that comes along!

Can you fill our readers in on some of the musical theatre roles you have played since you completed your training at the Guildford School of Acting and appeared on the programme?

I have been very fortunate so far, performing as Jasmine in Babies at West End Live – which for musical theatre performers is such a bucket list thing to do. The supporters of musical theatre who come along and watch are so lovely and the environment is so supportive.

I played Serena in Fame which toured internationally, I’m so grateful that my job allows me to travel the world and see new places alongside getting the opportunity to perform. The venue we were in was a huge stadium so it was a crazy experience.

I then went on to do Pretty Woman in Zurich as Susan/first cover Vivian and I was very fortunate to go on for Vivian. She is such a powerhouse and her track is relentless, so playing her was such a huge achievement for me and a pretty iconic role to play.

Then, finally, I recently completed a contract playing Sandy in Grease the Immersive Movie Musical which was in Battersea. It was by far one of the favourite jobs I’ve done to date. Every single person on that team was just so kind, caring and passionate and it was a joy to experience such an uplifting show with such wonderful people. The immersive aspect was so fulfilling as a performer, every single show was different, and to have the artistic license to walk around a huge venue with a capacity of 2,5000 people and just play with different characters and audience members was incredible.

It is definitely something I’d love to do again and Sandy is also another iconic role I was super grateful to have the opportunity to step into. In-between these jobs I have done a few pantos and new musical workshops which are always so much fun.

What did you find most exciting about working within such an immersive format. How did you prepare for the character’s journey both vocally and emotionally?

Stepping into this role and this world was a dream come true. I will never forget the first time we walked into the venue and realised how truly immersive the show would be. The set design from Tom Rogers was impeccable, you truly felt like you had stepped into the film, and I think that really helped with developing our characters and feeling like we were really at Rydell High.

If you’re looking to break into musical theatre, just ensure you are unequivocally you

What was most exciting was that every single show was different. We had full artistic license to roam the space when we weren’t needed in choreographed sections and in-between scenes and I’d find myself out in the fairground with Patty Simcox, on the Ferris wheel, hula hooping with audience members or asking for dating advice from couples I saw in the audience. It was such a joy getting to create the scenes the film would essentially skip and bringing the audience with you on that.

In the immersive environment we were so close to strangers, so what was also incredible was how safe every department tried to keep us. Looking out for each other in the cast, the security guards paving paths for us in the huge crowds to make our quick changes, and all eyes ensuring we were safe. Every single element was thought about and we worked as a huge team to ensure everyone’s safety, which to me was so incredibly important when lines and boundaries could get crossed in such an immersive experience.

Sandy is such a dream to play, she goes on this huge internal journey and transformation, finding that each day was a joy. She initially comes across as naive and during our character development we had huge discussions about filling in gaps like her upbringing/family dynamic. What I landed on was an only child in a wealthy family who has had quite a sheltered life. I think her big transformation came about for herself, rather than to change for Danny.

The vocal preparation was so much fun. With any show, your voice takes a while to adjust to singing the same thing every day until it all becomes just a natural set up in your voice. Because it was a relatively short contract, I had to find that super quickly. Nebulising, throat comfort tea, loads of water, hydration tablets and plenty of sleep is how I get through any contract. But the journey she goes on from ‘Summer Nights’ to ‘You’re the One That I Want’ is vocally very different, from almost a Disney placement to an almost pop placement, so it was important to me to ensure I was warming up my entire range.

You share your life, juggling performing contracts, auditions and what you describe as your muggle jobs (dog walking, princess parties), via your social media. What advice would you offer would-be performers hoping to break into musical theatre?

It is such a challenging industry and the likelihood of being out of work for long periods of time. It’s super rare to jump from contract to contract, so ensuring that you can build a life around performing is important. Yes, it will always be my main focus and passion and I will always put it above anything else but it also isn’t my identity.

I also love my muggle life and creating job opportunities which I can continue during performing is so fulfilling. I started up a dog walking company in south west London and I hire performers who are available to help; I nanny for the most incredible family; and I also do princess parties which is a combination of looking after kids and performing.

It is a lot to juggle for sure hence my ‘muggling, struggling and juggling’ series on TikTok, but I love to document it all. I create such a busy life for myself with things I love so when I’m not in a performing contract I’m still super happy.

If you’re looking to break into musical theatre, just ensure you are unequivocally you. People are after authenticity. Work super hard on yourself and your talents/niches. And my biggest piece of advice is to always go out of your way to be nice, we work so closely with each other and being a good team member is so important.

What kinds of roles or projects are you hoping to do next, are there any dream roles you would like to highlight?

I’ve been so pleasantly surprised with how my CV has been shaping out recently. I never would’ve expected ticking off two dreams last year so I’m so excited for what I’ll be thrown into now. I’ve always said my dream roles are Penny in Hairspray and Maria in West Side Story, so who knows maybe one day! As I touched on before, I’d love to be in a movie musical, so fingers crossed I get to experience that at one point in my career. But I’ll be grateful for whatever comes my way next!