It’s a Fine Life: Interview with Ava Brennan

From childhood dance lessons in Maghull to playing Nancy in Oliver! at London’s Gielgud Theatre, Liverpool’s West End star Ava Brennan shares the joys and challenges of portraying one of musical theatre’s most iconic characters, and how she balances a demanding stage career with family life

Words | Lawrence Saunders

Could you share how you first got into acting and where your passion for it began?

I went to dance school when I was two. It was really my mum [who got me into it] – she took me and my sister along. I’ve got a brother as well, but he never went down that route. We were in dance lessons from the start: ballet, tap, and even freestyle disco dancing. From the age of two until 16, I was training. I went to theatre schools in Liverpool, including Loretta Legge in Maghull.

In my teens, my parents brought me to London a couple of times to see shows, and I think that’s where [my passion for acting] really started to grow. But even before that, we were always watching old films at home – ’50s and ’60s classics, like Show Boat. My first VHS tape was Cats.

It was definitely my mum who got me into acting. She’s a massive fan of films, theatre, and stories in general, so I was brought up with all of that. I remember feeling properly inspired the first time I saw a show, which was Starlight Express in London.

When did you get serious about pursuing acting as a career?

I think it was when I was about 16, leaving theatre school, that it really clicked. I realised this thing I loved doing as a hobby was actually something I was good enough at to make into a profession. I was doing it purely out of enjoyment, and then suddenly [doing it as a job] became a real possibility.

My first job was panto with the iconic Brian Blessed. And I was being paid for it. I couldn’t believe I was earning money doing something I loved. I’ve done bar work and bits like that, but this is the only proper job I’ve ever had.

Would it be fair to say that playing Nala in The Lion King was your big break?

I think so. I’d done things before that, actually. For about six years I worked in Germany, doing lots of different shows, moving around to different places and touring. I did The Lion King in Germany, and they asked me to come to London to do it. That became my West End debut.

How did you end up working in Germany in the first place?

I did an audition in London at Danceworks for a show called Aida, which Elton John and Tim Rice wrote. It was a German tour, and I was 18, thinking, ‘Oh God, why not?’. After that, I just kept auditioning out there for whatever show was coming into the next theatre.

The treatment in Germany is so lovely, and everyone speaks English when you’re working. You’re taught the language and given a phonetics coach, so I just rolled with the punches and stayed out there. Then, when they asked me to come back to the West End with The Lion King after doing it in Germany for a year, I thought, ‘Oh, I can be home!’. So it was a bit of a no-brainer.

You recently posted on social media about how 2025 has been a year full of unexpected turns, challenges, and opportunities – what’s that been like for you personally and professionally?

Well, I’ve got a 13-year-old, so teenagers come with their own kind of challenges [laughs], and a 19-month-old daughter as well. Going full-time in Oliver! wasn’t the plan initially, but it ended up being the plan – and I’m so happy about that because I love the role and the show. I didn’t fully appreciate how busy it would make life, juggling home and work, so it’s definitely been a balancing act… day by day. But honestly, it’s been a lot of fun too!

At the moment, I do seven shows a week – most cast members do eight – but they’ve been really kind in giving me Sundays off so I can spend that time with my family.

Doing that many shows in a week must be quite physically demanding?

It is, yeah. It’s quite a physical show, with lots of fights and movement. But like anything, if you do it enough, your body gets used to it, and after that it’s really just about maintenance – making sure I stretch and do what my body needs to be ready for the evening.

I started as an alternate, which was perfect because I’d just had a baby – she had just turned one at the time. I thought I’d do two shows a week and be at home the rest of the time. Lovely. But then things changed, and they asked me to step into the role full-time. And honestly, I couldn’t say no because it’s produced by Cameron Mackintosh, and I love working for him.

 

 

At the audition, I sang ‘As Long As He Needs Me’ for the first time, got some notes, and they asked me to sit at the piano and do it again. It felt so natural, even in a situation where you’re supposed to be anxious because you want the job. But I just felt completely comfortable. So when rehearsals started and I went into the show, I wasn’t worried at all – it felt like it fitted.

I never actually imagined I’d play Nancy growing up; it wasn’t a role I had thought about. But as soon as I did it, something just clicked – it felt completely right.

For the role of Nancy, did you have to work on singing in a Cockney accent, or is that something that comes naturally to you?

Speak, sing, all of it! Honestly, it feels so alien for a Scouser to speak Cockney. With an American accent or most others, I can usually manage, but Cockney… it’s tricky. Everything’s at the front, yet somehow also sits at the back. I was worried it might end up sounding a bit Dick Van Dyke [laughs].

I’d worked with a coach on another show, so I asked her to come and listen. She gave me a few notes, I went away, worked on it, and then applied it to the show. Pretty straightforward process, really.

Nancy features in some of the show’s most famous numbers, including ‘As Long as He Needs Me’, ‘It’s a Fine Life’, and ‘I’d Do Anything’. ‘As Long as He Needs Me’ is especially well-loved. What was it like to perform such an iconic song for the first time, and do you have to place yourself in a particular emotional space to deliver it?

Yeah, the emotion comes from the scene before, with Fagin and Bill Sikes – played by Simon Lipkin and Aaron Sidwell. That scene completely sets up the song.

As long as I’m fully in the moment and being truthful, the emotions are always there. The three of us work so well together; we give each other exactly what’s needed in the scene. It can be different every night, and I think that’s part of why I love doing the show so much.

Singing the song is easy when it comes from that emotional place, and honestly, it might be my favourite song to perform of all the ones I’ve done in other shows.

Touching on the other shows you’ve been in, one of the biggest was of course Hamilton in the West End. Was that a big moment for you?

It was, and I don’t think I realised how big it was until I started. Everyone had seen the Disney version, and I’d seen it too, so I knew it would be amazing – but seeing how much people love the show, how they come back again and again, really made me realise, ‘This is something huge and special to be part of’. Lin-Manuel Miranda came over to watch us, and I met him. He’s incredibly generous with his time and energy – a brilliant man.

Speaking of audiences, what have they been like with this production of Oliver!?

I watched the show before I joined but I didn’t really know what to expect. I’d seen the film as well of course, which can be quite dark, and I wasn’t sure if the stage version would go down the same route – it did, and that made me even more excited to be part of it. There’s a lot of darkness, and yet the joy always shines through. I think audiences love it because it transcends generations—it still resonates today. That’s probably why we’re sold out most of the time. The festive season is going to be so busy because everyone associates Oliver! with Christmas, don’t they? The audiences have been fantastic.

Are you open to returning to television or film in the future, or is your attention firmly on musical theatre now?

No, I just love storytelling in general, whether it’s screen or stage. So whenever an opportunity comes up that I feel suited to – or something I really want to sink my teeth into – I go for it, no matter what it is. Stephen Graham is brilliant at championing Liverpool through stories and film. He’s creating opportunities for local actors to work in the industry without having to be anyone else or adopt someone else’s voice. Projects like The City is Ours and G’wed are just great examples of what’s happening in Liverpool right now, and it’s lovely to see.

And you’re flying the flag for the city too, don’t forget!

I suppose. I hadn’t really thought about it, but… thanks! I appreciate you saying that.

Ava Brennan stars as Nancy in Oliver! at London’s Gielgud Theatre until February 2026