Siobhan Dillon on Winning Her Dream West End Role in the Haunting Hit Ghost

Siobhan Dillon has spent a busy few years on West End stages, first in Grease and then as Elle Woods’ rival Vivienne in Legally Blonde. Now she has signed on for a yearlong run as the lovesick Molly in Ghost, replacing Caissie Levy, who is prepping for the musical’s Broadway debut. A few days after joining the cast at the Piccadilly Theatre, Dillon chatted with Broadway.com about her experience on a reality TV casting show (How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?), the legacy of the Ghost film and why her new role is a perfect fit.

You played your first performance in Ghost on Friday the 13th. Were you worried about tempting fate?
Yeah, there were some tweets asking how we could possibly open a show  about a dead guy on Friday the 13th [laughs]! But [original stars] Richard [Fleeshman] and Caissie [Levy] had press to do in New York, so the decision was made to put us on that night. Mark [Evans, the incoming Sam] and I just looked at each other and thought, “OK, fine!”

Were you happy to see Richard, an English actor, get cast as an American for the Broadway production?
Well, Richard Fleeshman is absolutely phenomenal, and I think they would have struggled to continue that success without him. He and Caissie had this incredible stage presence together, so what’s the point of launching a brand new show when you can go with somebody you know already works? Also, this is a very special circumstance. It’s as if Richard started this whole thing—it’s become like the Ghost brand, and he originated it.

How did you get involved with the show?
My agent called and said that they wanted to see me, and I hadn’t seen the show or heard any of the songs [by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard]. So I went, and within five minutes, I knew I wanted this more than anything. The songs were exactly the sorts of melodies I love to sing, so I tried and tried and practiced and practiced, and I got it after three auditions, which didn’t seem too bad. I’ve had worse [laughs].

And here you are, backstage at the Piccadilly Theatre.
It feels absolutely new and fresh and still stupidly exciting; just amazing. I’m so happy right now: This role is a dream come true, and I’m loving every minute.

What’s it like to join a musical like this that is up and running?
To be honest, there’s been a comfort blanket on this show thrown by a creative team that knows exactly what they’re doing, and they have been willing us to do the best we possibly could from day one. From an outsider’s point of view, it could look as if we were dropped in the deep end with three weeks to rehearse, but it’s actually felt as if Mark and I were slotted effortlessly into an already working machine. And that wouldn’t have happened if the company hadn’t been so supportive.

Though you were brought up in the quintessentially English city of Lichfield in Staffordshire, you’ve played mostly American roles in Grease, Legally Blonde and now Ghost.
You're right, but seems as if the majority of plays on the West End are American, so that’s just the way it’s panned out. I don’t see that much of a distinction; it’s about playing the character, no matter where she’s from. When I was younger, I was a real mimic, and my mum used to get very embarrassed at the checkout when they’d say, “Thanks very much” and I’d [repeat] “thanks very much” [laughs]. I did travel around America quite a lot when I was younger, and I watch a lot of American TV: Friends, of course, and Entourage—that’s my absolute favorite.

You’ve been in two shows in a row based on popular movies. Do you feel you have to confront the shadow of Ghost?
I don’t really refer back to the film, though it is an absolute classic, and I’ve learned to trust a great piece of writing, which is easy to do when you can submerge yourself within it. Our writer [Bruce Joel Rubin, who won an Oscar for the film] was adamant that I trust the script and not try and be anybody else. It’s not about trying to be Caissie Levy or Demi Moore; it’s about just being Molly.

You’ll have to go see Richard and Caissie in Ghost on Broadway.
I’m going, hopefully, in May to watch them! I’ve only seen two Broadway shows, one when I was eight, which I don’t remember, and the other two years ago, In the Heights,which was just amazing. I just think [America] is a wonderful country. I love the attitude: Everyone is so there for you!

You began your career in fashion, yes?
Fashion is actually my second love. I used to make handbags and footwea—I love drawing and I spent three years studying fashion design—but all the time I was toe-tapping a little bit here and there and feeling as if I should be doing some singing but not sure how to make that come about. And then one night, I was sitting in an ex-boyfriend’s flat watching X Factor and he said, “Babe, you can sing so much better than those guys.” I was, like, “What are you saying to me?” I still doubted myself, but luckily he was really pushy and kept encouraging me and I entered the next thing that came up.

You’re referring to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first reality TV show, How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?,  in which you were second runner-up to Connie Fisher. How do you look back on that experience more than five years later?
In hindsight, I don’t think I realized how perfect that was going to be for me, especially because there’s no way I would have made it through X Factor. Back then, especially, I was more musical theater than anything else!

Now, with Jesus Christ Superstar looming as the next musical to meet with British reality TV, some people are wondering whether enough is enough.
There are pros and cons. People joke about someone just walking into a lead role without remembering that they are in work because of the revenue created, and that Andrew [Lloyd Webber] has opened up a huge opportunity for people to watch shows who wouldn’t have normally done so. Also, if you’re going to spend the money that the theaters are asking, it helps to have a little bit of knowledge that you’re going to enjoy what you’re seeing and that you may know the people in it. From my point of view, I would never have had the courage to go to an open audition or just go to drama school. This has given me the opportunity to be on the West End, and I think that’s great.