After sell-out seasons in Australia, I See Me & Meryl Streep is making its London debut at The Other Palace.
A hilarious, camp celebration of everyone’s favourite 3-time Oscar winner Meryl Streep, through the eyes of her biggest fan! A 17-year kid who doesn’t understand why the other kids don’t wanna come over to watch Sophie’s Choice. Featuring highlights from films like Death Becomes Her, Out of Africa, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Mamma Mia, The Iron Lady, Devil Wears Prada(okay basically every Meryl Streep movie, she’s done a lot) this is a high-octane, laugh-a-minute, musical, Meryl Streep love fest.
Starring Actor and Comedian Alexandra Keddie this show has more sequins, accents and single tears than you can poke an Oscar at.
Ahead of the run we sat down with Alexandra to discuss the show.
What can you tell me about I See Me & Meryl Streep?
I See Me and Meryl Streep is a campy, joyful celebration of everyone’s favourite 3 time Oscar winner, it takes you on a journey through all of Meryl’s greatest on and off-screen moments all through the eyes of her biggest fan, a teenage girl who can’t quite understand why the other kids at school don’t want to come over to watch Sophie’s Choice…
What first inspired you to create the show?
I wasn’t working as much as I wanted to as an actor and I was getting sick of hearing myself complain all the time. When you’re first starting out (and sometimes longer than that) you only ever get to do those amazing monologues and scenes when you’re in class. The auditions you get are for Barista 3 who says ‘that’ll be 3.50’. I was desperate to sink my teeth into something and who has sunk her teeth into amazing material more than Meryl Streep. I wanted the chance to do that! I’d been a mega fan of hers since I was maybe 10 and thought, this could be a really amazing show!
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the show, how do you reflect on your journey with it?
This show has taught me so much. It taught me to write, it taught me how to craft a joke, it taught me how to do so many different accents. It’s been such a gift. It follows a teenage girl who feels out of place in almost every aspect of her life, Meryl Streep helps her feel powerful. When I first wrote the show, I was 22/23, I was so close to the age I was trying to represent and I was still embarrassed about how much of a dork I was in high school. I’m so proud of the first iteration of the show, but now in my 30s, I still play that teenage girl, but I’ve had so much distance that I’m able to perform this role with so much more love and appreciation for that teenage weirdo I was (and kinda still am).
This show has taught me so much. It taught me to write, it taught me how to craft a joke, it taught me how to do so many different accents. It’s been such a gift. It follows a teenage girl who feels out of place in almost every aspect of her life, Meryl Streep helps her feel powerful. When I first wrote the show, I was 22/23, I was so close to the age I was trying to represent and I was still embarrassed about how much of a dork I was in high school. I’m so proud of the first iteration of the show, but now in my 30s, I still play that teenage girl, but I’ve had so much distance that I’m able to perform this role with so much more love and appreciation for that teenage weirdo I was (and kinda still am).
How have you managed to grow and develop the show during the 10 year period?
Every time I remount the show I manage to rewrite it. I’d never written anything when I first performed it and I had no idea what I was doing. Since then the story is the same but the jokes have got better, the structure makes more sense… basically it’s evolved with me. I love that with theatre you can do that! You can shift it and change it based on what’s happening in the world or in yourself.
How much of your own life and experience made it into the piece?
So much… too much! Ha! It’s absolutely based on me. I loved Meryl Streep from when I was about 12, but maybe wasn’t quite as much of a fanatic as the character I play. But I was always idolising someone or something and I decided to channel all of that into this character. There are a lot of anecdotes in the show about being bullied or embarrassing school/life experiences, they’re all true. They all happened in some way shape or form. This girl is so me. She’s precocious and passionate, a bit annoying, full of love, full of fear, full of hope, full of dreams and desperate to feel seen.
I’ve had to speak to my English mates to make sure the jokes make sense here! We may speak the same language but some of our references are very different! And I know some of the film references will hit differently here. In Australia Lindy Chamberlain always goes down a treat and here I feel like I’ll need to pay particular attention to Margaret Thatcher!
If you were able to ask Meryl Streep a question, what would you ask her?
I actually met her! 10 years ago! I’d just done the show for the first time and I was in New York. I was far too overwhelmed to ask her anything. I just cried and thanked her… If I ever got to meet her again and ask her a question, maybe I’d ask her if we could be best friends? Or if she could adopt me? If we could braid each others hair and talk about our favourite movies?
What was the first piece of theatre that inspired you to want to perform?
I think it was actually Mamma Mia. I saw it for the first time when I was about 11 and I just remember thinking ‘that looks like the most fun anyone has ever had’. I love theatre that makes you want to get up on your feet and dance. That makes you smile from ear to ear. To this day I still feel like no show does that better than Mamma Mia.
What keeps you inspired?
Other artists definitely inspire me. I’m a sucker for an old dame. Gimme Bette Midler, Cher, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Golden Girls… honestly pop any of them on and I’ll instantly want to perform. Camp all day long! And my funny girlfriend, who is even more camp than me! She inspires me and gives me some of my best material.
Other artists definitely inspire me. I’m a sucker for an old dame. Gimme Bette Midler, Cher, Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, The Golden Girls… honestly pop any of them on and I’ll instantly want to perform. Camp all day long! And my funny girlfriend, who is even more camp than me! She inspires me and gives me some of my best material.
What do you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
You’ll laugh, you’ll maybe share a single Meryl Streep tear and you’ll remember how great it is to love something with all your heart. I hope people walk away with a smile on their face, a spring in their step and a little more love for their teenage self.
Where can audiences see the show?
The Other Palace Studio
12 Palace St, London SW1E 5JA
April 29 - May 4
Tickets are available from https://theotherpalace.co.uk/i-see-me-and-meryl-streep/
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