Thrills galore as Fatal Attraction comes to Manchester

The thriller, based on the Hollywood movie which proved to be a box office sensation on its release in 1987, is touring the UK for the first time and comes to Manchester next week.

Susie plays Beth - the role taken by Anne Archer in the original film - a wife whose husband embarks on a torrid affair with the mesmerising Alex with disastrous consequences.

Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in Fatal attraction (Picture: Tristram Kenton)

Kym Marsh plays Alex, a role which brought the phrase ‘bunny boiler’ into common usage, with Oliver Farnworth as Dan the husband who finds that a fling can have disastrous consequences.

“People come out of the theatre going ‘oh my goodness’, said Susie. “We have had incredible audience feedback possibly more than on any theatre job that I’ve ever done.

“People are so passionate about it and it really provokes a great deal of debate.”

The cast have been working with James Dearden who wrote the original screenplay for the movie.

“That has been really great, said Susie. “This production has been brought right up to date and is set in 2022 which means that we can take a current look at the issues it raises.

“When the film came out mental health was not really commented on or discussed and it was easy to just label someone like Alex as ‘crazy’.

POWER STRUGGLE: Susie Amy, Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in Fatal Attraction (Picture: Tristram Kenton)

“But it is never as simple as that and now we get the chance to explore the issues and look at the characters in a more rounded fashion. Also James had a very different vision for the ending which we are honouring in this production without giving too much away. It isn’t a direct copy of the movie.

“It’s really nice to explore different elements of the story bringing it into the modern day.

“When the film came out I think Alex was seen as being wholly in the wrong. When you look deeper and where we have got to now, that is not where people are going.

“Obviously being unfaithful can never be something seen as a good or acceptable but I don’t think many thoughts were given to the feelings of the woman or situation she ends up in.”

As Beth, Susie has to portray a mum struggling to cope with the world she knows falling apart around her.

“She’s not a fool or is totally blind to what’s going on around her but ultimately she trusts her husband so implicitly that she can’t believe he would have an affair,” said Susie. “To me it’s really important that she isn’t a wet lettuce. I’d hate to put across that she’s become a boring, stay at home mum which justifies him going off with another woman. I don’t want to perpetuate that in any way.”

Susie Amy

Susie - who first came to prominence in the cult TV drama Footballers’ Wives - has subsequently taken on many TV and stage roles.

“I just feel so incredibly lucky to be able to come back after such a long time due to the pandemic into a production as exciting as this one,” she said. “There are so many elements in the play which people can relate to which is so important. For the storyline to work the audience needs to see believable characters.”

Susie is delighted at the relationship she has developed with her two co-stars.

“I’d never worked with Kym before but I’d heard that she was so down-to-earth,” she said. “She’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and works so unbelievably hard. Alex is an exciting character to watch and be around and Kym does a magnificent job in capturing the different elements that make up her personality. She also manages to make her likeable which is so important, she needs to be a three-dimensional character not some cartoon-like villain.”

Susie had worked with Oliver before on an international tour of The Marilyn Conspiracy.

“I was thrilled when I heard he would be in this,” she said. “He’s such a talented actor and he really holds things together, he drives the show along almost acting as the narrator.”

Oliver Farnworth and Kym Marsh in Fatal attraction (Picture: Tristram Kenton)

A stage version of Fatal Attraction had been on the cards for a while but everything got put on hold when the Covid pandemic struck forcing theatres to close.

“Everyone behind this been waiting a long time to bring this to people,” said Susie, “and I think after all we’ve been through it was incredibly brave to never give up on it.”

Preparations for the national tour weren’t without the odd problem with Kym, Oliver and Susie all testing positive for Covid at one time or another.

“I was fully jabbed but got it just as we were doing technical rehearsals,” said Susie, “So I had to watch them on Zoom and take plenty of notes. That was interesting, but everyone’s fine now. Every member of the cast and crew pulled together to support people.

“And now we’re reaping the rewards. It’s such a nice thing to come back to after all this time and it’s certainly a production which will spark plenty of debate.”

Fatal Attraction, Manchester Opera House, Tuesday, February 22 to Saturday, February 26. Details from www.atgtickets.com