Rebecca Storm: Leading Lady By Irene Feighan
BEHIND brand Rebecca Storm are two leading players: front of house is Rebecca the dazzling singer with a string of hit musical hits — Blood Brothers, Evita and Les Miserables — to her name and backstage is her husband/musical director Kenny Shearer.
When we meet in the Clarion Hotel in Cork on a grey Friday afternoon, it quickly becomes clear this a loved-up double act, with Rebecca frequently referring to Kenny for dates and details, all of which he effortlessly supplies.
“I open my mouth and Kenny speaks,” she jokes, adding that they first met at Cork Opera House in 1996, during Blood Brothers. Kenny, a bass player, was part of the orchestra.
Now on “the wrong side of 50”, she shows no sign of slowing down. “You keep striving for things,” she says. ” I feel lucky that I’ve been offered some great roles — and have been the leading lady in every show that I’ve done. I’m very grateful for that. But I’ve had flops as well. I’ve played Joan of Arc — it closed after two weeks. And I’ve had my fair share of bad reviews along with the good ones.”
She would love to do Sunset Boulevard — and get her teeth into the role of Norma Desmond.
“And I’d like to do more concerts like I’m doing at the Everyman and Ballymaloe Grainstore. They are a bit more intimate. A bit less pressurising.”
Born in Yorkshire, she now considers Kildare as home, with her second base being London where her daughter Rebecca Roberts, a singer/songwriter lives.
What shape are you in?
I walk a lot and I sing a lot. I do a bit of yoga. And I sleep a lot — I like to get eight hours.
Do you have any health concerns?
No. I got pneumonia in the late ’80s when I was doing Evita in Cork. On the opening night in Dublin I realised it wasn’t a cold and had to take a week off.
What are your healthiest eating habits?
When I do the Carol Vorderman detox — it’s all about cutting out meat, eggs, bread and milk. It got me on to rice milk. I should do it more than I do.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Fish and chips. Whenever we’re in Cork we go to Hillbilly’s Fried Chicken. I should have shares in the place — I recommended it to the Blood Brother companies of 2008 and 2011 and they were there every night after the show.
What would keep you awake at night?
Coffee. I used to drink it at night and wonder why I had palpitations.
How do you relax?
I like television — our current favourite is Scott & Bailey — playing sudoku and going to the cinema.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
I’d like to throw all those girlies into the mix: Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand Goldie Hawn, Jane Fonda — for himself — and Margaret Thatcher, to make it really entertaining.
What is your favourite smell?
My baby’s hair. If you could bring that back that would be great.
When did you last cry?
Usually something on the news — recently it was seeing the children in Syria. We have Sky TV on in the background all day long.
Do you pray?
All the time. I don’t go to church. I used to go to the Baptist church when I was young and I loved it. It was the friendships and the company and the fun. I was encouraged to sing and pushed forward. It gave me quite a lot of confidence.
What would cheer up your day?
If the sun came out today. And my dog — we have a King Charles Cavalier. She’s called Charlie Bear. Even if I get up grumpy I can’t stay that way for very long because she is so bubbly, she just performs for me.
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