OH TO be an heiress on a transatlantic liner, engaged to an English aristocrat but losing my heart to a charismatic young Wall Street magnet. Between New York and London we could have such a wonderful time, the shenanigans between passengers and crew, music and dancing, love lost and love found – goodness, that’s like plot for a musical.
Well, it is. In 1934 Cole Porter wrote Anything Goes and it’s been a hit on Broadway, off Broadway, the West End, film and television – so make a date, the SS America sails into the Grand Opera House in Belfast next week and the beautiful heiress is none other than Zoe Rainey from Bangor Co Down.
“I’m really excited and looking forward to performing before a home audience. We only have a week in each theatre but it will be great to meet friends and see the family,” Zoe tells me.
When we talk, Zoe is clearing out her wardrobe. She's on a week off, one of only four the cast get each year when touring and it’s not open to negotiation but that’s theatre and Zoe loves it – she always has from an early age. She was only seven when she accompanied her mum and sister Victoria to Bangor Operatic Society auditions and to everyone’s surprise ended up getting the part of Gretel with Christopher Logan as her Hansel, another Northern Ireland actor who is making a name on the UK circuit.
“Mum knew Vivianne McMaster so she arranged for me to go along to Vivianne’s Saturday dance classes and when I was 18 I was off to London. I was lucky because during those intervening years, my generation had so much going on especially with Michael Poynor and the Ulster Theatre Company.”
Life moved quickly. After A-levels, university beckoned but her life was theatre so she studied for three years at the Arts Educational School in Chiswick and at 21 graduated straight into the UK tour of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ where she had the nerve wracking chance to perform professionally for the first time in front of the family including her late grandparents.
John Rainey tells me he and his wife has seen everyone one of their daughter’s performances although next week he will be away on business and will miss the first two nights however sister Victoria will take her seat, she’s flying in from Boston especially.
Not only are they sisters, they both have responsible roles in their family firm which has customers around the world. Victoria manages the American end of Denman Professional Hair Products and Zoe is the ‘face’ of a company famous for their styling brushes, originally developed by an Ulster engineer who realised the importance of nylon and nylon bristles so revolutionising hairdressing.
Since the Rainey family became owners in 1972 and Vidal Sassoon selected their products for his new styling technique, blow-drying with hand-held dryers, the name and the product has gone round the world, as has Zoe’s pictures advertising 75 years since John Denman Dean patented his first designs.
When Zoe became the Face of Denman she was so popular that her dad has retained her! “She’s had the time of her life. She sang at our first trade celebration in Italy, then Hong Kong, Long Beach, Las Vegas, then our special event which she hosted at the Royal Albert Hall,” John tells me. He is obviously proud of his daughters and supports Zoe in her ambition to move on to serious acting.
“I am so grateful for the support of my parents, not only have they nurtured my interest in theatre, their support has also been financial and emotion,” Zoe says.
This talented young woman is determined to succeed. After graduation from Chiswick her career took off – in the West End with shows like Wicked, Hairspray and The Woman in White, at the National Theatre and She Stoops to Conquer. A big break this year was being cast in the film Mr Holmes alongside Sir Ian McKellen although, as she points out with a smile, it was only one line.
“It was great to have a scene with him, such an encouraging man. We talked a lot between takes, all the time in a train carriage moving up and down the tracks somewhere in East Sussex.”
But it’s not all plain sailing. Anything Goes was due to run for another four months but, despite receiving rave reviews, with the downturn in the market and people prioritising their budgets, it will close after next weeks Belfast show.
Zoe is philosophical. “You just go into survival mode. Over the last number of months I haven’t been able to attend auditions and see what’s on offer so now I’ll be busy with my agent finding work in the future.”
Like most actors, Zoe multi-skills. During any ‘resting’ time she works as a teacher’s assistant in primary schools, usually one-to-one with children experiencing behavioural difficulties; at the same time she continues her dance and singing classes in London and looks after her health.
“I’ve studied nutrition,” she smiles, “I now have a blender that zaps four of my five a day so I’ve a good start to the day before leaving the house. I’ve cut out sugar, drink a lot of water and although this show is high energy I still go the gym as often as I can.”
Is appearing in front of a home audience a daunting prospect? “I know there will be lots of my friends there and family too so I’m pleased to be able to show them what we do and entertain them with great music and fun. Brilliant songs, I get a Kick Out of You, You’re the Top, Anything Goes, we guarantee you’ll go home singing.”
:: Details at www.goh.co.uk.
