As somebody who has been within the public eye for almost twenty years, since she captured the nation’s hearts on The X Issue, Diana Vickers is aware of a factor or two about how girls are judged.
‘Individuals have opinions on you on a regular basis: you’re frumpy and never fairly sufficient, otherwise you’re too sexual, or too this or too that. I nonetheless discover it taking place at this time – we will’t get it proper.’
We’re speaking about this as a result of judgment and misogyny are core topics within the 34-year-old’s newest enterprise, the hotly anticipated new musical Coven at North London’s Kiln Theatre; in an indication of the thrill round it, it has already introduced two extensions to its run earlier than even opening.
It focuses on the notorious 1612 Pendle Witch Trials in Lancashire, when eight girls, alongside two males, had been executed for witchcraft – placing a highlight on these victims who had been so brutally silenced.
Diana jumped on the probability to be in Coven, particularly as a result of she has fairly a private connection to the Trials.
‘I grew up close to Pendle Hill, and I might go up there with my dad and my sister, and he would inform us tales in regards to the ‘witches’; you might simply really feel the vitality there. And I had a good friend in school who was associated to [one of the women] Alice Nutter. It’s the heartbeat of Lancashire.’
Past that, nonetheless, she says the story has apparent common resonances due to all of the methods by which girls world wide are nonetheless condemned and denied company. ‘It appears like we’ve moved on rather a lot from the seventeenth Century however truly we actually haven’t – so many ladies don’t have a voice. [For example] we’ve got a tune known as Care that speaks to the abortion bans which were taking place in America now.’
The present may be very a lot an ensemble piece, with an all-female forged taking part in each women and men – in a reversal of the Shakespearean custom, when men-only casts performed each sexes.
In reality, Diana is starring as two members of the less-fair intercourse – Edmund, an 11-year-old boy who’s manipulated into accusing individuals, and Covell, a police officer who’s, in Diana’s phrases, ‘an absolute a**gap’. They’re components by which Diana is completely satisfied to be drawing on her comedy expertise, whereas she’s additionally relishing the bodily transformation they require.
‘I’m used to taking part in extra glamorous roles, however I’m truthfully on the level in life now the place I can not wait to get caught into one thing like this. I’ve obtained a beard, I’ve obtained a tache, I’ve a rash which I itch… I’m a bit gross, and I’m actually enthusiastic about it!’
Rising up, changing into a performer was ‘by no means not an possibility’ for Diana, she says – although as an alternative of going to drama faculty, as she was planning to, she auditioned for The X Issue and that modified every part. A contestant in 2008’s fifth sequence, when the present was at its absolute peak, she obtained to the semi-final along with her strikingly ethereal voice and barefoot performances.
Some individuals have spoken up negatively about their experiences on the present lately, however Diana ‘has numerous gratitude’ for what it did for her, even when inevitably it was not at all times enjoyable being scrutinised at an ‘age while you’re nonetheless making an attempt to determine who the hell you might be,’ she says.
‘There have been positively arduous moments,’ she provides. ‘I’m fairly robust however I’ve had so many arduous moments the place individuals have written issues about me the place they’ve not been true, or they’ve been actually harsh with their opinion.’
It’s additionally the case that it may be arduous for expertise present contestants after the primary flush of superstar dissipates, however Diana has thrived professionally by making her profession multi-faceted. She had a primary single and album following The X Issue, earlier than leaving her main label resulting from feeling ‘uncared for’, as she places it, and placing out a second LP on an indie.
However she has additionally made a reputation for herself as an actor, with latest credit together with her star flip as Gwyneth Paltrow, of all individuals, within the West Finish musical parody I Want You Properly, retelling Gwyneth’s infamous ski trial in tune and dance.
And that’s not all: she is a part of a comedy duo, Ki and Dee, alongside her good friend Chiara Hunter, whereas these days she has discovered an entire new viewers along with her gig as co-host of Metro’s Simply Between Us podcast, by which she talks candidly about love, intercourse and relationships.
It has seen her talk about topics like her determination to attempt a interval of celibacy, whereas a latest revelation a few weird encounter she had with Leonardo DiCaprio made headlines. ‘I’m not an oversharer, however I do wish to share issues, and generally I’m a bit like ‘zip it Diana’,’ she laughs.
Now, too, she’s even making a return to pop after 12 years out of the sport. This time round, her plan is to actually have enjoyable with a capital F: in August, she launched Ice Cream, a jubilantly camp electro-disco bop that she described as a ‘musical love letter to the gays and the girlies’, whereas October 31 sees the discharge of a follow-up single, Fairly Boys.
As she describes it, it’s ‘an actual banger’, with a video by which she is channelling her ‘inside Sharon Stone in Fundamental Intuition – unapologetic and utterly in management.’
Does that replicate the place she is in her life proper now, I ponder? ‘I believe so,’ she says.
‘I wouldn’t wish to be every other age than I’m now. I simply really feel like I’m essentially the most assured I ever have been in myself, my skill, my expertise, my seems and my sexuality, and as a girl.’
One factor appears clear: having come up by the leisure trade machine, Diana is now firmly taking part in by her personal guidelines.
Coven is at London’s Kiln Theatre from at this time (Friday, October 31) till January 17 2026, kilntheatre.com.
Fairly Boys is out now.
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