Rachel Clare Chan is playing Tsubaki Sawabe in the English language premiere of Your Lie in April the Musical in the West End. She also played Sayu Yagami in Death Note the Musical in Concert in the West End

How did you first find out about this project and what was it that attracted you to do it?

I was doing Death Note the Musical at the time, playing Sayu Yagami, and at our rehearsals Frank Wildhorn (our composer) asked me if I had heard of Your Lie in April. At the time I had no idea about it but he told me that that was his newest manga/anime project and told me to watch it – so I did! And here we are just about a year later.

The source material is gorgeous, this show is a huge celebration of music, love, and the power of connection. It has so much heart in it and an incredible team has come together to create it. The cherry on top is that I get to do it alongside a cast of actors of ESEA descent, and we are making history by being here. Truly gratifying!

 

Before being cast in Your Lie in April did you have any experience of any other adaptations of the story – anime, manga or the live action movie – or were you stoked to find out there were so many versions? 

Truth be told, I was only made aware of Your Lie in April just before I was cast, but once I heard about it, I watched the anime first, then read the manga. My anime loving brothers mentioned that they grew up with it and that it was “top tier” and that was all I needed to know!

There was a concert version earlier this year in the West End that received amazing reviews – how soon did you to find out that the full version was going to open in the West End? 

Things moved pretty quickly! I think we all were crossing our fingers that we’d get to breathe life into these characters further down the line, because we fell in love with the show and our roles during the little taster we had at the concert. We are grateful that the concert had the response it had, as we wouldn’t be here without that.

Were you excited to learn that you were going to be part of the first non-studio Ghibli anime adaptation to hit the West End?

For sure! Being a part of the “first” anything is always exciting – we are breaking glass ceilings and pushing the industry in terms of ESEA representation in the West End and I’m very proud of that, more than anything.

What is the thing you love most about the character you are playing? 

Tsubaki is a strong, feisty gal with courage of steel. She’s also deeply complicated – she matures and grows so much emotionally through the show as we see her reckoning with her feelings for Kosei and how to deal with them. I love that she’s spunky in a way I could never be in real life and so front footed with her approach to life. She’s the “fiercely loyal sidekick”, and it has honestly warmed my heart so much to meet people at the stage door who tell me they see themselves in her.

Do you feel like you are at all like your character? Or do you enjoy the fact you are playing someone who is very different to yourself?

There are similarities and differences for sure! I think I bring a lot of myself to her in the show. I think people say I can be quite extroverted, like Tsubaki, but I also am an observer and will sit back to watch things from the background too. BUT, Tsubaki is a sporty gal and I couldn’t be further from that, even throwing and catching the ball on stage terrifies me haha!

Is there any pressure knowing you are playing a character who is already beloved by millions of people? 

Of course there is, you want to be able to do these well loved characters justice and be true to their original forms. It really helps going back to the source material to gather a solid base for your portrayal of the character! And it’s always so lovely when fans of the manga and anime come to see the show and tell us that we’re doing a good job with the characters they love.

Your lie in April is a wonderful story with many themes including friendship, love, and loss – does anything from the play connect with you personally? 

Definitely. There are so many tough yet beautiful moments in this show that really speak a lot to the experience of growing up in East Asian culture. I think for me the most important theme is that through leaning on friends and the power of connection, you can overcome anything. A problem shared is a problem halved.

What do think a western audience should take home with them from Your Lie in April? 

This story is incredibly universal, but I think it’s so beautiful that it’s told through this specific lens. I think everyone from all cultures can really see themselves in these characters and their journeys. I hope they also leave having gained a deeper understanding of representation in modern media and why it’s important to us.

Is there any other anime or manga you would love to see adapted into a West End musical? And are there any other characters you would love to play if that did happen? 

I’m waiting for Death Note to come back! Haha, in all seriousness, it would be cool to see something like Future Diary be adapted.

What is the best thing about this musical and why should the manga audience at home drop everything and buy tickets right now?

Well, without being biased, I think there are many beautiful and great things about this show that people will fall in love with. The music by Frank Wildhorn tells the story so lusciously and people will fall in love with that. It is a marriage of classical music with a pop rock score! Seeing my cast mates bring these characters to life so beautifully is a genuine pleasure every single night, I’d come to see all the heart they’re pouring into this gorgeous mu

You can catch Rachel as Tsubaki Sawabe in the your lie in april musical at the Harold Pinter Theatre untill september 21st https://www.haroldpintertheatre.co.uk/shows/your-lie-in-april

Also check out our review your the play here