RIA JONES
Quietly slipping into an empty seat in the back row of a small central London theatre, I wait eagerly for West End legend Ria Jones to begin that morning’s rehearsal. As her pianist slowly plays the first chords of a song named Old Friend, Ria follows on cue – “Love is rare, life is strange, nothing lasts, people change” – and bugger me, does she have a set of lungs on ‘er. Maybe it’s that I’m not so versed in the world of musical theatre, but the power of her voice invokes a feeling that catches me a little off guard. A couple of songs and one or two emotional awakenings later, and the team wrap for a break. This is my chance to lure Ria away for a coffee and a chat…
“That was the first time we’ve properly run through everything,” the 51-year-old tells me excitedly as we take our seats. “Because there are four of us involved in the show, [Ria stars alongside Janie Dee, Danielle Hope, and Claire Sweeney] it’s been quite a disjointed rehearsal period. We’ve all got busy lives, other jobs, dogs, children, you name it.” A Swansea native, Ria’s lived in London for over 30 years and absolutely classes herself as a “Londoner”, though Wales will always be home, home.