‘Once On This Island’: Rebecca Verrier On Her First Villain Role And The Spiritual Joy Of Performing
Image: Source: Hayes Theatre Co
Think The Little Mermaid meets Caribbean culture for Once On This Island, the latest musical to make its way to the Hayes Theatre as part of its already stellar 2025 season. Directed by Brittanie Shipway (the standout performer of The Pirates of Penzance), this one-act show is a powerful love story told through a sharply realised lens of class disparity and colonialism.
It’s this material that drew veteran vocalist, actor and dancer Rebecca Verrier to the project, who’s playing her first ever antagonist in the Demon of Death Papa Ge. “I’d actually had a little break from the industry, and last year I did Hairspray where I was playing one of the Dynamites,” she says to City Hub.
“After that, I was thirsty for more and my agent actually said ‘Look, there’s a show coming up and it’s called Once On This Island.’ And come on, I’m of Mauritian background, I heard the word island and googled it straight away and realised that it was exactly what I’m looking for. It’s everything that a performer could ever want.”
Indeed, this Olivier-winning musical has racked up acclaim around the world for its thrilling music and utterly unique aesthetic. It tells the tale of a young peasant girl called Ti Moune (Thalia Osegueda Santos) who saves the life of the wealthy Daniel (Alexander Tye) and becomes captivated by him. Unfortunately for the younguns, the Gods of the island upon which they reside have placed life or death stakes upon their fateful relationship.
“It’s been a real joy”
That’s where Papa Ge comes in, Rebecca’s character and debut as the villain of a production. Portraying a genderbent version of the character, Rebecca says it’s been a real joy bringing the Demon of Death to the stage.
“It’s a dream for any performer to have the opportunity to bring your own authenticity to a role,” she says. “In playing such an evil character, you get to dynamically explore different tones – every bad guy should have so many different ways of delivering a meaningful line or look with that evil intention. It’s definitely been a real joy to put my own mark on it!”
However, Rebecca also praises the creatives that have given her the space to play and explore as Pape Ge. “I have to say Brittanie, Leah Howard (choreographer) and Dylan Pollard (musical director) have been so brilliant and given me the permission to bring my own touch as well, and that doesn’t happen everywhere. Britt especially has been so detailed and you can see she’s done so much work on this. I’m really excited to bring her truths to life in this show, and my truths as well!”
But it’s not only an immaculate sense of stagecraft and incredible music that you should expect from Once On This Island, but also its critically acclaimed story and thematic depth that Rebecca describes as a buffet. “It’s worth mentioning that it’s based on Rosa Guy’s novel My Love, My Love, which itself was inspired by The Little Mermaid. It’s got this real genuine love for storytelling, and it has themes that everyone can resonate with. I think it’s gonna connect with people in different ways spiritually and culturally.”
Once On This Island promises a spiritual musical experience
“The storytelling in this show is out of this world, and it’s truly thanks to our incredible creatives. It’s amplifying the messages that we’re lucky enough to tell, and it’s paying a lot of respect to our ancestors as well, and that children are going to get a lot of hope out of us telling this tale as well.”
In her concluding recommendation for Once On This Island, Rebecca says: “I honestly think it has something for everyone, and I’m not being biased! It’s a celebration of culture and an insight into island life, and I think people are gonna take away a lot musically, spiritually or both.
“The Hayes is not gonna know what’s hit them. We haven’t even done tech yet and we’ve only done a little bit of sound, and it’s epic. I can’t give away too much, but there’s so much to appreciate. I can’t imagine anyone leaving this show without going ‘Wow, what was that?’”
Once On This Island plays at the Hayes Theatre from August 2nd – 31st. More information on The Hayes’ website.
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