Wednesday 26 November 2008

Nina Söderquist's TV interview - a translation

I understood almost nothing of this interview apart from 'Monty Python', 'Spamalot' and 'coaching' and said so in a comment of this video in YouTube. A kind, Swedish, fellow-YouTube user (who prefers to remain anonymous) came to my rescue and offered me a rough translation. So hear it is, (almost) unedited, for all you non-Swedish-speaking-Nina-Söderquist fans:



Presenter: You never have the time to sit down and watch what you are doing.
Nina: No.. and they are not allowed to film it. So This is never seen.
Nina: That was from the premiere so I do it better now, I hope.
Presenter: You are home in Sweden for a short visit. You come home in the morning yesterday and tonight you are on stage again.
Nina: You don't have much free time. What do you do when you are free.. I try to see London. Many people visit me and I have a short and a longer tour in London that I show them.
Presenter: I don't know how many newspapers I've seen you in.. star overnight.. a new musica star is born.. How has it been during this time?
Nina: It's very breathtaking.. I have worked as a singer for over 15 years. So I'm not a rookie but this musical thing is a complete new world. I have never sung in this way before - it's totally new. A great challenge.
Presenter: And now they treat you like a star?
Nina: Yes that's London in a nutshell.
Presenter: Tell me??
Nina: I´m "the leading lady" and I have my own room and my colleagues had never been into that room before I came down. They are like that: That I´m a star there and they don't disturb me. They don't talk if I don't want to and.. It's very strange after working in Sweden.. Change clothes in the bathroom/toilette and eat cold sausage in the break.. I made pie One day and told them very firmly to come down and eat in my room during the interval. We are working together and they seemed a bit shocked but answered, "Yes, absolutely - we will." Is this how it looks. I have the largest changing room with shower and stuff so people can meet there.
Presenter: You are well paid. You have better pay than Sweden's political leader.
Nina: Haha. I don't know that, but I manage very well and the part I play is fantastic. I still pinch myself.
Presenter: But you are "a rocker" and I thought rockers were a bit disrespectful towards musicals.
Nina: No, I don't think I am disrepiteful to any kind of music genre . I have great respect.
Presenter: Did you like musical before this??
Nina: Yeeees. I hadn't seen so much but I knew that it was a very hard working profession. You work really much and I knew that... But I didn't know that it was THIS much or this fun..
Presenter: What was it that made you interested?
Nina: It was just this part, that it was so corny, crazy and much..
Presenter: Tell me about the part..
Nina: She is a diva that that really controls the show . It's a part that Eric Idle included. She really runs the show. She knows how everything shall be.. but she gets a bit grumpy there in the second act when they forget about her and she lets them know.. She is much, of everything.
Presenter: This is Monty Python. Do you like their kind of humour?
Nina: Yes.. Yes I think it is fantastic..
Presenter:There is much play with words, insinuations and things like that. Is it hard to understand and "get"?
Nina: The smallest things can be hard to get and understand if you don't have your English in total order.. but there is much funny faces and I think you get it even if your ability in the English language isn't perfect.
Presenter: Are there many Swedes in the audience?
Nina: Yes, there are so many and it's so fun.
Presenter: How do you notice that there are many Swedes?
Nina: I do a little celebration to Sweden in the middle and when I do that I get great response from the Swedes in the audience.
Nina: I have quite a lot space in my part to do it my own way.. I usually sing a bit of Abba..and other things.
Presenter: So you burst out in Abba in the middle?
Nina: Yes I do.
Presenter: Tommy Körberg and Peter Jöback get standing ovations when they enter the stage.. is it the same way for you?
Nina: Yes, it was at premier night.
Presenter: You have sung a lot of rock. What's the difference between rock and musical?
Nina: There is much more technical to sing musical..This part is for a soprano and I am an alto, so .. I don't go in and just make it.. I must have a lot of focus and "sing up" well before I enter the stage. I sleep right, I eat right.. I do everything right. You can't be sloppy.
Presenter: So you're not living the easy days?
Nina: No..This is no rockstar life!
Presenter: The part is much singing but also quite a deal of speaking lines . How have you managed the English accent?
Nina: It has worked out quite well. They have given me a lot of help. An English lady that even has taught the royal kids to speak properly. People often don't believe that I am Swedish.
Nina: I get a lot of coaching in singing, dance and everything. The lowest level must be extremely high!
Presenter: Do you think that you have progressed?
Nina: Yes. I really have to pat myself on the back. I was terrified before the premier..don't fall, don't say anything wrong. Now I can enjoy, be relaxed and have fun.
Presenter: Before this you had a band. You sang at Chartertravellocations.. company events.. and now you stand in front of 1400 people every night..
Nina: It's a great experience..

And then they are talking about the fact that she is missing Sweden.. and how she got the role through West End Star.

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