Why Basienka loves playing the vamp

1:02pm Friday 7th December 2007

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View a trailer of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage

WHEN actress Basienka Blake tells me she's having the time of her life, it's really easy to see why. For Basienka, who was born and raised in High Wycombe, has just landed a dream role in the hit West End musical Dirty Dancing.

"When his shirt comes off, the ladies just swoon and the men start gnashing their teeth."

Basienka Blake on co-star Josef Brown, who plays Johnny Castle

The show, which recently celebrated its first anniversary at the Aldwych Theatre in London, opened to the highest advance sales in West End history and has now been seen by more than half a million people.

Dirty Dancing is based on the original 1987 film written by Eleanor Bergstein, which starred Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey.

The story revolves around 17-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman (played by Sarah Manton), who in 1963 goes on holiday with her family to Kellerman's, a fictional resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York. There she meets and falls in love with the resort's dance instructor Johnny Castle (Josef Brown), whose good looks turn more than one female patron's head, including Basienka's character, temptress Vivian Pressman.

Basienka, who attended Wycombe High School and trained as a youngster at the Chiltern Academy, has been involved with Dirty Dancing since October.

She says: "When I saw Rae Baker, the last actress who played Vivian, I just loved what she had done with the role and I didn't want to do anything radically different. At the same time I've put my own stamp on it and I'm having real fun playing the part.

"Vivian is a tiny part in the film version, but they've really expanded it for the stage. You even see Vivian get her comeuppance at the end."

Although Vivian is a "bad girl", Basienka says the role has become all the more challenging - and attractive - for it.

"Those are always the fun parts to play," says Basienka jovially. "The vamp and the bitch, I always tend to get cast in those roles and I don't know why - I'm such a nice person in real life!

"But importantly, I do get the absolutely best outfits to wear. They're all quite vampish of course, and one is a tight-fitting black dress. It's stunning and really flatters my figure."

Of the other cast members, Basienka says "people will adore" Sarah Manton, who plays Baby, while Josef Brown as Johnny "certainly won't disappoint".

She adds: "When his shirt comes off, the ladies just swoon and the men start gnashing their teeth. It's great to watch."

Aside from the tantalising dance sequences, Dirty Dancing also features all the hits from the iconic film's soundtrack, including Do You Love Me?, Hungry Eyes and the Academy award-winning Time Of My Life.

"It's the biggest amount of fun you'll have in the West End," promises Basienka. "If you've seen the film, you'll love the story already and I know it's a bit controversial to say it, but I think the stage version is even better."

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage shows at the Aldwych Theatre, London: www.dirtydancinglondon.com

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