Rebecca set to stun audiences at the Wycombe Swan as the thrilling story is brought to the stage

Daphne Du Maurier’s timeless classic book has already been transformed into an Oscar-winning film by Alfred Hitchcock and now Rebecca is coming to the stage.

Following the mysterious death of his first wife, Maxim de Winter returns to Manderley with his new young bride. Surrounded by memories of the glamorous Rebecca, the new Mrs De Winter is consumed by jealousy. She sets out to uncover the secrets of the house and a past fiercely guarded by the sinister housekeeper Mrs Danvers, but all is not what it seems in Manderley.

Alongside Tristan Sturrock as Maxim de Winter and Emily Raymond as Mrs Danvers, Imogen Sage stars as the new Mrs de Winter, but how does it feel taking on a leading role in such a timeless show?

Imogen said: “It’s very daunting playing a main role, especially as it’s such a well known story. But all you can really do is be in the moment and really get into the story and feel Mrs De Winter’s despair. There’s always so many people on stage that you sometimes forget you’re the protagonist anyway.”

The actress, who has previously starred in the theatre as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, now takes on a rather complex character in the form of Mrs de Winter.

“She is very adrift in this new life that she has moved into and I think she feels very much like she doesn’t belong. She feels very inadequate compared to her husband’s late wife.

“The show is very much about her journey though that all-consuming jealousy and eventually finding her own power. She wants to be taken seriously, but she’s still like a child in the beginning, so it’s her journey to becoming a woman.

“It’s a great story and it’s a great experience at the theatre. The journey that Mrs De Winter goes on throughout the show is wonderful. There’s lots of music and it tells a very powerful story.”

Imogen’s favourite part of the powerful story comes at the point where her character makes an incredible transformation.

 “It’s hard to describe before you see it but there’s a point where my character is totally distraught and on her knees saying to Maxim that she doesn’t expect him to love her but she wants them to start again and keep trying to work at their marriage and it’s at that point where Maxim tells her something that changes her. It’s such a brilliant scene and there’s this amazing tension but she ends up feeling closer than ever to her husband.”

Speaking before the show had begun its latest run, Imogen said she couldn’t wait to get travelling around the country.

“There’s been so much build up and now it’s all starting to feel real and it’s so exciting. We rehearsed in Bristol and now we’re in Plymouth for the first lot of shows before we move on.

The whole cast get on very well. We all warm up together in the morning. We’re all different ages but we get on really well and we’re more like a family now so it’s very exciting.”

It was the close knit feel of the company that made Imogen want to be a part of the show in the first place.

“I love how collaborative the company are in the way that they work. The ensemble was a really important part of why I wanted to be a part of this show. I wanted to be a part of it and help tell the story. It’s a very warm working environment and I'm glad to be involved.”

Imogen also says the award-winning director, Emma Rice, who is known for The Red Shoes, Don John, Brief Encounter and Tristan & Yseult, is “brilliant” to work with.

“Emma is a brilliant and she’s so wonderful to work with. She’s a very strong, intelligent woman who is very playful in the way that she works.”

Whereas lots of actors tell of how their childhood dream was to go into show business, Imogen always wanted to be behind the camera.

“I’ve wanted to be an actress more so in recent years. I originally wanted to become a film producer, from when I was about 12. But I'm not regretting my move into acting at all, I love it.”

And it’s not hard to see why Imogen loves it, as she speaks passionately about her love of performing to a live audience.  

“Performing on the stage feels quite intimate. It’s like we’re all in this room together, sharing our experiences and the audience really experience the story fully. That feeling is something you can’t get anywhere else.

“Kneehigh Theatre is something that every theatre-lover should experience. It really is where the magic of theatre comes alive. If you want a true theatre experience, this is about as theatrical as you can get.”

Rebecca is showing at the Wycombe Swan from 9 to 14 March. Tickets range from £19.50 to £29.50, available online at www.wycombeswan.co.uk or by calling the ticket office on 01494 512 000.