Gabby's Dollhouse Live!

Elisha plays Cakey/Baby Box in the UK premiere of Gabby's Dollhouse Live! She is from Hull and trained at the Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama. Previous credits include Peppa Pig’s Fun Day Out, Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever, Peppa Pig’s My First Concert and Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom Live. She loves children's theatre, describing it as "challenging but very rewarding". She’s most excited to visit Leeds as part of Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! UK tour, as it's closeness to home and “northern audiences are always a joy”. She says the best bit about being part of the cast is “[being] able to watch all the kids sing along and dance to the live show, making memories!" We caught up with her to learn a little more.

Hi Elisha, We are excited about Gabby's Dollhouse. Can you tell us more about the stage show....

Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! is a super interactive show for children. It has a fun storyline about finding the colours of the rainbow to help build a friendship tree while meeting everyone’s favourite characters along the way around the dollhouse and solving a little challenge.

You play both Baby Box and Cakey Cat in the show. How do you find the different characters?

Both are a joy to play. Cakey is mischievous and fun and loves a sprinkle party, and Baby Box is the youngest of the group—cute, with a creative mind.

The audience, of course, knows the characters well. How easy is it to portray them accurately?

Children’s theatre is challenging but very rewarding. Like any character you’re playing, it’s about watching how they move and listening to voices to bring the characters to life in their own unique way. The children are watching their idols on stage, so you want it to be as magical and accurate as possible.

How did you get into acting/performing?

I’ve danced since I was a little girl and then went on to college and professional drama school (Midlands Academy of Dance and Drama) to train for three years in musical theatre. Performing has my heart, and when I’m on stage, it doesn’t feel like work if it’s something you love doing!

What advice would you give to someone who wants to perform like you?

Advice I would give: know your worth. It’s a tough industry with a lot of ups and downs, but never give up and keep working towards your goals—hard work always pays off :)

If you could play any other character in Gabby’s Dollhouse, who would it be?

I’d say DJ Catnip, but I’m not cool enough for that :), so Pandy would be fun to play with and go on a big adventure with Gabby.

What do you love most about meeting fans of the show?

Seeing the children’s faces light up and get so involved is priceless. But the mini mosh pit at the front of the stage when they’re all dancing is the best part for me! Then meeting some of them after the show and seeing how much of a good time they’ve had is amazing!

How does it feel knowing your work makes kids happy?

It’s a great feeling knowing you have made a child’s day. For some of them, it might be their first theatre experience, so if they can take something enjoyable away with them, then it’s a job well done.

What message do you hope audiences take away from the live show?

Friendship is key—always be kind to others and help each other out along the way.

April 14 - First Direct Arena, Leeds
April 26 - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
April 28 - Utilita Arena, Sheffield
May 1 - Utilita Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne