Stage: Carol Harrison talks about the Small Faces & the music that defined Mod culture

Writer, producer and one of its stars, Carol Harrison has created a hit musical, a story of sex and drugs and of course rock & roll. Carol explains, All Or Nothing is deeply personal, thanks to her long-term friendship with The Small Faces lead singer, the late Steve Marriott.

“My aunt lived two streets away from his mum, my cousin knew him, and another cousin was in a band with him. He came round to our house when I was eight years old and he was just this amazing bundle of effervescence and talent. I had a bit of a crush on him. I loved the music, I loved their humour, and they were just Mod like me. You know what they say. Once a Mod, always a Mod. I also learned about their amazing rock n roll story and I thought it was an amazing tale. 
“I have never written a musical before. I like musicals but I didn’t want to write something that was just an excuse to play a song. I had to break down a lot of theatrical conventions with a show but I have always broken rules. People said it should be fluffier or have someone from The X Factor playing Steve but my response was ‘over my dead body.”

“ I had to break down a lot of theatrical conventions ”

Carol has enjoyed an incredible career. She was a founding member of the renowned Half Moon Theatre, joined the Royal National Theatre Company to work with the legendary Arthur Miller in Death Of A Salesman, as well as productions at London’s Royal Court Theatre and the Liverpool Playhouse.

Carol also enjoyed a strong TV career appearing in a range of programmes including Kavanagh QC, Perfect Scoundrels, and London’s Burning. Arguably her two best new small-screen roles were Louise Raymond who enjoyed a fiery relationship with son-in-law Grant Mitchell in EastEnders, and the incorrigible Gloria in Brushstrokes.

“For me, producing is very new. There are so many things I have to do in the day. I have to bring in people, plan the tour, do re-writes of the script and marketing. There is then a moment where I have to say I am now an actor and it is quite tough to get to a point where I have to think let’s get into character and play Steve Marriott’s mum.
“Having said that, this is very special because All Or Nothing is my vision. It is live. It is great when people say thank you, it makes me feel that I have really achieved something.”

Mod or not, Itchycoo Park is not the place to be to catch All Or Nothing. It is the Theatre Royal Brighton.

All Or Nothing
Theatre Royal Brighton
Until Saturday 15 July
www.atgtickets.com/brighton
0844 871 7650