World Premiere Spotlight: Lottie Mae O’Kill Stars in Julia Donaldson’s ‘The Baddies’ at the Royal Lyceum

Right now, down at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, you’re in for a big, bad surprise thanks to ‘The Baddies’, a brand-new stage adaptation of THE BADDIES, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved 2022 book.

“The Baddies are the meanest, nastiest ghost, witch and troll in the land. They just adore being bad, and fight over who is the worst. When a little girl moves into a nearby cottage, the Baddies can’t wait to scare her out of her wits. But baddies don’t always get their way ……”

Julia Donaldson on ‘The Baddies’

Directed and choreographed byKatie Beard, and with songs by Joe Stilgoe (Zog and Zog and The Flying Doctors), The Baddies promises a laugh-out-loud musical adventure for all the family. After its premiere outing at the Lyceum ends, the show embarks on a UK-wide tour beginning in Warwick, and ending at the Brighton Theatre Royal in June 2025.

I was lucky enough to put a few questions to Lottie Mae O’Kill (Zog, UK Tour, 13 The Musical, Ambassadors) who is creating the role of ‘Mama Mouse’ for this production from Freckle Productions, and our very own Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh…

So Lottie, let’s begin at the very beginning: who are you, and what path led you to ‘The Baddies’?

Hello! I’m Lottie-Mae, I’m 22 and I’m from a small village called Horam in East Sussex.

I’m lucky to have grown up in a very creative, musical household – car rides were filled with music ranging from Shane MacGowan to Judy Garland. My mum is a florist and my dad is the lead singer of a Pogues tribute band, so I think I was always destined to do something artistic and theatrical!

As a child, I went to a local drama club called Heathfield Youth Drama. Alongside this, I had singing lessons with the lovely Philippa Poulton Smith. When I was 14 I also started taking dance and musical theatre classes at East Sussex Dance Studios. At 18 I decided to take the next big step and audition for drama school. I went on to study Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting and graduated last summer!

Where does Mama Mouse rank in your roster of characters played to date?

She is definitely up there amongst some other brilliant characters I have played over the past few years. I made my West End Debut in 13 The Musical as Patrice. It was really fun to play the awkward, comedic side of the role but I’ve also played Wendla in Spring Awakening who is the complete opposite!

I’ve played a few great roles but Mama Mouse already has a very special place in my heart. What I really enjoy is the many sides to her! She’s a multitasking, busy Mama. But she’s also very playful and creative. On top of all this, she has a theatrical, vaudeville flare. She’s certainly top of the Roster!

The Baddies Cast: Image Credit **Jess Shurte**

How does it feel to be part of a brand new adaptation of a Julia Donaldson literary treasure?

It’s very special. I, like many others, grew up reading Julia’s books! I loved reading the Gruffalo and Room on the Broom as a child. Generations have grown up with her books, and with The Baddies being one of her most recent we get to see a new, younger generation in the audience enjoying these stories- this time in a brand new stage adaptation!

Our adaptation allows us to join Julia in her world of The Baddies, and we help it come to life on stage with our own special flare. With Music and Lyrics by Joe Stilgoe, Direction and Choreography by Katie Beard, Associate Choreography by Heather Scott – Martin and Book by David Greig and Jackie Crichton – This brand new adaptation is an absolute treat to say the least! The set and costume design by Jasmine Swan is exquisite. I really cannot wait!

Has the musical surprised you at all since getting involved?

The collaboration with the creative team has been fantastic. We feel very lucky to watch the show evolve. For example, James Stirling, who plays Ghost, randomly came up with the lyric “how low can you ghost” when workshopping lyrics for the song “How To Be Bad” In this song each Baddie gets to show off their moves and teach them to the audience. His lyric has ended up in the show!

It’s not every day that you get to originate a role in a brand-new musical! So working with Freckle and the Lyceum to create Mama Mouse, The Girl and The Baddies has been such a wonderful experience.

I’m excited to see the reactions to songs like “Where I Belong” and “A Place For Everyone”, as they emulate an underlying message of the musical. These songs are about being brave, embracing who you are, and knowing that there is a place for you in this world. We all take different journeys and paths to find that place or those people. It’s really beautiful. I know that audiences will just adore the balance between the spooky, silliness and comedy, and the heartfelt, endearing moments.

How close would you say you, and your cast mates are to your characters?

There are definitely elements of our characters that we relate to individually but we also see parts of ourselves in others. They have distinct attributes, but also very humane characteristics. There’s something in each of them that the children and audience members will see and relate to (us included)! Yuki Sutton, who plays the Girl, is similar to her character; very courageous and bright. I am similar to Mama Mouse in many ways. I’m very imaginative, playful and caring. But i’m also like The Witch – a bit kooky and curious!

“It’s not every day that you get to originate a role in a brand-new musical! “

Finally, are you looking forward to being on the road with ‘The Baddies?’

Absolutely! The best things about touring is getting to see the country, inspire audiences all over, and put on a brilliant show. This will be a lot of children’s first time seeing and experiencing live theatre, so it’s really special to be a part of!

I’ve never been to Edinburgh before this, so getting to rehearse and perform here has been amazing. Everyone here is so kind and welcoming. We have many stops on tour that we are all looking forward to, like Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester!

I especially can’t wait to visit Tunbridge Wells. I grew up watching musicals at the Assembly Halls, so coming back as an actor onstage is going to be very emotional! As it’s my local theatre, a lot of my friends and family are coming to watch and I’m very excited for them to see and meet The Baddies!

Featured Image: provided by show PR.