INTERVIEW | Shawna Hamic, Unfortunate

With sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and across the UK, the critically acclaimed smash hit parody musical Unfortunate is heading to the Southwark Playhouse and on another UK tour. The musical hands over the mic to Ursula so she can finally tell her story! A new cast are at its helm, including Orange is the New Black’s Shawna Hamic. We caught up with Shawna about her exciting journey with this show..

Hey Shawna, first of all, welcome to the UK! Is there anything you are excited to do during your time here other than perform in Unfortunate?

Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to so many things. I’ve already done one of them- I attended a Wrexham Football Match at Nott’s County in Nottingham. I’m not really a ‘sportsball’ person, but I became obsessed with the team because of the documentary. It was the best time. Met some amazing people and we won! Go Red Dragons!

You’ve worked on and off Broadway as well as in TV - how does working in the theatre differ to on TV and what is your favourite element of it?

Working in theatre means you get an immediate response from an audience, you have to wait til the tv show or movie comes out to find out how you did in the grand scheme of things. As for theatre I love the way the light streams onto a stage. The coming out of the dark onto the stage into that light. And let’s be honest- it is never a bad day when you end your work day with applause. As for screen work- the magic of entering a soundstage and walking behind plywood walls only to enter the acting space and find fully formed cities and worlds. I enjoy the fast paced nature of TV/film. The way you move so quickly from one scene and then the next day you might be in another completely different time of year. Frankly- I love them both. For different reasons.

What made you gravitate towards being a part of Unfortunate as the next step in your career?

There were so many reasons, honestly. I have ALWAYS loved Ursula as a character. She’s my favourite villain and a dream role. And I’ve also loved visiting London. I would come for a long weekend or a week at a time to see some shows on the West End. Every time I visited I would say how I dreamed of having a show give me the reason to live here for some time. And then Unfortunate contacted me and asked if I’d be willing to audition. And I jumped at the chance. So many dreams/goals are all wrapped into one. Also- I have been wanting the challenge of leading a show. And here we are. All those seemingly far off dreams happening all at once.

For those who are unaware of Unfortunate, can you tell us a little bit about this show..

It is the untold story of Ursula the Sea Witch. It’s her backstory and shows what happened that shaped her into who she is. It’s bawdy and fun. It’s certainly for adults. It’s a celebration of being who you are and enjoying who you are.

How does it feel to be playing Ursula and how have you developed this character in your own way?

It feels incredible to play this iconic role. I feel like she’s a part of my deepest soul. I’ve loved the animated version since it first came out and Ursula was always my favourite of all. My goal with this production is to certainly honor the amazing Pat Carroll, but to make it my own. We’ve just started rehearsals, but I think I’m finding my way.

You are only just beginning rehearsals for this show so what are you already excited and intrigued by in its early developments?

I’m fascinated by all the incredible company members. What a lovely group of people. Truly talented. I also love puppets and while I don’t wield one myself I LOVE that there are so many in the show.

In this production, there’s also the familiar characters like Ariel, Sebastian and Triton there too. If you had to play a different character besides Ursula, who would you take on?

I’d love to see a plus-size Ariel. There is NO reason the traditional love interest can’t be plus-sized. I mean just like here in the human world - the world under the sea has all colors, shapes, & sizes too.

Which other Disney villian do you think deserves to tell their story on the stage?

I’ve always loved Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. And I’d love to see that transformation into a dragon! How cool would that be on stage?!

What can audiences expect from Unfortunate?

They can expect to have a fantastic time. They’ll laugh and hopefully leave feeling great. Having just been reminded that who you are is perfect. And that originality should be celebrated.

Finally, why should people see Unfortunate?

I think everyone should come to see Unfortunate because who doesn’t love an amazing night out?! Come, bring your gays and gals, your husband, your wife, your besties. Come have a good time. You’ll be glad you did.

Unfortunate is performing at the Southwark Playhouse from 8 Dec 2023 - 17 Feb 2024 before a UK tour. All information can be found on this website.