Kathleen Turner brings classic American tunes and fascinating anecdotes to Horsham's Capitol

The two-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Golden Globe Award winner lends her husky alto to classic tunes from the American songbook, weaving songs like ‘Let’s Fall in Love’, ‘I’d Rather be Sailing’ and many more with stories from her life and career.

Kathleen is well known for her performances in films like Romancing the Stone (1984), as well as her work on Broadway.

Her standout roles include Irene in Prizzi’s Honor (1985) and the title role in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), for which she received a best actress Oscar nomination. She was also the voice of Jessica Rabbit in the hit fantasy adventure Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988).

“I wanted to explore what I could sing and we started to find songs we loved and I felt good singing,” says Kathleen, explaining how her debut cabaret show came about.

“Then I would tell a story that the song reminded me of and eventually we just said: Why don’t we make a show? A one-woman show?”

Kathleen certainly has a wealth of behind-the-scenes tales to share.

“Like when I was shooting Peggy Sue Got Married, I flew my grandparents in on the day I was filming a scene with Peggy Sue’s grandparents, including an actor called Leon Ames, who was 83. His line was: ‘When’s it going to be? Friday or Saturday?’ and he was saying: ‘When’s it going to be? Thursday or Friday? Oh, give me another take…’

“Eventually from behind the camera I hear: ‘Oh for heaven’s sake, Friday or Saturday!’ I went, ‘Grandmommy!’ And she said: ‘Well, I’m 85. If I can retain it, why can’t he?’”

Kathleen wanted to become an actress from a young age and moved to New York as soon as she could.

“The second I finished university. My car was packed and I drove to New York that night. I was supposed to share a flat with another woman but when I got there she and her boyfriend had reconciled and he’d moved in, so I spent my first night in my car. New York was very frightening back then but when you’re 21, you’re invincible.”

Her first film was Body Heat in 1981 but Kathleen says she didn’t move to LA afterwards.

“People understand it better now with all the revelations coming out but it was a very hostile environment towards women. The way they treated women, the disrespect, the sense you were just a prop.”

Kathleen avoided being pigeonholed as simply an actress for ‘sexy’ roles and secured many memorable and diverse parts, which have included comical appearances in TV shows like Friends, Californication and The Simpsons.

“You can imagine there were endless offers for Body Heat 2, 3, 4, whatever. And I said no. If I’ve explored one thing, I have no desire to do it again. I remember an interview I did for Playboy. I showed up for the cover shoot and they had all this lingerie and I said: ‘I don’t think so!’ I’d brought an outfit I liked, which was a long skirt. I was never going to do that. I wore what I wanted to wear.”

Finding My Voice will also be at Worthing’s Connaught Theatre on Sunday, May 13 (7.30pm). Call 01903 206206.

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