Up to her old Trix

MARION MCMULLEN talks to Frances Barber about working with the Pet Shop Boys again after more than 20 years

- MARION MCMULLEN

Frances Barber as Billie Trix in her solo show MUSIK, pictured with mannequin of pop artist Andy Warhol

(CREDIT: CHARLIE FLINT PHOTOGRAPHY)

You first played the unforgettable Billie Trix more than two decades ago. What was it like returning to the colourful character for solo show MUSIK?

I love her so much. I never want to let her go, that’s the problem.

It started more than 20 years ago in a musical called Closer to Heaven that was written by Jonathan Harvey and the Pet Shop Boys did the music ... it got the worst reviews I have ever received in my entire life.

[Chuckles] Everybody hated it. I think it was ahead of its time, that’s the truth of it, and it was showing life in clubs and all kinds of icky drug-taking and stuff like that and the mainstream media really didn’t like it. However, it took twentysomething years for the Pet Shop Boys and Jonathan to get together with me and say, “We want to do a one-woman show for Billie Trix because we love the character so much.”

How did Billie Trix come about?

With Jonathan, I developed this stupid accent - she is an amalgamation of Marianne Faithfull and any old rock chick you have ever heard of.

The Pet Shop Boys wrote six new songs for Billie and Jonathan very cleverly wove this story about her delusions that, like Forrest Gump, she was there for any important, historic, iconic event that ever happened.

It all happened because of her and everyone stole every single idea that she ever had and that is why she is so cross. It’s just funny.