Buffy star practises magic moment for West End Debut
Buffy star Alyson Hannigan has been practising her orgasm technique for the new stage version of When Harry Met Sally, she revealed today.
The American actress is to appear opposite Luke Perry in the upcoming West End production.
In the 1989 movie, Meg Ryan memorably demonstrated to Billy Crystal how to fake an orgasm over dinner in a New York restaurant, prompting one fellow diner to say: “I’ll have what she’s having.”
Hannigan is taking over Ryan’s role and said: “I’ve been practising all the time. She’s a different person than I am so I imagine our orgasms would be slightly different. But I hope it will still be funny.”
The production opens at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket next month, with music by British jazz star Jamie Cullum.
Hannigan, 29, said she couldn’t wait to appear in the West End.
The star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the American Pie films hasn’t done any theatre work since High School but said: “The movie is one of my favourites and this was such an amazing opportunity to get to come to London. To do this in the Haymarket is the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I’m nervous but in a good way. Overcoming the nerves is another reason for me wanting to do this.”
Hannigan lives in Los Angeles with actor Alexis Denis, who appears in the Buffy spin-off Angel.
“Being away from him was the biggest drawback to the job. I’ve been offered a few things that would have taken me away from home since we got married and they were easy to turn down. But this was too good to say no to,” she said.
Perry has appeared on Broadway in the Rocky Horror Show but is best known for his role in TV series Beverly Hills 90210.
The 38-year-old, making his London stage debut, said he was not worried about comparisons between the play and the movie.
“It is in a fantastic theatre, the producers have spared no expense, Jamie Cullum is doing the music – there’s a lot of great things going into this production,” he said.
“A lot of times actors are nervous about the horrible things that may be written about them. I’ve already had a lot of horrible things written about me so that’s OK.
“If we were remaking the movie, then yes, I’d be worried. But we’re taking a new medium and making it fresh and new and accessible for the theatre, allowing the audience to see it in a different way. It’s like what you guys do with Shakespeare.”
The recent revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses is the latest casualty of the West End, closing after just a month as a result of poor reviews.
But Perry said he hoped When Harry Met Sally would have a run of at least six months.
Jamie Cullum has reworked the original score of the film and added some new compositions in collaboration with his brother, Ben.
