Piper tells of stage terrorBookmark and Share

Monday, 12 March 2007 - Reported by DWNP Archive

Billie Piper told today how her West End debut in Treats could have brought her close to breaking point.

In a lengthy interview for the Evening Standard, she said: "If I start to think about everything that everybody writes about me, I would probably break - I'm just trying something new and there's nothing wrong with that and, yes, it's hard.

"It's my first time on the West End stage and I've never done it before - it's hardly surprising that it's going to be really terrifying."

Piper had to miss two preview performances because of a bout of gastric flu, then the opening night was delayed, leading to various speculation.

"I was nervous and everybody was nervous . . . and then you have this hysteria. It's just frustrating more than anything," she said.

"But when the press are sat outside your stage door en masse, it's quite hard to brush off. You know, I'm pretty unflappable, but it was . . . an interesting week."

Interviewer Alison Roberts notes that, significantly, Piper paused before selecting the word "interesting".

Using the interview to scotch rumours and gossip, she said pictures that seemed to show her crying on the shoulder of estranged husband Chris Evans were, in fact, of her squinting because of the bright sun.

Piper, 24, also denied that she planned to marry Laurence Fox - her boyfriend and Treats co-star - saying: "No. I'm not even divorced yet, so that would be impossible."




FILTER: - People