Vicky Meets: Alice Applewood, appearing as Doris Day in ‘A Day to Remember’

What can you tell us about A Day to Remember?

This is a brand new production and I take the audience on a journey through Doris Day’s life and career, using her songs to tell her story.

The show is partly inspired by her autobiography, Doris Day: Her own story by A. E Hotchner.

She had a more turbulent life than people know and, as we highlight in the show, she never understood why people saw her simply as ‘the girl next door’.

In recent years Hollywood has remembered Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and many more in iconic films and documentaries.

Doris Day was an icon in her own right and she really deserves her story to be told, what better way than to do it through her songs and interviews, so the story really is told in her own words?

So you’re not just playing the role of Doris?

I have written and produced the show as well as having the honour of playing Doris.

These songs, and this story are very special to me, I just hope I can do Doris justice.

How did you go about writing the show – what was the process?

It started with the songs. I spent time listening to her extensive repertoire, totalling over 650 tracks.

Then, to create the story, I began in-depth research into her life and work, using her biography as a basis and watching interview footage featuring Doris.

Given the one-woman format, technical aspects such as lighting cues and costume changes were carefully integrated into the script to ensure a seamless performance.

Who have you joined forces with in order to present the show?

I am very lucky to have the opportunity to create this show as part of The Chichester Fringe and I am extremely grateful that they have given me this chance now to adapt and grow the show even further.

Carol, Katie, and the team understood my vision right from the word go and have been an amazing support throughout the process.

I am very lucky to also work alongside my husband Dafydd, who works on the technical side of the show, lighting, sound, and consulting on any technical elements of the production.

I am also very grateful to Chichester College, staff and students, for providing us with the venue and technical support.

What do you hope that audiences will take away from the production?

I would like to give people in the audience a chance to learn more about her life behind the scenes and to reminisce about all the wonderful music she performed.

I also hope some new Doris Day fans can come out of this show as people see there is so much more to Doris Day than simply ‘the girl next door’.

How can we book?

A Day to Remember will be performed at The Riverside Theatre, Chichester College, at 2. 30pm on the 16th November 2023.

Tickets from www.V2tickets.co.uk.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​