Great write-up. Thanks Ochre. A woman who keeps some money for a pint is a good egg in my book

Anita, Helen and Katie would be fab people to have a night out with

I would definitely be up for that girls night out.

How much fun would that be

Anita's comment about money for a pint reminded me of our uni days, surviving off bread, value beans and pasta in order to afford to go out most nights. Priorities.

I missed this on Pixie's tweets Ochre:

https://twitter.com/PixieLott/status/722469966226698241

I'm really glad she is doing so well on the BAT tour.

Thanks for that Lou, so lovely to read the reviews and tweets, pleased for Pixie

I'm reading the book and I love it. I get lost in it every time I pick it up. Unfortunately gone are the days when I could drop everything else and spend a whole day reading or I'd finish it in that time! I can see Pixie as the perfect Holly as Truman Capote has written the character.

I must read the book! I have seen the film of course but I understand that the play is much closer to the book than the film. Pixie certainly looks the part and it seems from the reviews that she's really doing well. I'm pleased for her, she strikes me as a real perfectionist (with what my dad would call "a good work ethic"!) - continually striving to make the best of herself.

You must, honestly I would really recommend it.

Completely agree with you and she just seems to love performing and particularly her music. I can just imagine her sitting out on the fire escape with her guitar and cat as in the book, playing and singing 'in the hoarse, breaking tones of a boy's adolescent voice', show hits and 'harsh-tender wandering tunes'

I love that description! Was it you who said that the reason Pixie did Strictly was because she wanted to branch out into musical theatre? I can see her doing very well given her lovely singing voice and proven acting ability.

One thing that did surprise me was the publicity shot showing her smoking? Seemed a bit odd in this day and age although I know it is part of the iconic shot!

She attended Italia Conti and appeared in a West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in her early teens. Then of course her pop career took off in her mid teens and she describes her music as her first love. I think she did Strictly as she's always keen to branch out as a performer and add new strings to her bow if you like. I agree with you, I can see her having a successful career in theatre if she pursues that.

Yes the smoking in the publicity shot does seem outdated...it is part of the iconic image and in the book Holly is described as smoking 'an esoteric cigarette called Picayunes' so it's written for the part I guess.

I like that following Pixie's career post Strictly has led me to this book, I'm a lover of English Classics (Austen, Hardy, Shakespeare) and aside from a few works I studied for my degree haven't read much American Literature.

Love your posts Ochre Have you read The Secret History by Donna Tartt? If not then I thoroughly recommend it and sorry for going off topic!

No I haven't Lou thank you, I'll look it out. It's great to be given different recommendations

Off topic, us?!

I'm going to have to watch some Pixie and Trent dances again now we've been discussing Pixie

Georgia pictured heading to ITV for her appearance on Lorraine this morning apparently Alesha Dixon is also on this years fashion pannel.

http://www.reveal.co.uk/fashion/news...sual-cool.html

I'm guessing Alesha was on to talk about her collection for Little Black Dress? I've found a Mirror article talking about a possible Mis-Teeq reunion, she looks gorgeous in the photo. I did like her purple hair too!

Haven't listened to her new music yet, will look it up.

Found a DM article about Alesha's appearance on Lorraine. 'Mom-style jeans which were slashed at the knee to expose a mass of her toned legs', gotta love the Mail's fashion descriptions

Anyway Alesha is glowing, she has beautiful skin doesn't she . . . and those Mis-Teeq photos are a blast from the past

strictly has been a real mixed bag for some of the Eastenders stars who've appeared in it.

I think the 2 who've done the best out of it are Tara (already mentioned here a lot) and Matt Di Angelo.
Both actors found themselves in a similar situation in a way. They both played characters who weren't esp popular in the show & didnt exactly stand out in terms of either character or acting performances. Both found their profiles raised & transformed by Strictly.

For Kara she was able to launch a really successful stage career out of Strictly & got rave reviews for her ITV performance in The Sound of Music. She's an actress with a bright future ahead of her & I think if we'd just been left with the memory of Dawn Swann that wouldn't have happened. She definitely experienced the Strictly bounce.

Similarly with Matt- he'd played the pretty boy but bland & not likeable character of Dean for 2 years. Young actors & actresses who are bought in to play young "Totty" type characters are often quickly forgotten about & fade from the public eye.
Matt's Strictly performances exposed him to a non Eastenders audience & alongside Alesha he was incredibly popular that year.
After a high profile run on Strictly Matt won the role of Sean in Hustle a few months later & that ensured his career. Without the exposure he got through Strictly, would he have gotten such a high profile role?
In a way Strictly was his career launchpad even more than a quite forgettable stint in. Eastenders.

Some others haven't Received such a positive response to their Strictly appearances
Remember Gillian Taylforth on Strictly? I don't.
Natalie Cassidy & Jesse Wallace, both Eastenders stalwarts didn't shine on the show. Of the 2 Jesse's unmemorable stint is the more surprising, as she did the show after a string of TV roles in between her appearances as Kat Moon.

Louisa Lytton was high profile in series 3 but has since disappeared off the scene somewhat.

Oh Lordy, was she showcasing side boobs as well?

I love Alesha - just her laugh sets me off. She was brilliant on ITT during the last series when she was talking about Jeremy.

What a great analysis! It's a shame Louisa didn't really move on to much else - she was one of my favourites and I loved how she always voted for Emma Bunton. Kara was just lovely and I am so glad she has gone on to a successful career. (Loathed their show dance in the final though and her outfit was ghastly )

Ha ha another classic DM phrase Alesha's laugh is infectious, she's so natural.

Well I finished Breakfast At Tiffany's last night Lou and it is now an absolute favourite! It's interesting, Audrey Hepburn is so iconic in the role but now having read the book she isn't the Holly I picture at all, either in looks or the way she plays the character. As you say Pixie has made clear the play is based on the book rather than the film.

Some more quotes from the book (not giving anything away about the plot for those who haven't read it, more in relation to my musings on Pixie as Holly).

In terms of appearance, Holly's dyed hair . . . 'the ragbag colours of her boy's hair, tawny streaks, strands of albino-blond and yellow, caught the hall light . . . For all her chic thinness, she had an almost breakfast-cereal air of health, a soap and lemon cleanness, a rough pink darkening in the cheeks. Her mouth was large, her nose upturned . . . They were large eyes, a little blue, a little green, dotted with bits of brown; vari-coloured, like her hair; and, like her hair, they gave out a lively warm light.'

Her accent . . . 'even when she opens her mouth and you don't know if she's a hillbilly or an Okie or what. I still don't . . . But it took us a year to smooth out that accent,. How we did it finally, we gave her French lessons; after she could imitate French, it wasn't so long she could imitate English.'

Holly's a multi layered character, I had a look at Pixie's twitter and saw she linked this review which I found fascinating to read after just finishing the book. It sounds like not just in looks and her singing voice but also the qualities she brings out in the character would make Pixie very like the Holly in my imagination.

'Unlike Hepburn's sweet and innocent Holly, Pixie's is ambitious, headstrong and manipulative whilst strangely moving and tragic. Her American accent cleverly switches between fake movie star and country girl.'

I also see Pixie is performing in all the West End BAT shows! Really pleased for her

EDIT: Sorry that's turned in to a bit of an essay Lou

Excellent essay Ochre Yes, I can see Pixie being made for that role and I'm also very glad she's doing all the West End shows, she is the one people will want to see and those tickets cost a small fortune! I think you are spot on with your "multi layered" comment, Pixie has a depth and complexity to her which makes her made for the part.

We watched George Gently on Drama last evening and Pixie was one of the stars. She was very good but unfortunately was the victim!

Poor old Pixie! Was she good in it? I've never watched George Gently, is it worth finding on catch up?

I like it.

Set in the 1960s, and looks quite authentic I think. It stars the lovely Martin Shaw as Inspector George Gently and the excellent Lee Ingleby as his sidekick Sgt John Bacchus.

Back on the topic, I have been promising myself for ages that I would try to see Pixie in Breakfast at Tiffanys and now I have booked tickets for the end of June. Her reviews are excellent.

How exciting! Enjoy and please give us a full review.

Oooh I like Martin Shaw, I'll have to look up George Gently thank you.

Would love to read your review after you've seen Pixie in BAT StrictlyRed

Pixie has been promoting BAT in London today and sang 'Moon River' and 'Dying Day' (Youtube clips linked in article)

Some more interesting comments from Pixie on how she's approaching the role.