A Cheltenham born West End actress who used to tread the boards in a role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats has become a personal trainer during lockdown.
Erica-Jayne Alden has starred alongside famous names, such as Australian actress Rebel Wilson, during her career. Now she is living in Gloucestershire and working as a personal trainer, and online acting tutor.
Erica-Jayne, 25, has been dancing since she was able to walk and laced up her first pair of tap shoes when she was just three.
The actress was a pupil at Denmark Road High School, in Gloucester, before she went on to graduate in 2016 at the Laine Threatre Arts, in London, where Victoria Beckham also trained.
She has gone on to make a name for herself in the West End and travel the world with her work.
The Cheltenham-born actress had been due to tour with the cast of Cats around Asia and come back to Europe to perform in the musical 42nd Street in Paris last Christmas – but the Covid-19 pandemic has prevented this.
Get the biggest stories from across Gloucestershire straight to your inbox
Erica-Jayne said: “I had an amazing experience working on the Cats movie. It was not long after that I was called and cast as Demeter which is a main role in Cats.
“It was one of the most exhausting shows I have worked on but I had a fantastic time being part of the show which was touring across Asia then the pandemic hit.
“Like the pandemic for most, shows were cancelled, work was stopped. I was living in London, but I took the decision to come home to stay with family in Cheltenham.”
(Image: Mark McGee)
Erica-Jayne is not one for sitting around even when working on a show. Her schedule is busy despite the pandemic, and quickly mobilised a plan to keep working by teaching online and qualifying as a personal trainer.
She said: “I have passed my exams to be a personal trainer now at F45 boutique fitness gym. I seem to have found myself to be more busy than if I had been working on the shows.
“I also work at a gym in South Cerney, along with the online acting coaching.
“I also offer dance tutorials. People are mad for knowing dance routines in Cats. One lady paid me just to learn some of the dances. It is quite a mix of who I see.”
Erica-Jayne is principle of Jodie Steel Associates, in which those who perform at the West End deliver online tutoring.
She said: “As much as I am not able to work at the moment on the shows I am really pleased to be able to say I am a qualified personal trainer.
“I am looking forward to this new role in addition to the other work that I do.”
