Image: BBC Press
By Jon Donnis
Ronni Ancona is swapping her EastEnders impressions for a real stint on Albert Square, taking on the role of Bea, an old school acquaintance of Linda Carter.
A familiar face in a leopard print top and fluffy jacket, Ronni will soon be seen outside the fictional Walford East tube station, stepping into the world she has long parodied. Despite her nervousness about meeting cast members she has impersonated over the years, she praised the EastEnders team for their brilliant sense of humour.
Ancona's career spans more than three decades, with credits ranging from Last Tango in Halifax and Penelope to Skins and The Trip. While this marks her first official appearance on Walford's streets, she is no stranger to Albert Square, having earned acclaim for her impressions of Peggy Mitchell, Sharon Watts and Kat Slater on the BAFTA-winning show The Big Impression.
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Whilst it's your first time appearing in EastEnders, you do have history with the show having impersonated some of its iconic characters in the Big Impression Show over the years. Did your connection with the show play a part in your decision to say yes to the character of Bea?
It was the very interesting and intriguing character that attracted me, and the dark humour she brought, but I have always been an admirer of EastEnders and have a great affection for the show and that does have a lot to do with my spoofs I did for Big Impression with Alistair McGowan.
What was it like to step onto the set for filming? Did it bring back memories from those earlier sketches?
It all felt rather bizarre and completely surreal. Over the years Alastair and I had filmed so many sketches deconstructing the very premise of EastEnders - from our spoof mash-up of The Truman Show and EastEnders, where the characters had no idea they were in a soap, to the "intellectual" version set in The Queen Vic, with everyone arguing passionately about early 19th-century Russian literature. We always made those sketches with real respect and affection for the show and its cast, so stepping onto the actual set for the first time was an especially strange experience. Although thinking about it I think they let us film our "EastEnders the Musical" on the outside lot, which would have been the old set.
My first scene was on the bench in the middle of Albert Square - exactly where Alastair and I had once filmed our sketch The Bench of Tears. That moment was so surreal I immediately phoned him to say, "I've just done a scene on the bench of tears," and he practically shouted, "NO WAY!" To add to the oddness, several members of the crew had worked with me years ago on Big Impression and The Sketch Show with Lee Mack, so it felt like past and present were colliding.
Filming in the Vic for the first time was unexpectedly emotional. I couldn't help remembering my impression of Peggy Mitchell - played by the much-missed Barbara Windsor - using our very sophisticated early-noughties special effects, which mostly involved me shuffling around on my knees in padded knee guards because Barbara was so much shorter than I am. I adored her, and I know she enjoyed the impression, so walking into her domain properly was a real moment.
I'll admit I was a bit nervous about meeting some of the cast I'd impersonated, but they all have a brilliant sense of humour. Jessie Wallace even did my impression of her back at me, which was hysterical. I may now have to do my impression of her impression - it could become an endless loop.
Can you tell us a little bit more about the character of Bea? How would you describe her?
Ben [Wadey] loves comedy and wanted to bring in a character who was both tragic and funny. Bea is misunderstood, and there's a touch of desperation about her. When she feels cornered, she can become rather dangerous. Deep down, she just wants to be loved and to fit in. She's the sort of person who "window-shops" other people's lives, trying to reshape herself into whoever she thinks others want her to be. In her mind, that's the only way to earn love and attention – which is, unfortunately, quite misguided.
Bea is intelligent, but she's never achieved what she hoped for, so there's an underlying frustration that her life hasn't lived up to her potential. She has shades of a Walter Mitty–type character; you're never entirely sure how much of what she says is real. She's complex, nuanced, and unusual – someone who has become convinced by her own narrative.
We first meet Bea at a school reunion – what can you tell us about Bea's relationship with Linda?
Bea was in a more senior year at school than Linda, but that didn't stop her being intimidated by her. They have both got very different perspectives on what happened at school, and initially she is very upset and slighted by that.
Lastly, what can viewers expect from this storyline?
Lots of twists and turns and lots of unexpected developments. She's a mercurial character who is witty, and charismatic, yet vulnerable as well.
