The star of West End musical Wicked has said the show sends a very important message about acceptance to the audience.
Emma Hatton plays Elphaba in the show, which has been nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Musical - This Morning Audience Award.
In an interview with Digital Spy, she said: "It was International Women's Day [on Sunday], we were able to support that.
"To play a female character who goes on such an incredible journey makes you look at yourself as well and to work opposite strong women - it is a real novelty and it's great and I think that's a big key as to why it does so well."
The actress believes everyone can relate to the show and her character in particular.
"She goes on quite a challenging journey, and there are elements that I'm sure most people can relate to - whether it be that they've been bullied, whether they've been on the outside looking in wanting to be accepted, whether they have gone against the majority to stand up for what they believe in - that takes a lot of courage."
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She added: "You don't have to conform, you don't have to do what everybody else does - it's a really important message."
The 2015 Olivier Awards take place on Sunday, April 12 at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
Tasha is a freelance writer for with a particular interest in the representation of women in film and TV. After graduating with a Literature degree then journalism qualifications with News Associates a few years further back than she’d like to admit, Tasha began her freelance career. She’s worked as a writer, editor and commissioning editor for a number of publications including Digital Spy. She is also a theatre critic. LinkedIn
