Born in Georgia in 1944, Gladys Knight began singing with her siblings at age eight, calling themselves ‘The Pips’.

The rest is history. The group opened for many R&B legends in the 1950s before heading to Motown. There started the legend that became Gladys Knight & The Pips.

Today Gladys Knight is listed on Rolling Stone’s roll of the greatest singers of all time. So it can’t be an easy job stepping into her shoes every night, can it?

Award-winning performer Hayley Ria Christian puts everything into capturing the essence and magic of her hero in Midnight Train to Georgia.

Featuring the hit songs like Baby Don’t Change Your Mind, Help Me Make It Through the Night, Try To Remember/The Way We Were, Part Time Love, Licence To Kill and her signature tune, Midnight Train To Georgia, the show prides itself on not being a tribute, but rather a faithful homage to the Empress of Soul...

Hayley, what is your background. How did you get your start in theatres?

I didn’t have a pushy showbiz mum, I think I’m the only “musical” person in my family.

When I was very young, I started singing in church and attending a local dance school.

My grandparents brought me my first piano and a saxophone, and I had an in-built love of music. I went to vocational training at the age of 16 and back then there weren’t as many roles for black artistes in theatre, so when I finished my training, I went into radio.

I worked my way up and got the chance to sing on jingles (which I still do), and from there I was able to open doors and take opportunities given to me.

You have performed all over the world, where would you say has been the most memorable show and why?

Yes, I’ve performed all over the world, but weirdly enough the most memorable performance for me was performing in my hometown of Nottingham last year.

Having been inspired whilst attending theatre performances locally as a child, it was a dream to one day return and perform on that very stage.

I got the opportunity to do just that whilst on tour with Sheridan Smith. We had performed at The Royal Albert Hall, London, the week before but being in my hometown at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham made that performance the most memorable.

When did your love for Gladys Knight begin? Were you exposed to the music at a young age?

My love of her came from my mum listening to Gladys Knight throughout my childhood.

Gladys Knight is my mum’s favourite artist and she would dance around the kitchen singing along to all her records. I believe that influence is where my love of singing came from.

When I turned 18, a radio producer who I was recording a jingle for noticed a similarity in the tones of myself and Gladys Knight that I produced vocally.

When did your ability to perform as Gladys Knight first become apparent?

I started including Gladys Knight in my solo soul set which I’ve toured with for years, and I would continuously get audience members telling me how much I sounded like Gladys Knight.

I knew that I was going to have to work extremely hard focusing on specific sounds, tones, and mannerism, if I was going to replicate a true authentic tribute.

At the time of starting this journey, I knew that my vocals weren’t mature enough in tone, but I can now hear that I have reached that iconic sound to make the vocal quality perfect.

What was the journey that led to Midnight Train To Georgia becoming a reality and playing in theatres across the UK?

I started with Soul weekenders as a solo act, which got a really good response. Since then, I’ve done some small theatre venues as a tester and they’ve gone down a storm. It’s nice to start a project, see it grow, work hard, and now reach this fantastic point!

Have you ever got to meet Gladys Knight? Do you know what she thinks of the show?

I haven’t. I’ve been close (whilst she was performing on tour), and my mum had to remind me to breathe several times as I was in awe.

I have been endorsed by both of Gladys Knights fan clubs in the USA, they love what I do, promote and support what I’m doing, and they follow me closely on social media.

A couple of her Pips and also one her musicians have also kindly “liked” some of my posts of me performing as Gladys Knight.

What would you like her opinion of the production to be?

I hope she would enjoy it. She wouldn’t have to say a word, just a thumbs up, and I’d be extremely happy. I’d like her to know this is a thank-you...an absolute tribute to her and her wonderful music, and her amazing career.

You perform all of Gladys Knight’s smash hits in the show, which one is your favourite? Oooo, that’s tricky. I’ll give you three...my all-time favourite is Part Time Lover, which I think you’d probably guess when you watch me sing it. It’s such a beautiful emotive song.

My second choice is Help Me Make It Through The Night, I barely have to sing it as I start off the first verse and then the whole audience seems to take over.

The Way We Were would be my third choice, simply because of the way Gladys Knight delivers her version.

If you could perform any hit with Gladys Knight herself, which one would it be?

First of all there would be a moment of stunned silence from me to get that opportunity, but I’d have to say (even though it’s a Dionne Warwick song) that I would chose That’s What Friends Are For. Gladys Knight performed on this song, and it’s a great feel-good song.

What can audiences expect when coming to see the show?

The Pips are famous for their dance moves, and we are very fortunate to have a West End performer and choreographer working with The Pips on their stylised movement.

The musicians are amazing and they are directed by our brilliant MD, who I’ve been very lucky to work with several times before on different projects.

It is a family, and that unity comes across on stage. I want people to leave the theatre remembering not one but several Gladys Knight songs, and hopefully connecting the memories and nostalgia which this show creates.

I’m sure there will be some people who are new to Gladys Knight’s music catalogue and I would love to welcome them, as I’m sure they will be singing Gladys Knight songs by the time they leave the theatre.

Are you looking forward to performing at the Towngate? Have you performed in Essex before?

I’ve not performed in an Essex theatre, so I am so excited to be launching the world premiere performance in Basildon.

The atmosphere is going to be amazing and I can’t wait to welcome everyone on the opening.

l Midnight Train To Georgia: A Celebration of Gladys Knight will be at the Towngate Theatre in Basildon on Saturday September 7. Tickets are £23. Visit towngatetheatre.co.uk or call the box office on 01268 205 300.