Louisa Lytton is taking on the role of Jenny in the acclaimed supernatural thriller 2:22 A Ghost Story, but her daughter certainly won't be far from her mind.
Speaking about the pressures of becoming a new mum, the 34-year-old admits it is difficult being "pulled in lots of different directions."
But as she follows in the footsteps of Lily Allen,Jaime Winstone and Cheryl Tweedy, Louisa is also quick to credit her incredibly supportive colleagues who have helped make the transition easier.
"I do feel like things are changing, especially in the acting industry and theatre world where there are often options to job share. It’s only my experience, but there seems to be a lot more understanding around working mums and our director for 2:22 has been amazing with that,” she says.
Plus, the actress, known for playing Ruby Allen in EastEnders, loves the creative side of her job and the fact she gets to have "adult conversations again", which definitely reassures her that she's done the right thing returning to work.
However, Louisa also admits that none of it would be possible without having a supportive partner by her side – husband Ben.
Louisa and Ben were introduced by a mutual friend in 2017 when she was on tour with Grease and they have been inseparable ever since. They got engaged in 2019 and married in Tuscany last summer after Covid had twice forced them to cancel their wedding plans.
“We got there in the end!” she says.
It's clear to see though as Louisa is about to embark on a 12-week theatre tour for the upcoming show, after an extended maternity leave, she will be relying on Ben.
Her performance will mean spells away from her daughter Aura, who turns two this week, and Louisa is grappling with a conflict of feelings that most working mums will recognise.
“I’m a mixed bag of emotions,” she tells us. “It was quite a big decision to go on tour for a few months and I’m so happy to be working again. But I’m also going to miss Aura and the life I’ve known for the last two years, so I’m totally split.”
She made a brief a brief return for a five-date run of The Vagina Monologues in Cheltenham – her first time away from Aura. She missed her daughter so much that after the second show, she drove 100 miles through the night back to London to spend a few hours with her before driving back for the next evening’s performance.
“I needed to see her,” she says. “It’s hard to explain how that need feels. It’s a very physical, bodily experience. Aura was absolutely fine, having the time of her life! It was all me.
“I always wanted to be a mum, but you never know how much you can love another person until you have a baby."
2:22 A Ghost Story will tour from 1 September until 1 June 2024
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