Leah Hill on Ebony Scrooge, Christmas traditions and what's next.

For choreographer and dancer Leah Hill, this moment is a long time coming; Ebony Scrooge at Sadler’s Wells newly opened site in East London will be her first time leading in a stage production.  

Having worked on Jon M. Chu’s Wicked Parts 1 and 2, starring the formidable Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as the Assistant Choreographer and a dancer. Hill has made a name for herself in the film and theatre world, from the Original company of Hamilton (West End) through to her upcoming projects in 2026 including Kinky Boots starring Strictly Come Dancing professional, Johannes Radebe.

ZooNation’s Ebony Scrooge is a fresh adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Choreographed by Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe (ZooNation’s Associate Artistic Director) and with original music by Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante (Boy Blue), this is truly a meeting of some of the best creatives on the scene at the minute. 

Credit: Pamela Raith

How do you prepare for work and how do you juggle multiple projects at once? 

I'm not super human or anything like that and you can only do your best and take it sort of day by day. They're sort of my mottos as things have become what I call “chaotic”, you just try and give yourself some space, air and grace and you know, try and get in front of things that you can.

When you're working on different projects that all come with different sorts of requirements, I think it's very admirable to want to show up as your best self every day. But sometimes that's not always achievable. And you know, it's really good to have people around you to sort of give you that grace and that support and recognise, “Oh, actually, Leah probably needs some sweets today. I'll just grab her some sugar to keep her going. Oh, actually, she probably needs coffee or whatever it is.” 

So I think to have people clued in like that is also really, really helpful as well to keep the team camaraderie, because then you don't also feel like you're going through things alone and you bond with people a little bit more. I think especially when you're working loads, it's important to take those things into consideration. And I do think as well, probably sleeping and fueling myself well is also a part of looking after yourself and things like that. Sleep is a big one.

How did you come aboard the Ebony Scrooge project with ZooNation? 

I think it was last year, maybe around this time last year, October, something like that. My agent said, “Oh, this audition’s come in. You've been requested to audition for a show with ZooNation.”

I've never worked with ZooNation before. I'm fully aware of them as a Company and all the shows and all of the things that they've created over the years, and I’ve been a fan and very admirable of the company members. So you know, when it came in, I was like, “I'd absolutely love to come in for that.” I didn't think anything of it, I just had surgery as well. Maybe about six weeks prior to it, I had an injury and I was still recovering. So I just thought, you know, it'd be good to get out, be seen, you know, have a lovely day and make the most of it. Because, you know, auditions, you can't guarantee things go your way. So I try not to give myself sort of any expectations, but you just go, you put your best foot forward and even if it doesn't go your way, you just try to have a nice day. 

And I've known Rhimes, maybe since I was about 14, and when I say, “know her”, I mean, know of her existence, know of her work. I'd never personally worked with her, but definitely admired from afar, and have met in some circles and watched her when I was growing up, so very much, so inspired and admired her for a very long time. 

The audition process was lovely. Really, really beautiful. I felt really stretched, I felt challenged. I felt the room was really supportive, and I was grateful to be there… We did R&D, some photo shoots, working on the character, working on the movement, and sort of me, I guess, learning and learning how ZooNation makes shows. I come from a musical theatre background, so there are some differences. But that was a part of my introduction and training.

Credit: Pamela Raith

How has working with ZooNation changed the way you work?

I think it's really important to remain a sponge in every sort of sector that I'm involved with. So absolutely, there's so much I've I've learned, and I guess a lot of details that I think I will will take away, because I think that's, I think that's a part of life, and I think in every regard, doesn't matter how many shows or things I've done or things that are on my CV, I think it's important to approach things like, what can I take away from this, and what can I learn from from this next endeavour? So yes, 100%.

Ebony Scrooge is a smaller cast than some of your previous stage and film projects, how have you liked Sadler’s Wells East?

Whether there's four people, three people, or 98,000 people, at the end of the day, the results should still be top class. I think it's very intimate. It's beautiful. It feels really raw. You know, as much as I've worked on Wicked, I've also done Hamilton, that's like, quite a big company as well. But I’m what I would call a normal girl. I'm from South London. I think it keeps you grounded. It keeps you connected. 

It may be a smaller company, but, with the members and the dancers that we have, the team is mighty. The movement is raunchy, forward and it's provocative. It's making a statement and telling a story. I think at the end of the day, that's all we get to really do, is tell these stories. So whether you're on set with 150 dancers, or we're in Sadler's Wells East in this beautiful new venue with just the 12 of us, the stakes are still the same, and the audiences deserve the same sort of feeling, you know, to be left changed, to feel something, to ask questions, to start conversations. That's the brilliance of theatre and art.

What do you hope audiences take away from Ebony Scrooge?

A taste into a different culture. I guess what Christmas can look like in different households. Because obviously everyone's set up and experiences are completely different and Christmas can mean different things to different people. An understanding or an invitation to culture, to heritage, to talk or ask questions about family and to forgive people. I think forgiveness is a big part of Ebony's journey, forgiving herself. I think they're the main things, or at least I would hope, oh and joy.

And what does Christmas look like for you and your family?

It's just me and my mum. I would actually say it's very chilled, which is probably the way that I like it. But I know for other households, it's a whole event. 

We get up, we watch films and then we start the dinner. It's just Caribbean food and dumplings, we watch another film and then we have a nap. So for me, Christmas is my mum. It's small, it's intimate.., but I have my partner now and my Christmas looks very different, it's combined with his family, there are a lot more of them than just me and my mum, so that's also been a beautiful change. 

That’s also something I'm learning doing Ebony, we aren't defined by one choice or by one mistake or by things that have happened to us in the past. You know, we have the ability to change how we feel about people, how we feel about Christmas, how we feel about food, how we feel about all of those things. So I think for me, if you'd asked me this when I was younger, I would never have been bothered. But I really love Christmas now. I think it's amazing, and you get to share it with people. It's beautiful.

And what does 2026 look like for Leah Hill? 

I'm just grateful. I'm always shocked by anything that I get to do. 

I know that that probably sounds really naive, but I don't take it lightly if opportunities come my way, because I think especially in the industry, there are so many talented people, I feel like it could be anyone. 

So, if it does land on me, I'm always like, I cannot believe this, but, yes, after I finish Ebony Scrooge, the following day I start Legally Blonde, which will tour for a year. In the midst of my rehearsal for Legally Blonde, I will start rehearsing Kinky Boots, which will be going into the Coliseum with our lovely Jojo, and then I have a lovely break that I hope will get to go away somewhere, because I haven't had a break for ages. 

So they're my next two things to look forward to in 2026 that I know of currently.

Ebony Scrooge plays at Sadler’s Wells East until 4 Jan. You can book tickets here.