An Evening with Stacey Dooley, Northampton Royal & Derngate review

Cool, calm and collected broadcaster-next-door Stacey Dooley talked frankly last night about the serendipitous start to her career - from starting out as a Luton Airport shop assistant to becoming the millennial's favourite journalist on the front line.
By The Newsroom
Published 12th Oct 2018, 15:06 BST
Updated 13th Oct 2018, 07:35 BST
Stacey Dooley engrossed fans at Thursday nights show at the Royal & Derngate.Stacey Dooley engrossed fans at Thursday nights show at the Royal & Derngate.
Stacey Dooley engrossed fans at Thursday nights show at the Royal & Derngate.

Documentary maker Stacey Dooley MBE has been commended by the Queen for her work travelling the globe and tackling hard issues such as femicide, sex for sale in Japan and the murder of hundreds of Canadian women and girls.

The 31-year-old was welcomed onto the stage on Thursday night (October 11) by an over-excited crowd at Northampton's busy Royal & Derngate before she sat down with interviewer Viv Groksop to chat feminism, Saving the Cyber Sex Girls and Second Chance Sex Offenders, over a brew.

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After leaving school at 15 and starting out as a shop assistant at Luton Airport Stacey was cherry-picked (and was almost put in the 'no pile') from a shortlist of women to make Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts in 2008 - an investigation into India's mass-produced clothing factories.

That trip to India, Stacey said, changed her life and her plans to work her way up the retail ladder changed drastically.

Stacey, who walked on stage to Spice Up Your Life, was totally engrossing all evening. If she was a guest at a dinner party she would put everyone's stories to shame.

In an evening packed with anecdotes, her warm wit, determination to get the truth and girl-next-door personality made the audience want to live her life even more.

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Video clips from her portfolio of BBC Three documentaries were played throughout the evening - showing how the broadcasters style of interviewing had evolved over the years and how she had settled into the investigative role.

The candid chat took one hour before she opened up the floor to questions from the audience who quizzed her on sustainability in fashion, Donald Trump and the patriarchy in Russia's War on Women.

Even after a jam-packed show the Strictly Come Dancing star - who was in Northampton to promote her book On the Front Line with the Women Who Fight Back - took time to sign her autograph, take videos and selfies with those who went the extra mile to greet her.

The night was thought-provoking, inspiring and taught theatre-goers the importance of open-mindedness and impartial journalism.

Stacey may not think of herself as a role model.

But there was certainly many young women and men in the audience envious of her eloquence and sheer enthusiasm for reporting.

Related topics:Luton AirportNorthamptonQueenJapan