Hi Everyone!!!
Well who’d have thought that Blog 19 would hold such exciting news!
February 7th 2011 will be my opening night as FIYERO in the West End production of WICKED!
As some of you are aware I was in the show as an ensemble member over 3 years ago and now I shall be heading back to the Apollo Victoria theatre in Victoria to play Fiyero, so there will be plenty of opportunities for all you people who have supported me and followed anything I’ve done in my career to come and see what I can only describe as an incredibly spectacular West End smash hit which I consider myself very lucky and very proud to be returning to, to play a role that has been a huge ambition of mine since I heard the original Broadway cast soundtrack over 6 years ago.
I am thrilled that I shall be working with the wonderfully talented ladies who are playing the two lead roles, Louise Dearman as Glinda the good and Rachel Tucker as the green girl Elphaba! I’m looking forward to watching them in the show next week.
I shall still be recording my album at some point next year but it will no longer be in February as I will be busy with the show, but it will still happen and hopefully still be released next year! I’ll keep you up to date with any news on it!
So… the last time I blogged was on Saturday before what was our unofficial ‘last matinee’ of the contract and it was our last day in Derry. There were some funny subtle jokes made between the cast which made it a very fun day! My favourite, was during the smokehouse scene where I sing the song ‘Poor Judd Is Dead’ and during the song a little toy mouse was very slowly moving across the front of the stage! The audience wouldn’t have seen it (as it was behind a wooden block we have to hold all the sound cables) - just myself and Pete who I’m on stage with at that point. It was the genius work of Leon Kay in the ensemble who set it all up before the show had even started with a mouse on one side of the stage attached to a very long wire which Leon was pulling from the opposite side of stage! VERY CLEVER! We found it very amusing!
Then we finished Saturday night and said farewell to 5 company members who weren’t coming to Italy, we all had a drink in the pub then I got an early night before flying back to London early Sunday and had a productive paper work day and watched bits of Telly just chilling.
Monday I went to meet my friend Wayne for a coffee and then I found out I got the offer for Wicked so headed over to my best friends house to have a celebratory dinner!
Tuesday was a 6.45am wake up call to head to Stansted for our flight to Italy (Trieste) which was pain free travelling – although can we just all appreciate the fanfare that is played on a Ryanair flight if it arrives on time! Hilarious! If you’ve not experienced it, fly Ryan air just for the comedy value!
Trieste is absolutely stunning! We all went for a big company meal on Tuesday night which was great fun! I am throwing caution to the wind this week and eating whatever I want, and also drinking whatever I want! It feels great! Love Italian food!
The audience were lovely last night it - was a full house and this auditorium is incredible, however they were completely silent as it’s all being translated and the subtitles are projected on a number of screens around the stage! It is bizarre not to get any reaction at and sometimes they laugh before the funny line has been delivered because they read it on the screen! It’s quite challenging and took a while to get used to but we’re all just very grateful to have come here this wonderful city!
I think that’s all for today’s update! While I have been typing I’ve received more than 25 text messages from friends who have heard about Wicked via the press release (little did they know I’m in Italy and it’ll cost them more to send a text here – mwahahahaha!!!)– Thanks to anyone who is reading this who has sent a message too. I am thrilled and to receive your words of congratulations means a lot!!!
So this may be the last Blog before I perform the last show of Oklahoma!!! It’s been an incredible tour! I shall let you know how the last weekend goes and all I can say is, keeping reading if you want to follow me through Marcaroni and Christmas all the way through to Wicked where my life will become green once more! Any Wicked fans – look forward to seeing you soon!
Keep safe and keep smiling everyone!
Mark!!!
