Joseph comes to The Mayflower (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Joseph comes to The Mayflower

8:49am Friday 27th March 2009 in

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HE REACHED the top five of television contest Any Dream Will Do, but this week Craig Chalmers will be starring as the number one man in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Craig, 27, pictured, who had never played a leading part in a musical before, said that 18 months into the show – which is running at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre until Saturday – he is enjoying the role more than ever.

He said: “There was a lot of pressure at the start. I came in right on the back of the television show, and the critics were out in force. But now I’m viewed more and more as an actor and performer, because I have survived in the role this long.

“It was quite a jump though – on the opening night I was absolutely bricking it, to put it mildly – but now it feels more like it’s my job.”

Talking about the BBC knockout competition, he said the bunch of Joseph wannabes were under a lot of pressure.

Craig added: “It was basically the hardest, most drawn-out audition you can go through.

“It’s not like a West End audition where you go and may get a call back. It’s 10,000 people, then another call back to 1,000, then 100, 50, 20 and the final 12 for the final, so the audition process is never-ending. But that’s what made it all the more satisfying to make it through to the television stage. I couldn’t believe I had beaten all those people – it was amazing!”

Not carried away by his success, the young Scot said: “You are always learning. You can’t ever be perfect at anything – there is always room for improvement, and I know I have learned a lot over the last year. And you have to go to your strengths and I have certain attributes – a certain look and vocal range that I think makes me suitable to play Joseph. Half of making a success in showbusiness is being realistic about the roles you play – I’m never going to play Valjean in Les Misérables.”

His run as Joseph finishes in August and he is keen to do more television work, especially in Scotland.

“I still find it overwhelming,” he said. “I have a fan site now and fan mail. I even get presents!”

–Lucie Richards