insideKENT Magazine Issue 82 - January 2019 | Page 24
EVENTS
WE JUST CAN’T GET
ENOUGH OF
Joe!
JOE McELDERRY STARS IN CLUB TROPICANA, THE NEW 80’S MUSICAL PREMIERING
AT THE CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY THIS JANUARY interview by Michael de Burca
It might be 10 years since Joe
McElderry, then a fresh faced 18 -
year-old, took X Factor and the nation
by storm with his chart-topping
rendition of “The Climb”, but the
enthusiasm, passion and energy that
endeared him to millions of viewers
in 2009 remains undiminished. He
positively bounces into the interview
room for our ‘usual natter’, having
already had the cast and company of
Club Tropicana, the brand new 80’s
musical in which he stars, in hysterics
with his portrayal of Garry, a Club
Rep with an eye for the outrageous
and a killer line in barbed one-liners.
“He’s camp, he’s witty, very
flamboyant and quite sassy,” laughs
the 27-year-old from South
Shields. He continues, “I’ve never
played a comedy role before but it’s
been really fun. At first I was really
nervous but I’m excited by it now.”
He thinks for a moment, then
confesses, “There’s no rules with
Garry, he’s probably me after four or
five vodkas.”
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Club Tropicana The Musical takes
audiences on a trip back to the electric
80s for a summer of love and smash-
hit classics. Set to a soundtrack of some
of the most iconic, chart-topping hits
of the 80s, the story unfolds in the
vibrant Club Tropicana Hotel, the
198 0’s answer to Love Island .
McElderry is joined by a stellar cast
including ex-Eastender Neil
McDermott, top impressionist
Kate Robbins and former
Sugababe Amelle Berrabah, making
her musical theatre debut.
Born in 1991, McElderry just missed
out on the 80s himself, nonetheless he
admits they left a massive impression
on him. “Club Tropicana has a great
story line. It’s a great fun, family-
friendly show that you can come along
to and sing-a-long to.”
Club Tropicana is just the latest in
a long line of projects to have kept
the singer busy in the decade since
winning X Factor. “It’s mad because
when I first started in the industry I
was looking for some sort of longevity.
People always used to ask us what I wanted to do and I always used to say I want
to still be doing this in 10 years time... the fact that I am is crazy.”
McElderry’s musical theatre career took off in 2015 when he was cast in the title
role of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat. “Joseph was a challenge because I was stepping into an
iconic role that lots of very famous people have become very loved for playing:
Philip Schofield, Jason Donovan, Donny Osmond and the rest. I’d seen them
and grew up with them playing Joseph so I realised the weight of the role I was
taking on.” He laughs, “I didn’t want to be the worst person to play it.”
McElderry was, and still is, aware of the stigma that comes with being discovered
on a TV talent show and was determined to prove that he was the right person
for the job. “Coming from a show like X Factor I wanted people to come to the
show and say, ‘He deserves to be in that role and isn’t there because he was in
X Factor’. I didn’t want to be one of those people just put in the job to sell tickets,
so I felt the pressure to be good and worked really hard.”
To celebrate 10 years in the business, McElderry is also writing a new album of
original songs. “I’ll definitely be doing something on stage to acknowledge 10
years, but first I’ve got Club Tropicana,” he says, gazing at the almost life-size
picture of him that adorns the poster for the production. “It’s always a very
humbling thing to see yourself on a huge poster outside a venue. I’ll never get
used to that. It makes me appreciate that not everybody gets to do what they
love and I feel lucky to have experienced that as much as I have. I feel blessed.”
The Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA
www.churchilltheatre.co.uk / 020 3285 6000