W W INTERVIEW
L L
AN INTERVIEW WITH DANIEL TAYLOR
Wirral Life talk to Liverpool actor, singer/songwriter
and producer, Daniel Taylor.
Liverpool born Daniel Taylor is an actor, singer/songwriter,
producer, writer extraordinaire. With over 25 years of professional
experience, from The Bill to the West End, Danny has become a
highly-respected individual within the industry for his incredible
talent and humble nature. Now a critically acclaimed best actor for
his work as Tommy Cooper, he talks to Wirral Life’s Annabel Birtles
about his inspiring life and career… just like that.
What would you do if you weren’t acting?
Before I ever thought of acting or music I wanted to be a snooker
player! Until I found out I needed glasses that is. So, instead I ended
up on a YTS (Youth Training Scheme) course in Mold and became
involved with Clwyd Youth Theatre from there. You could say I
came into the industry the wrong way around… started off in stage
management and then found myself drifting towards the stage.
One of your longest roles has been ‘Sammy’ in the musical ‘Blood
Brothers’, how does it feel to have been a part of such a well-loved
production for so long?
Blood Brothers was a big break for me. I’ve grown up with this
production and to still be a part of the show is an honour. I originally
auditioned for the part of policeman/school teacher but then got called
back for Sammy and I guess the rest is history. Within my profession
there isn’t much loyalty, so for Bill Kenwright to keep inviting me back
to be a part of such an amazing production is something I will never
be able to thank him enough for. He has helped me so much over the
years and been a massive support for me. Actually, I met my lovely
Sharon when we were both working on blood brothers! She played my
mum ‘Mrs Johnstone’, and that was 12 years ago now, it’s a great story
to tell!
How did it feel to get the opportunity to perform such an iconic role
like John Lennon?
The whole production of Lennon Through A Glass Onion was honestly
the biggest concept for me in terms of learning. As a two-man show,
the intensity of this production hit from the start. I had 31 songs
and 20 monologues to perfect and perform as one of the most iconic
musical influences that ever lived. The show centres on Lennon’s life
flashing before him in the final moments before the inevitable. We
got approval from Yoko Ono herself, and with such big publicity
surrounding the production we toured around 7 countries including
the UK, USA and Canada appearing on talk shows and performing
to thousands. Lennon was and continues to be an idol for me, so to
be given the opportunity to essentially bring his story back to life,
is a career goal and an unbelievable achievement, something I am
extremely proud of.
You have recently set up your own production company, ‘Daniel
Taylor Productions Ltd.’ How did that come about?
As actors we say you are nervous when you don’t have a script in your
hand. So, I decided, with the help of Sharon, to create our own work
– some of the most successful people I have come across within the
industry have taken the jump and produced for themselves instead of
relying on that call from their agent. It has allowed me to develop not
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only as a performer, but as a producer too. It has also meant I can be
completely content with what I am a part of. That was nearly 4 years
ago now and we are constantly growing and adapting new ideas for
new shows.
Your most successful show from ‘Daniel Taylor Productions Ltd’ has
been ‘The Tommy Cooper Show’, tell us about this
Growing up, I was always a massive fan of the late Tommy Cooper
and idolised his work. Cooper was someone I always wanted to play
so I could celebrate the journey of such an iconic entertainer. The idea
came about when local writer, Ian Carrol, wrote the original script
and we took it to Edinburgh fringe festival to earn our stripes. After
this, I then co-wrote the show, and star alongside Sharon (who plays
Tommy’s long-suffering wife Gwen – ironic!) Since we began we have
toured across the UK and haven’t had a bad review yet! It has become
a huge success and loved by everyone, we even had the approval from
the Tommy Cooper Estate and Tommy’s daughter, which was a massive
achievement for us. Just recently I was lucky enough to win the critics’
choice for best actor on stage (comedy performance) in the Break-a-leg
awards 2017 for the Tommy Cooper Show, I was over the moon that all
our hard work was recognised.
Congratulations on your award from all of us at Wirral Life! What
else can you tell us about your production company?
Following on from the success of Tommy Cooper, we wanted to
keep the company moving forward, so to do this we decided to try
something ambitious and a little different. We decided to produce
two alternative Shakespeare plays – Midsummer Nights Dream and
Romeo and Juliet. The alternate came from when I was touring in
America and I went to the 4D century theatre and became inspired by
the interaction with the audience, it was almost as if you were a part of
what was happening. So, we decided to create a show with an all-action
audience. It was our first year this year and I can honestly say it was a
great success. We were lucky enough to find such talented individuals
to be a part of the production – all local to the North West – who
helped bring our ideas to life. Again, we received 5-star reviews and
we can’t wait to return in April 2018 at the Epstein theatre, Liverpool –
tickets are on sale now on at www.epsteinliverpool.co.uk.
Would you ever move away from Liverpool now?
No, I wouldn’t. Why would I move away from the greatest City in the
world? Since the BBC moved up to Manchester everything is closer
and more accessible, so living in Liverpool means I can maintain a
quality of life whilst continuing with my work and projects. When I
was just starting out, you used to have to live in London to find work,
and living in London is great in your 20’s but as you grow up your
priorities change and being in Liverpool suits me and my family.
Do you feel it is harder for young actors now than it was when you
were starting out?
Yes definitely. I was extremely lucky because I was given a grant to
drama school (Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts) and even
they were phased out a year later. If it wasn’t for that grant I would
never been able to have trained as an actor. Nowadays, the price of