Dayle Hodge made his West End debut as Chip in the original London cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and has appeared in Les Misérables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Scrooge...
Currently, he's back in Jersey Boys, starring as Frankie Valli in the remarkable true story of The Four Seasons and their rise to stardom from the wrong side of the tracks.
Dayle talked theatre with Total MK...
Tell us about your first memory of the theatre…
The first show I saw was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat when I was three.
And the moment when you realised the theatre was calling?
I was doing a production of the Scarlet Pimpernel at Richmond Theatre when I was 13 and there was a big authentic number sang by the principle man and every night the feeling we got from it and the audiences’ reaction was amazing so I knew I wanted to be on stage.
Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?
Brian d’Arcy James from Broadway. I would ask him for any advice and if we could sing a duet!
Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?
I don’t have any superstitions but I do the same routine before every show. Warm up, costume, wig & make-up on, clean my teeth, go to the loo, and put the final bit of costume on then head to the stage.
The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business?
Think of everything you do like a giant buffet. Choose the bits you want and leave the bits you don’t.
What do you think has been your steepest learning curve?
That there are thousands of people out there that do what we do. It’s a very overpopulated industry and there is always someone out there desperate for a job.
How do you fill your spare time while on tour?
I don’t have a great deal of spare time as I am dance captain on the show and have to maintain it and rehearse in the understudies so it’s always a busy time.
Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?
Definitely excitement.
How can the future of theatre be safeguarded? What would you do to entice new blood to audiences?
I think stop casting celebrities because of who they are and cast someone because of their talent is key to keeping theatre going.
Now tell us about the three favourite roles you have played so far, and what makes them special.
1. Frankie Valli is by far the best role I have ever played. It was my dream role.
2. Otto Kringelein in Grand Hotel was a part I played in a show at college which I adored.
3. My first professional job was when I played Chip in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I have lots of special memories of that show.
Finally, for those yet to take a ticket to Jersey Boys, sell the show.
Jersey Boys is a gritty story of how four guys rose to fame and all the trials and tribulations on the way. It will have you hooked from the very beginning and you are guaranteed to have a great night out. You will know all the songs and the story is so gripping.
To book your seat for Jersey Boys click here
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