Summer Holiday pulls into Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday (May 15), signalling the start of a six-day stay in the new city for the happiest musical around.
The hit iconic 1960’s film starring Cliff Richard is now the feel- good musical of the year, bringing music, laughter and fun to the stage as it becomes the happiest hit musical around. Ray Quinn is taking on the role of Don, famously played by Cliff Richard in the classic movie.
He heads on a fun packed boys trip in a London bus visiting Paris, The Alps, Italy and Greece, in search of a good time and a brilliant summer.
Bobby Crush, who has just been entertaining the nation in the ITV show LAst Laugh in Vegas is playing Jerry.
This is the story of their amazing Summer Holiday adventure, which is full of fun, laughter, hit songs, and of course romance, as along the way they meet and travel around Europe with a girl band and a young American pop star who is running away from home.
Summer Holiday comes with bundles of energy and lots of laughs - it is sure to put a huge smile on your face.
Ray, who shot to fame as the runner-up in ITV1’s The X Factor in 2006, has carved out a fabulous career in theatre - he talked us through a life on stage - and why you should always remember to turn your microphine off!
Tell us about your first memory of the theatre
Being told by Elsie Kelly, who directed me in the Panto in Liverpool, to get to the back of the room and that I wasn’t Peter Pan, aged 7!
And the moment when you realised the theatre was your calling
When my mum saw me play guitar aged three in front of the TV she sent me off to lessons!
Any dreadful calamities, or funny happenings on stage that you would care to share with us?
I’ve been to the toilet and left my mic on… and the audience could hear me! I’ve also flushed my mic down the loo…
Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?
Sammy Davis Jr and I’d ask him to teach me everything he knew. And I’d listen.. that man could bring everything to life.
Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?
I have to put my shoe on first! And I have my lucky ‘Bolero’ socks now from Dancing on Ice.
The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business
I was told at a young age, 'Acting is reacting. On TV act with your eyes – in theatre it’s totally different.'
What do you think has been your steepest learning curve
Dancing on Ice. I think people thought I had ice skated before but I hadn’t.
But luckily it was something I managed to get pretty good at fairly quickly.
How do you fill your spare time while on tour
Working out a lot, and we try and do cast days out – bowling, cinema etc so it’s not just the pub all the time.
When you’re on tour you spend all your time together and as you’re away from home they become your tour family.
Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?
Both can’t have one without the other – they work together for your performance
How can the future of theatre be safeguarded? What would you do to entice new blood to audiences?
I think at the moment we’ve had a lot of tough and divisive issues in the last few years. People need to have some fun as well.
Bringing back familiarity variety, moving musicals and guaranteeing people a good night out.
Now tell us about the three favourite roles your have played so far, and what makes them special.
1 Summer Holiday is the most challenging role to date: singing, dancing and acting. Everything I was trained to do.
2 Danny in Grease as it was on my bucket list of roles
3 Glen in the wedding singer was a tough guy. It was a change for me to play that role
Finally, for those yet to take a ticket to Summer Holiday, sell the show…
Summer Holiday is a great old fashioned entertainment show as it should be and today with all the difficult things happening around the world it’s an uplifting show and a place to come and it will make you smile.
I get to do all the dancing and tumbling I love doing as well as singing the songs made famous by Sir Cliff Richard.
And there is also of course a big red bus!
To book tickets for Summer Holiday click here
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