With The Wanted, Tom Parker achieved two UK number 1s and nine Top 10 singles, not to mention four Billboard 100 singles.
The band had three platinum albums, two sold out arena tours, and shifted three million singles in America.
The Wanted are currently on hiatus while members explore various solo careers, and that's great news for Milton Keynes; Tom will be in town from August 28, starring as Danny Zuko in the classic musical Grease.
Tom talked with Total MK about life in the theatre...
Tell us about your first memory of the theatre…
I know this might sound stupid, but I didn’t go to the theatre much when I was younger, it wasn’t until I got with my fiancé that I really started going. The first show I watched was Ghost, which is weird, right? That was only four years ago, so it took me quite a while to become a thespian.
And the moment when you realised the theatre was your calling…
When the production company came and asked me and offered me a job.
Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?
Is Michael Caine classed as a stage actor? He’s done stage hasn’t he? I love Michael Caine, he’s such a great guy. I would ask him how he’s had such a long and successful career.
Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?
I have a shower every time before I go on stage, every day. It doesn’t matter if I’ve had a shower two hours before, I have a shower before I go on stage.
The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business…
Get a good lawyer. That’s the best advice I ever got.
What do you think has been your steepest learning curve?
There’s a lot of politics in the entertainment industry, and you really have to learn how to deal with it to become your true performing self.
How do you fill your spare time while on tour?
I like to produce music, I’m a producer by day.
Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?
The first show of any venue on tour is nerves, but after that excitement.
How can the future of theatre be safeguarded? What would you do to entice new blood to audiences?
I feel like theatre is a special moment in time that you can’t get from anything else. You can watch a music concert or a performance, but when you put music and acting together it creates something really special that you can’t get anywhere other than the theatre, so more people should go.
Finally, for those yet to grab a ticket to GREASE, sell the show.
It’s a really fun and energetic show, but it also has serious moments.
To book tickets to Grease click here
> Never miss leisure news in Milton Keynes - Follow us on Twitter: @thisistotalmk
And on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thisistotalmk
