INTERVIEW: Not just any dream will do, says Craig
FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Jason Donovan, Donny Osmond and Philip Schofield is a daunting task – but one which Craig Chalmers is revelling in.
Having impressed theatre impresario Bill Kenwright during his stint on BBC's Any Dream will Do in 2007, Scottish-born Craig won the lead role in the touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Since then, the 27-year-old, who finished in the top five in the TV show, has received rave reviews up and down the country and audiences in the High Peak will get to see what all the fuss is about next week as the show hits Buxton Opera House.
Its all a far cry from Craig's early jobs as a cabaret star and ladies night compere, as he explains: "Obviously I was delighted to get into the finals of Any Dream Will Do," Craig told the Advertiser. "I've been doing it for nearly two years now and it has been a huge success. I am still enjoying it and have recently extended my contract to January 2010.
"I think Bill (Kenwright) saw the potential in me to be able to cope with the tremendous amount of work because it is very, very demanding. We are doing 12 shows a week all around the country.
"Because it is such a coveted iconic role – Jason Donovan, Philip Schofield and Donny Osmond's are big shoes to fill – it does add a little bit of pressure but we are in an industry where we have to cope with pressure."
His appearance on Any Dream Will Do was not Craig's first experience of reality TV shows. In 2003, he reached the live finals of ITV's Pop Idol. So what made him want to go through the nerve-wracking and difficult process again?
"I got into the finals of Pop Idol and it didn't quite work out," he said. "I was actually debating whether or not to go for it (Any Dream Will Do) because you put yourself at the mercy of everyone, the judging panel, the public, the media who say this and that about you.
"But I really felt that Joseph was something I could do so I just went for it."
Does Craig have any advice for anything thinking of seeing the show in Buxton?
"It's amazing how wide the range of people who enjoy the show is," he said. "People come up to me, dads, guys who have been dragged along by their girlfriends, and say they didn't think they were going to but they thoroughly enjoyed it.
"It's nice to bring a bit of the West End to people around the country."
Joseph runs at Buxton Opera House from Monday, June 22 to Saturday, June 27 with performance times varying.
Tickets are available from the Box Office on 0845 1272190 or online at www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk.
* Craig will not be appearing on Wednesday 2pm or Saturday 2pm.
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Weather for Buxton
Thursday 24 May 2012
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