Hi!
I know I haven’t blogged in a while but the coursework is really building up now and I’ve barely had time to draw breath….anyway, I got the amazing opportunity to interview the actor stefan booth for the coursework my ‘web research’ journalism unit and I thought I would share the article I wrote with you 🙂 (I’m really proud of it) Hope you all like….
‘Going on tour’ some actors aspire to do it from day one, some others grow into it and get swept away with it. Whatever is said about it, this bold career move is a relentless one and not one for the faint hearted. Stefan Booth knows all about this whirlwind journey as he is currently touring with the smash hit west end musical ‘Chicago.’ On the stage he plays Billy Flynn- a corrupt lawyer, but at the stage door he is the complete opposite- taking the time to sign autographs and talk to fans. This is pleasantly surprising for someone who is touring up and down the country with more dates coming up for venues in Europe.
With every week bringing a new destination, it can sometimes be hard to get in the quality family time many of us take for granted, with being a very hands on dad, Stefan tries not to leave seeing his family for more than two weeks at a time and he says the restless nature of touring can be tough on his family, especially his two young children but he says “we get on with it- it’s something we are continually working on.” And says that “sometimes it helps when they come to me for a few days and we make a little holiday out of it”
With touring being the whirlwind it is, it is hardly surprising that a typical day on tour is quite topsy-turvy. Booth describes a typical day on tour resembling “what a normal person would consider back to front” with the day starting with time to relax with it normally ending in a show. But even with this busy routine and the thought of home, Booth wouldn’t miss it for the world saying “Playing Billy Flynn has been a lifelong ambition for me. Every time I go out in front of a live crowd the feeling I get is electric. It’s addictive.” Also the calibre of show makes the experience even more exciting, “working on an award winning show with incredible music that everyone loves coming to makes it very special to be a part of.” The audience only plays a small part in the whole touring stint, but they play a crucial part. On the 12th to the 17th of March this year, the production was at the Kings Theatre in Southsea, Portsmouth and it received great reviews. The theatre also notices the presence of a big star in their shows with the higher sales. Darren Tipper, director of marketing at the Kings Theatre said “shows like this generate a lot of feedback as Chicago is a very slick production so the feedback is always very good.” He also said that the big name stars are what will often bring in a more substantial audience.
The tour is moving fast, travelling across the UK for the rest of this year, and even hitting European soil from the 22nd to the 24th June.
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