Manchester born Paul-Michael Jones is currently reprising the role of Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing at the Piccadilly Theatre, having been part of the Dirty Dancing national tour cast since 2011.
Paul-Michael’s theatre credits include ‘Eddie’ in Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales); understudying and performing the roles of ‘Jake’ and ‘Adrian’ in Never Forget (UK tour); ‘Jack’ in Jack & The Beanstalk (Victoria Theatre, Halifax); We Will Rock You (Cologne) and dance captain in Fame – the Musical (European tour). He has also represented England as a Latin American and Ballroom Dancer, as one of the top two English couples, at The World Championships in Singapore.
I recently spoke to Paul-Michael about what it’s like following in the footsteps of Patrick Swayze, how he keeps his portrayal of Johnny fresh each night and the response he gets from crazy Dirty Dancing fans…
You’ve been starring in the touring production of Dirty Dancing for a few years now. Why have you been drawn back to play the role in the West End?
Because it’s the West End really! Even though I’ve been playing the role for two years now I still absolutely love it. People often ask me if I’m bored yet but I’m really not and to have the opportunity to play a leading role in the West End is amazing.
How do you keep your performance fresh each night?
Well before opening in the West End we went through a whole new rehearsal process which freshened things up. There are also a few new cast members and Charlotte (Gooch), who I performed with for the first year of the tour, has returned to play Penny which is nice and has changed things up a bit. You always find little things each night as different audiences have an impact on any performance.
When you joined the show two years ago, how did it feel to be taking on such an iconic role?
When I got the call it was equally exciting and daunting because the role is so iconic and so many people are so fond of Patrick Swayze. It was scary and took a lot of work, I studied the film and luckily I’ve had a lot of Latin American dance training which helped with the style.
Why do you think Dirty Dancing is so popular and has attracted so many fans over the years?
The soundtrack alone is amazing. Every song sounds like such a classic and hearing each song performed live every night still gives me a real buzz. Also everyone has either had or has thought about having a holiday romance, so the story and characters are very relatable to most people… especially women! People also have such fond memories of watching the film, so to be able to see it performed live is amazing.
The show has some crazy and very dedicated fans. What kind or response do you receive from audiences?
We often have audience members who know every single word and sing along the whole way through. We have also had some people who were on the front row and danced the whole way through which was hilarious! Some people followed the tour around and came to see the show at most venues which was fantastic! People always come to the stage door and say hi which is nice. It’s lovely to have that kind of following.
What are the cast like to work with? Do you have fun off-stage as well as on?
[Laughs] Yes, we do! They’re great to work with! About five or six of us have been together since the beginning, for two years now, and then some people joined last year as well as some new people who have just joined a few weeks ago. Everyone gets on great and we do a lot of things outside of work, especially when we are on tour.
What are some of your favourite shows in London at the moment?
I love Jersey Boys, I think it’s an absolutely brilliant show! I really want to see Once because I’ve heard so many good things about it. One of my favourite shows is Avenue Q but sadly it’s not on anymore!
Finally, if there is anybody who hasn’t yet seen Dirty Dancing, why should they come and see the show in the West End?
Because everyone leaves in a better mood than when they arrived! You get to see fantastic live dancing, amazing lifts, a great live band and hear your favourite songs! It is the film on stage so includes everyone’s favourite moments - it’s just a great night out!
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
Dirty Dancing runs at the Piccadilly Theatre until Saturday 22 February 2014.
Click here to book tickets.
Please visit www.dirtydancinglondon.com for further information.
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