Oliver Tompsett is currently starring as Galileo in the West End production of We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. He is well known for originating the role of Drew in the West End production of Rock Of Ages and for playing Fiyero for three years in the West End production of Wicked.
His other theatre credits include: Sam in Ghost (workshop), The Royal Hunt of the Sun (National), Mamma Mia (Prince of Wales), Our House (Cambridge), Caliph in Kismet (Arcola), Harry Lytton in Over My Shoulder (Wyndham’s) and Tony in West Side Story (Canizaro Park Festival).
It was recently announced that Oliver is one of many West End stars supporting a new musical theatre radio station called Stage Door. The station will broadcast 24/7 and be presented by stars of the West End. As well as playing musical theatre songs, Stage Door will broadcast the latest theatre news, backstage gossip and interviews.
Oliver is also an accomplished singer/songwriter. He released his debut album, Sentimental Heart, in 2008 and is currently working with his brother, Ben Tompsett, on the Resolution Project. The project sees the pair release two new songs online on the first of every month. Oliver and his wife, Michelle, recently celebrated the birth of their first child, George.
Last week I spoke to Oliver about taking on the role of Galileo, his time in Rock of Ages and Wicked as well as his recording career and involvement in Stage Door.
First of all congratulations on the birth of your royal baby!
Thank you very much! He is the real King George!
How are you managing to balance life as a leading man and being a Dad?
It’s great! It’s not been too bad. We’ve been blessed because he’s a big burly baby so he’s eating well and sleeping really well so I can’t really complain. I’ve been getting up early for the past four years to walk my dog, so my days of lying in are long gone. We’ve had the most incredible support and haven’t had to buy a single piece of clothing for George because all the fans of the show and our friends have bought us so much! It’s been fantastic.
You’re currently starring as Galileo in We Will Rock You, you must be having the most amazing time?
It’s great fun! I had seen the show several times over the past ten years and seen some amazing people play the role but honestly never thought I would get to play it because I’m too tall. Thankfully over the years the part has stretched – literally. The actors have got a little taller and taller and also Brian May saw me in Rock of Ages. He told me that he didn’t think I had it in me but after seeing me play Drew he saw me in a different light - so after I had won him over they approached me and asked me if I wanted to play the role. I’m the biggest Queen fan and absolutely love the music so I’m having a lot of fun!
It must be incredible to sing those songs every night, but also very demanding?
Well Rock Of Ages was full on and I knew that I had to be in top shape in every way, especially in terms of technique. I didn’t take anything for granted and took a lot of advice from singing teachers and people who knew what they were talking about. Hopefully with all that on top of my natural singing ability I could sustain the shows. It just proves that with these huge roles in these big shows you can’t get away with anything. I mean, I can go out and have the odd drink, it’s not that, it’s the sheer volume and power which you have to sustain in these rock shows. Doing Rock Of Ages was very, very tough, but also a great training to prepare me for We Will Rock You because, in my opinion, Drew in Rock Of Ages is a slightly tougher sing than Galileo in We Will Rock You. Queen has a very distinctive sound with good technique behind it, so going into the show was great because it still pushed me but didn’t break me. I’m very lucky to have done both shows, it’s a pleasure to be part of something that you genuinely feel so proud of.
When I saw you play Galileo a few months ago I really thought you brought something new to the role, was that always your intention?
Yes, if I’m honest at first I went into the show thinking “how am I going to portray this troubled teen when I’m 6’4” and approaching 30?”. During rehearsals I found that playing him a bit more like a rebel, rather than a ‘dweeb’, worked better for me. Sometimes directors will expect you to play a role exactly the same as the person before, which, in my opinion, is when shows and characters become tired and lose their punch. But in Rock You I was able to develop the role over the first few months, I didn’t just go into the show trying to completely re-write the part.
What is it like to be part of the show, off-stage as well as on?
We Will Rock You is a beast of a show. There are so many people in the cast but myself and Scaramouche don’t encounter many other cast members throughout the show. This means you have to go out of your way to hang out with people and to say hello. Everyone is lovely and I love spending time in wardrobe village. The cast can make or break a show but I’m so lucky to be part of such a strong, friendly company. Rachel Wooding (who plays Scaramouche) and I get on like a house on fire! She really is like a sister to me which helps with our on-stage relationship. Just before we’re about to go on for a scene she’ll give me a dead arm which she finds really funny, but it kind of helps with our chemistry. We’ve actually performed in concerts together before too and I’ve always thought that our voices go well together, so to be able to perform with her on-stage every night is a dream.
Oliver as Galileo in We Will Rock You
You’re very involved with the new Stage Door radio station, what attracted you to the project?
Musicals and theatre in general are becoming increasingly popular so I think Stage Door is a great new idea and new way of reaching out to fans who love everything about theatre. I guess it’s almost like a verbal Twitter. To have programmes presented by some of the most popular stars of the West End giving all the latest inside gossip and information about what’s going on in the theatre world is very exciting and far better than the occasional blog from a performer. I mean, Elaine Paige’s Radio 2 show is shamefully stagey but obviously very popular. Stage Door will appeal to that sort of audience as well as younger fans.
How do you feel about presenting your own show?
It should be fun! When doing interviews and bits and bobs on telly over the years I’ve always felt quite relaxed and easygoing just chatting away. Obviously I’ve never presented before in my life – but you’ve got to start somewhere! And of course it’s on a subject which I know a lot about so it’s the perfect place for me to start. As long as I don’t get the 4am – 5am morning slot I’ll be fine!
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| Oliver as Fiyero in Wicked |
Well, when I was doing my research for this interview I stumbled across a video of you interviewing Kerry Ellis, I thought you were a natural!
[Laughs] Thank you very much! Oh my goodness, was that from when we were in Wicked?
Yes, she had just got back from Broadway...
I remember, I think I had literally just taken a baseball cap off my head and I have stupid floppish Fiyero hair! Actually, I’m not the kind of person who takes too much time over how I look so have the perfect face for radio!
Anyone can pledge money to help fund the radio station meaning the station really is for the fans, do you think that’s important?
Yes, I think it’s a great way of generating interest and making people feel as if they are part of it. We just need some help to give the station a kick start, after which it will be able to fund itself. I know that a lot of people involved will be working for bare minimum, if anything at all. If there’s one thing our theatre community does really well, it’s sharing the love and giving up time to make a massive difference. Just think about all the charity events which take place throughout the year such as West End Bares and Eurovision, it’s astounding to see how much effort people put in.
Imagine it’s the end of the world and you’re presenting the last ever radio show. Who would be your dream guest?
Now that’s a good question! My dream guest... would probably be... ummm... what a tough question! Who’s my idol? (Long pause) Well, the person who inspired me to go into musicals is Adam Garcia who I understudied and eventually took over from in Wicked, which was such an honour. Although I wouldn’t want to interview him because it would just go straight to his head! I mean I’m sure if it was the end of the world he would have other things to do anyway. So my answer is going to be Gary Wilmot, he’s a bit of a legend isn’t he?!
And what song would you play?
(No pause at all) Defying Gravity! Signing off with that would be very dramatic! It would be fantastic! Can you imagine? The final “Ahhhhhh” – boom – end of world, it would be epic! Although I would have to choose which version to play...
You have lots of choices...
I think I would probably have to go for Kerry Ellis and Brian May’s rock version because of my Queen connections! Although there is something special about the original soundtrack version, it’s such a fantastic arrangement so I would have to decide between the two. Maybe I would do a listener phone-in to help me decide? I mean if the world did end I wouldn’t run to my family, I wouldn’t break down, I would be at Stage Door to host that final show!
Oliver as Drew in Rock Of Ages
I couldn’t interview you without discussing Wicked, what made you stay with the show for so long?
Well Fiyero was my first big lead role when I was promoted from understudy to lead so when I was asked to stay as Fiyero for longer I was at a point in my life where I had the chance to erase any debt and to get myself in a financially strong position, plus it’s obviously a great show so I was more than happy to stay! Then the following year I was offered a different contract which meant if anything else came along that I wanted to do, I could go off and do it. It was a funny time, around the time of the Joseph programme, and we all started to notice that this world where celebrities play all the lead roles was beginning to take over. I wasn’t going to put myself out of work and I never stopped enjoying the show.
It must have been hard to leave?
When I eventually left it was a decision I made because I felt like I had done everything I could with the role and I felt that the show should have some new blood in it. It can become very tricky after three years, you try your best but eventually it can feel as if something is missing. A lot of people go into autopilot after three months but I like to think of myself as a person who will prepare and warm up properly. I always try and put myself in the correct frame of mind so I can still bring something fresh to it each night but after a couple of years that became harder. I was also leaving for a record deal which made my decision a little bit easier! Leaving Wicked was hard but it was definitely the right time to go, before I stopped enjoying it.
You are very passionate about your own music, can you tell me a little bit about the Resolution Project?
The Resolution Project is something myself and my brother are working on. After the release of our first album we wanted to work on some more stuff because it’s a passion and a hobby and we’ve been lucky enough to gather a fanbase of people who are actually interested in hearing it. During the time I was signed to Warner Brothers I obviously couldn’t do anything because I was doing things their way, which didn’t turn out to be the best way. Then I did Rock Of Ages which was so tiring that I just didn’t have the energy during the daytime to do extra recording. Since joining We Will Rock You I’ve discovered this extra little bit of strength which enables me to do extra bits and bobs and record during the day time. My brother is also in a position where he can free up a little more time so it has worked out perfectly. We decided to do things a little differently, instead of taking three weeks off work to record a whole album we decided do two songs every month so we could set aside time when we can really write something and focus on the arrangements and so on and release the album in chunks.
What differences have you noticed from releasing your music in chunks?
Hopefully doing it this way has gained more interest and given something for people to look forward to. The plan is to release two songs on the first of each month until November. We started back in June and hopefully at the end we can release some bonus material, but at the moment we’re just planning away and getting stuff done. It’s great because it means everything we write and record is current. Sometimes you write an album but the songs have expired and lost any meaning by the time you release it. For example, I recently wrote a song which was inspired by me becoming a father and, as cheesy as it is, it’s one hundred percent genuine. However, if I recorded the album six months ago and was releasing it now I would be thinking “why don’t I have a song on my album about becoming a father?” because that’s where I’m at now. It’s great to hear our music evolve and hopefully people will continue to come back for more. It keeps getting better and I think the two songs we released yesterday (1st August) are two of the strongest songs we’ve ever written.
And then how amazing if you put everything together to make a full length album, as cheesy as it sounds, it really will take people on a journey.
That’s the plan. So much has changed already so the last song could sound completely different to the first song which is what makes the whole process so interesting. It’s a different way of approaching things. It’s tricky because it’s hard to release songs on iTunes every month so we’ve been releasing it through our website which has worked so far. The interest and response we’ve had has been absolutely amazing!
Looking ahead are there any particular roles you have your eye on?
There are obviously new shows coming into the West End all the time and then there are shows which you see on Broadway and pray will transfer, like Kinky Boots which looks quite fun. But then you have to think about what you are realistically suited for casting-wise and you’ve just got to see what comes along. Miss Saigon is opening in the New Year which would be ideal for me but right now I need to focus on my family and spending time with my baby. If that means I have to stay in We Will Rock You for another six months or for longer then so be it! Sometimes in life there are more important things than just trying to get another show under your belt. I’m very happy where I am at the moment so it might be a year of the family instead of a year of the shows for me.
What are some of your favourite shows in the West End?
I think Once is incredible, The Book of Mormon is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen, I love Matilda and I’m really looking forward to seeing The Light Princess at the National. Rosalie Craig is a friend of mine, we’ve done a few workshops together and she’s just the most talented, sweetest and kindest person with the voice and looks of an angel. I hope it’s as good as the hype is making it out to be!
Finally, you have a very loyal fan base, what is it like having so much support behind you?
I’m always stunned and surprised by the support I get, Wicked and We Will Rock You have two of the biggest fan bases out of all the shows in the West End so it’s incredible to have done both. It’s never something I take for granted, I’m always grateful to see people waiting for me at stage door and I’m always surprised when they take time out to stop and say hello and give me presents for baby George. At West End Live I performed a few of my own songs and I couldn’t believe that there were so many people there who knew the words to my songs which had only been released for a few weeks. I will always be eternally grateful for people's support and I just hope they don't get bored of me as I get older!
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
andrew@westendframe.com
Click here to buy tickets to see We Will Rock You (save £27 at certain performances).
Click here to find out more about Stage Door's Indiegogo Campaign.
Click here to find out more about Stage Door's Indiegogo Campaign.
Follow Oliver on Twitter: @Ozziology
Visit www.olivertompsett.com to find out more about The Resolution Project
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