INTERVIEW - Lee Mead in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Lee Mead as Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Credit Alastair Muir

LEE Mead became a household name in 2007 when he won the BBC TV show, Any Dream Will Do. It secured him the title role in the West End revival of the Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice classic, Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat winning critical acclaim for his performance and an army of fans along the way.

Since then the 35-year-old's star has been in the ascendant - he's had lead roles in several West End musicals including Wicked, has released four solo albums and has won legions of fans as Lofty in the BBC's long running medical drama Casualty.

He's currently on a year-long sabbatical from the show to take on what he describes as his "dream job" of Caractacus Potts in the musical version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The production is coming to the New Wimbledon Theatre next week and in a chat between shows he tells me he can't wait.

"It's also so much fun and to work with such a brilliant cast and go to some great places on the tour is fantastic," he says.

"I love the theatre in Wimbledon - it's such a great venue and the town and the Common are lovely so I'm really pleased to be back here.

"Caractacus is such a great part and by far the biggest role I've ever done," he adds enthusiastically.

"I saw the film as a kid and loved it and so to be playing Potts, well it's just a dream, although it's exhausting - every night I come off stage absolutely soaked!

"It's a real work out and I've lost over a stone in weight."

Despite these assertions, Lee positively brims with enthusiasm for the role and if he's tired, he certainly doesn't sound it.

It's also second time lucky for him in getting the role after missing out in 2002 to be cover for one Michael Ball.

"It was an open audition and I really wanted it but I am not a dancer," he explains. "To be the cover and understudy you have to able to dance and although I could act and sing, I couldn't pick up the dance routine so I didn't get through.

"But now after three hours a day of practice over four weeks with choreographer Stephen Mear, I've managed to do it and can now do The Old Bamboo which is incredibly intricate so a real personal achievement for me. "

It's not just the dancing that Lee is enthusiastic about though. The whole story is one he loves and he says he feels an affinity to his alter ego.

"When it was offered to me it was a no brainer," he says. "The story is brilliant, the set is stunning, the songs are beautiful with a real mix from ballads to up tempo ones and the characters are fantastic.

"Caractacus is a joy to play so to have a chance to play him at this time in my career is wonderful. I'm 35, a single dad with a six year old daughter so I can relate to him on so many levels.

"This is a man who is a grafter and the relationship he has with his kids is the most important thing to him.

"But then he meets Truly and although there is a class difference and it starts of as quite a fiery relationship, you see them find common ground and their relationship grow.

"One of my favourite songs in the show is Hushabye Mountain - it's ultimately about the relationship with his kids but it's also the point at which he decides at that moment to move forward and allow himself a chance at finding happiness."

The role was made famous in the film by Dick Van Dyke and although there may be comparisons, Lee says he's making the part his own.

"I've definitely put my own stamp on him," he says. "Dick Van Dyke was of course terrific as Potts and although I'm sure some people will compare us, I've made him completely me and tried not to think about how and what he did.

"I've made Potts sincere, a man who loves his family but who is guarded because he's a widow - there is clearly a lot of pain there."

Lee speaks with genuine affection for the role and throughout our chat he is honest, open, friendly and down to earth. In fact, one of the nicest men you could possibly speak to.

And his down to earth attitude is no façade as he tells me he has kept his feet very firmly on the ground since he won Any Dream Will Do. In fact he remains very humble and modest.

"I take my job really seriously and try and have fun in each job I do, but I don't take the business seriously," he says. "It's not saving lives or brain surgery - that's pressure!

"I'm just a normal lad who was out of work for a long time before I got this break. I wanted to play football for Chelsea but realised quite quickly I wasn't very good as I was always the substitute.

"I was 18 when I started out, after having done school productions. I started out at the bottom, working on a cruise ship for £150 a week. I had the best time, got paid and kept going, working hard and trying to improve. It made me appreciate what came next for me."

And happily since his break he's been in regular work and has a schedule for the next year that would make lesser mortals weep - with the long Chitty tour, panto at Christmas at the Palladium, plus working on a fifth album and going back to Casualty.

"It appears as though I'm busy but it's like this for most dads," he laughs. "My dad did 80 hours a week and most of my friends do 12 hour days as very few of us are able to do less.

"I'm lucky though as I get time off between jobs so I can spend time with my daughter. However although it's been an amazing 10 years, I will and can never take it for granted.

"The whole glamour of the business isn't real - what's real is going home to my kid, having a cup of tea and being with family and friends - just like Potts."

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is on at the New Wimbledon Theatre from Wednesday July 20 until Saturday, July 30. Visit www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre or call the box office on 0844 871 7646 for full listings.

Milton Jones at Balham Comedy Festival, Friday, July 8

IT'S fair to say the last few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster in the political world. So thank goodness then that some light relief can be had down at the Balham Comedy Festival.

The annual, and now well established, event opens tonight for a 10 day run at the Bedford Pub and kicks off with the king of the one liners, Milton Jones.

And in a chat ahead of the gig the South London gag meister tells me that he's looking forward to coming back to bring his own brand of eccentric and surreal comedy to the festival.

"I love the festival because it's such fun to do and so well run," he says warmly. "The Banana Cabaret, which they do here on Friday and Saturday nights, was the first to offer me a 20-minute set back when I first started out in comedy so I've always loved being here.

"It's also nice to catch up with comedy friends and to open proceedings is great so I'm really looking forward to it.

"There is a real intimacy to it which I love because you can interact with the audience as they are so close.

"Sometimes when I'm doing a tour, I go to places like civic centres which is like performing in a corridor. You can't hear the heckles at the back and there isn't that interaction.

"So I love the Bedford and this year I'm in the Round Room which is slightly Shakespearean in that it's like a tiny version of the Globe Theatre. You've got the audience on all levels making it an ideal venue.

"In fact I'd love a chance at performing a gig at the Globe though am not sure they'd be up for comedy...." he muses.

For the gig he promises a mix of his one liners as well as anecdotes and stories which have featured in various guises in previous tours. There will also be music, his trademark vibrant and colourful shirts and a few props including his overhead projector.

"I did a big tour last year and have another one coming up next year so I'm in a somewhat weird state of being in a transition between shows," he says.

"I'm trying to work on a new type of show that's more about lots of little stories rather than one big one that flows through the act.

"So there will be brand new stuff as well as a few old gags which I'm trying to doctor to bring them up to date and relevant to today.

"I try not to call it a mish mash but more like a selection box of highlights!"

As an example he tells me he will be updating his flag routine that was a feature of his last tour and in which he's been able to change in light of the Brexit vote.

However, as he's known for not normally touching on political stuff in his act is this a new departure for him and something we will see more of?

"Comedians do look at the news and try and find something from it for their shows but political stuff has never been my thing," he says.

"But I think with all that's been going on over the past two weeks you can't really ignore it. It's been larger than life and quite hard to exaggerate what's happened which has been seismic and people are confused and shocked by it.

"I always thought the result would be close but I think especially in London there has been a real sense of shock as most of us wanted to remain.

"It has been very strange and a huge deal - people suddenly felt insecure about the future and in need of a hug because it meant something.

"However, I did a show in Bristol last weekend and the audience was glad to get together but didn't want to talk about politics as that's all they've been doing for ages and just the mention of Boris Johnson or Michael Gove and they were 'oh no...!' and shut off.

"Besides, there's always plenty of stuff in my act to allow me to stay away from politics as a rule."

And he hopes that as an antedote to all things Brexit, the Balham audience will be up for some light relief and having a chat about other things - and says he doesn't mind the hecklers.

"I don't mind hecklers as they don't tend to be aggressive," he says. "Mostly they are just trying to be helpful so it's fairly straightforward.

"The hardest thing to deal with is doing a show at a festival and suddenly a baby in the audience starts crying. You can't attack a baby on any level so they are definitely the worst hecklers," he jokes.

"Fortunately it's only happened a handful of times and I'm sure there won't be anything like that at Balham so it will be great."

"Besides I think people now want to get out and escape for a bit and comedy is one great way of doing that so I hope the Festival lifts all our spirits."

Milton Jones will be at the Balham Comedy Festival, Bedford Pub on Friday, July 8. Visit www.balhamcomedyfestival.com for full listings.

INTERVIEW with Gerard McCarthy who stars in Stalking The Bogeyman at the Southwark Playhouse

Gerard McCarthy in rehearsals. Photo credit Pamela Raith

HE played a policeman in BBC 2's BAFTA nominated drama The Fall, has performed at The Globe, Penge's Bridge House Theatre and in numerous West End productions, not to mention his award-winning performance as Kris Fisher in Hollyoaks.

But now Gerard McCarthy is taking on what he says has been one of the most demanding and scary roles of his career.

The Belfast-born actor is making his debut at the Southwark Playhouse in Stalking The Bogeyman, the extraordinary true story of award-winning journalist David Holthouse's secret plot to murder the man who raped him when he was seven years old.

It opens at the Newington Causeway theatre next Wednesday for a four week run and Gerard admits it took some persuading for him to sign up to it.

"It's an incredible play but I took one look at the script, read it and said no way," he tells me in a chat during a break from rehearsals.

"It is really intense - a 90 minute straight through play which tells the true story of David Holthouse and how his life changed after he was raped by a childhood friend when he was just seven years old.

"So it's not for the fainthearted and it did take me a while and a few readings before I was able to say yes to it.

"David and I have nothing in common and nothing like this has ever happened to me so I couldn't relate to what he had gone through so it's a massive stretch and which is why I said no initially.

"It's such a huge role - I play him from age seven and then through his teenage years, into his 20s to when he realises this guy messed up his life and then thinking about how he could kill him. So it's just huge and to be honest I didn't think I could do it.

"But then I saw a documentary about David Bowie and he said that you need to break out of your comfort zone and always challenge yourself and something just clicked."

So, Gerard re-read the script and took the plunge but admits it was a daunting prospect and at times emotionally exhausting.

"It's still scary and huge but I knew I should do it," he says. “But it's also a massive responsibility not just to David and other victims of sexual abuse, but to tell David's story - which isn't a one in a million as it happens to kids all over the place - in a responsible way.

"The incident itself happens 10 minutes into the play and while you don't see it, the audience is taken on a journey to see how that night went on to affect the rest of David's life, the decisions he made and how he deals with it in his mind.

“It’s a compelling and incredible piece of writing. And of course it's amazing for it to be staged at the Southwark Playhouse, a theatre which I have wanted to work at for a while."

To help them in the play, Gerard says he and the cast have been working with counsellors and others who work with victims of sexual abuse and he says the stats are “gobsmacking".

“This happened to him when he was seven and the man who did this was 17 at the time, a family friend, a grade A student and David idolised him,” he says.

"Yet, he did this, telling David he mustn’t tell his parents because if he did they would hate him and that the Bogeyman would get him.

“I have spent so much time trying to imagine what that might be like and why would a seven year old believe his parents would hate him if he said anything. Kids don't even know what sex is at that age let alone what's just happened and because he's physically hurt and in pain I can only imagine what he was going through.

"The counsellors have given figures for the numbers of children who are sexually abused at the hands of people they know and it stunned us all," he adds.

"I went home and as I sat on the tube I looked around and thought about how many I was with on that train who that could have happened to.

"It has made me much more aware but also incredibly protective of my own two year old nephew, and so to some extent I can see why David felt he had no option but to kill the man who had done this.

“I can only imagine that you would just want to know why, why did that person do that to me and what did I do to deserve it. I suppose you can't process it or have closure if you don't understand it. And I am sure it's no coincidence that his career as a journalist and the fact he's adamant he will not have children of his own are a result of what happened to him.

“During the play David goes through every possible scenario in his head. He stops speaking to this man, moves away and then there is a sort of moment of enlightenment where he has an idea this guy might be out raping other children and he feels the only way to put a stop to it is to kill him.

“So he stalks him for a year, learns his daily routine, buys a gun and remodels it so the bullets aren't traceable and buys a gun silencer. However the night before he was going to do it his parents turn up with his childhood diary which they have read and ask if it is all true.”

Gerard says you will have to come to see the production to find out what happens next and whether or not David actually commits the act but he says it's powerful and hard hitting.

And despite the somewhat grim and dark subject matter Gerard says he believes passionately that it is a play people should see, if only to encourage other victims to come forward and have a voice.

"I hope very much, and think it will be the case, that those who come to see the play will be moved and will go out into the bar afterwards and start having a discussion about what they have just seen," he says.

"I should think there will be a lot of arguments about whether David was right to do what he did, or think the way he did as well as what our response should be.

"And if it encourages more victims to come forward and know that they will be believed then that will be a massive step forward."

Stalking the Bogeyman is on at the Southwark Playhouse, Newington Causeway, from Wednesday, July 13 until Saturday, August 6. Tickets cost £20. Visit www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk or call the box office on 020 7407 0234.

Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies, Imperial War Museum

IN the 100th anniversary year of the release of The Battle of the Somme film, it is perhaps fitting and certainly timely for an exhibition that looks at and examines how wars of the past 100 years have provided inspiration to film and documentary makers.

Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies, which has just opened at the Imperial War Museum, is an interactive and immersive exhibition which goes behind the scenes of some of the war films that have captured the imagination of audiences across the generations.

Featuring some of the most celebrated and provocative war movies from the past 100 years, it shows how film-makers have used war’s inherent drama to translate stories of love and loss, fear and courage, triumph and tragedy into blockbusters for the big screen.

Alongside 200 items including a combination of film clips, costumes, props, scripts, sketches and designs, the IWM opens up its own extensive collections to bring original archival material and artefacts to new audiences.

Accompanied by immersive audio-visual installations, the exhibition will explore the film-making process and how war movies have shaped popular perception of conflicts.

It will also include items from iconic films such as The Dam Busters, Where Eagles Dare, Apocalypse Now, Battle of Britain, Das Boot, Casablanca, Jarhead, Atonement and War Horse.

It has been put together by historian and curator Laura Clouting who says that it has proved a fascinating subject to bring to the museum’s visitors.

“IWM has wanted to go back to look at the subject of war films for a while,” she says. “We felt it was important because the cinema is one of the main ways of getting a visual impression of what war can be like.

“What this exhibition does is explore the enduring fascination of war on the big screen, and why film makers have been inspired to make such movies and how these stories have influenced our understanding of war.

“It has been a fascinating process putting it all together and delving into the archives here at the IWM to bring out some items which we don’t normally see. It represents a unique opportunity to see these items which as well as our own include props and costumes from other organisations.

“What was important when creating the exhibition was to make sure there is a real mix and breadth to it - so it features the impact of documentary film such as the Battle of the Somme film as well as blockbuster Hollywood films.

“In 1916 the Battle of the Somme film was put together for audiences who did not know what was going on in the front. It is important to remember that cinema was very new during the First World War and people were desperate for news. They had been used to getting it through newspapers but film became a way of getting a sense of what their loved ones were going through. It was an important way of understanding what it’s all about to live through war.

“The equipment they used was very heavy and they had to go to a position of safety to shoot it. In fact some of the scenes were recreated elsewhere, but it was an incredibly important film and really paved the way for what has come since."

There are five sections which make up the exhibition - Introduction: the war film genre; Inspiration: why are war films made? Making a film: how do film makers bring stories of war to life? Release and reception: what impact do war films leave? and Finale: through a montage of final scenes and endings drawn from films across the century, this section shows how film-makers put an end to their war stories.

All of them explore how war has proved a profoundly compelling subject since the earliest days of cinema.

And while many might think that war films are just about the battles, it provides a chance to prove that this is not the case - and in fact that war can act as a backdrop and scene setter.

“War shapes peoples’ lives in ways that are far beyond the battlefield,” says Laura. “For example Casablanca is not about any battle but war was the backdrop for the story and it determines the course of that love story.

“The biggest surprise for us when collating all the various parts of the exhibition was that although we have all seen or have heard about a lot of war films, when we began to dig we realised just how many there are.

"And equally fascinating is that we see the way films have changed over the years - for example the sense of futility, waste and terrible slaughter in World War One had gone by the time it comes to World War Two.

“And of course some have been much more heavily covered than others. World War Two for example is a case in point, as is the Vietnam War - both have provided inspiration for films both fiction and non fiction.”

Laura hopes that the exhibition will fascinate both those who are film buffs as well as those who have not seen any war film.

“We want it to be approachable for everyone,” she says. “It is a big exhibition and is visually very striking and there is much for people to enjoy and take away whether they are avid film fans or are new to the subject.

“It’s an opportunity to understand the inspiration behind the films and there will be something there for everyone.”

Real to Reel: A Century of War Movies is on at the IWM, Lambeth Road until January 8, 2017. Tickets cost £10 for adults and £5 for children. Visit www.iwm.org.uk or call 020 7416 5000 for full listings.

INTERVIEW Matt Barber, Breakfast At Tiffany's

THEY say you should never work with children or animals but actor Matt Barber has ignored this advice and is currently sharing a stage with a rather beautiful cat.

The 33-year-old is starring as Fred in a stage production of Truman Capote’s classic novella, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which has just opened for an 11-week run at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End.

And while many will undoubtedly be going to see Matt and his leading lady Pixie Lott, he says it’s Bob the cat who is the star of the show.

"He's unpredictable at the best of times," laughs Matt. "He’s a real performer though and likes to feel the limelight and generally upstages everyone.

"But he’s well behaved, sits on stage, doesn’t give a shit and is just interested in the fact he will get chicken when he gets off stage. He does his own thing. It’s all about him!"

Animals aside it is a welcome return to the stage for Matt who was last seen gracing our TV screens as the perfectly dashing Atticus Aldridge in ITV's Downton Abbey.

Indeed he tells me playing Fred is a dream role, though he describes it as demanding not least because he’s on stage “pretty much all the time”.

"It’s an amazing part and a wonderful story," he says warmly. "I don't leave the stage - apart from 20 seconds in the second half - so it's challenging but so exciting.

"In the show Fred is essentially two characters - one where he’s a young man, meeting Holly, this massively sparkly, colourful and exciting woman who explodes in his life, and the other is when he's 15 years older and telling the story of it all. By the end of the piece he's changed quite a bit.

"It's beautifully written and the way it steps in and out of these roles is fascinating - Fred is the linchpin around which it all happens.

"It's a dream role and I love being part of it. And it's fantastic to be at such a beautiful theatre - it's stunning."

Set in New York in 1943 Breakfast At Tiffany's sees Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meet Holly Golightly, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good-time girl.

Everyone falls in love with Holly – including Fred. However Fred is poor, and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil so what chance does he have?

However, as war rages on in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred – just as her past catches up with her.

A version of the story was made into the iconic film that starred Audrey Hepburn. However, Matt says anyone thinking the play will be like the film should think again.

"It is based on Truman Capote's book which is quite different to the film," he says. "So if people come to the theatre wanting to see the film version, they will be disappointed. And it's not a musical either - it's a play with songs and music.

“However, the production we have got is wonderful. It is very respectful to the text and the style of the piece.

"It’s also very visually engaging, the sets are stunning and the music is just fantastic - we are all really proud of it."

And he says that although it is set in America in the 40s it's a story that will resonate with those who come and see it.

"It's essentially an unconventional love story featuring these amazing characters," he says. “But it has many other themes that people will recognise.

"The whole thing is a real expose of life in New York in the 1940s - people were finding themselves at a time when the world was in a state of flux and some things were not OK - much like today with the EU referendum and living in a world that is full of uncertainty.

"It is a fascinating piece and we are all having a great time being part of it."

And indeed Matt says he loves being back on stage again though he is coy about the possibility of a Downton Abbey film.

"Downton was a dream," he says warmly. "When I got the phone call, and then to be part of that whole family, it was astonishing and amazing. There are lots of rumours about there being a film but what they would do for the story I don't know. But it would be awesome though as it was so popular.

"But I do love the variety of my job. It's wonderful because I get to do so many different things. The best bits of acting are the work you do when you spend time in the rehearsal room where you pull around the text and delve in the the psychology of the characters, thrashing out who they are.

"There is something magical about messing around with people who are equally enthusiastic and talented.

"And then you get to bring what you have been working on to the stage and hopefully wow the audiences. It’s awesome."

Matt Barber stars in Breakfast At Tiffany's at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until September 17. Tickets from £15. Visit http://www.breakfastattiffanys.co.uk/ or call the box office on 020 7930 8800.