ALL OR NOTHING
THE SMASH HIT UK MUSICAL THEATRE SENSATION
WRITTEN BY AND STARRING AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS CAROL HARRISON
FEATURING CHRIS SIMMONS
TO PLAY AT THE PALACE THEATRE, WESTCLIFF ON SEA
TUE 12 – SAT 16 SEPTEMBER
CHRIS SIMMONS INTERVIEW
THE SMASH HIT UK MUSICAL THEATRE SENSATION
WRITTEN BY AND STARRING AWARD-WINNING ACTRESS CAROL HARRISON
FEATURING CHRIS SIMMONS
TO PLAY AT THE PALACE THEATRE, WESTCLIFF ON SEA
TUE 12 – SAT 16 SEPTEMBER
CHRIS SIMMONS INTERVIEW
ALL OR NOTHING, the Small Faces musical theatre sensation, will play at The Palace Theatre from Tuesday 12th to Saturday 16th September as part of its third major tour. The show, which opened to critical acclaim at the Vaults Theatre in London in March 2016, has been a smash hit on tour receiving nightly standing ovations.
Written and directed by the award-winning actress Carol Harrison, ALL OR NOTHING tells the electrifying yet bittersweet tale of Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott; four charismatic young kids from East London with humour, attitude, passion and above all talent. They became the Small Faces and were rocketed into the big time, only to discover the path to fantastic success is paved with exploitation, betrayal and ultimately tragedy.
Chris Simmons is probably best known for his role as big-hearted CID officer Mickey Webb in The Bill. He takes on the role of the older Steve Marriott who acts as the narrator for the show, taking the audience through the story as well as helping to map the life of his troubled character.
Having seen the show twice at The Vaults and again in Southend last year, it was great to catch up with Chris just before he headed off to a rehearsal in London’s Kings Cross with the new cast for the next leg of the tour. Here’s what he had to say…
The show’s obviously going down really well with audiences?
I’m so pleased to say it’s a massive hit. It’s a great show. So yeah we're well chuffed with it. It’s lovely to be part of something that’s wonderful.
What made you want to stay on with the tour?
Once in a blue moon you just stumble across a role that’s just so good. I mean, as an actor you want to do things and move on but when you land on something that’s so good you kind of think ‘wow’ you know? It changes all the time, the different dynamics to him. It’s just a really juicy and wonderful part to play. So it’s hard to move away from it. Plus I really enjoy it. They’re a nice bunch and it’s nice watching the show grow. It’s just going to get better and better and who knows where it’s going to go after. I believe it should be in the West End.
I was going to ask you that.
Well, we keep hearing rumours and they keep telling us that there’s lots of exciting stuff planned for next year, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ends up in the West End. I think it deserves to be - I really, really do. It’s got everything, it’s got pathos, humour, darkness, fantastic music - I sound like I’m trying to sell it to you but I know you’ve seen it.
Haha...no you really don’t need to...
It’s got everything. I love how funny it is and then people are just gobsmacked about how dark it is too. It’s very brave taking on the dark side of it. I mean you can easily fluff these shows up and they just become like everything else and Carol didn’t want that right from the start. She really wanted it gritty, real, truthful and I take my hat off to her for that.
Right from the beginning they said to her that you need someone from X Factor in it and she wasn’t interested in anything like that She’s been really ballsy - she said ‘I want something that’s truthful and hard-hitting and the music will speak for itself’. I can’t praise her enough when it comes to how she stands up for what she believes in. She’s been brave and I think it’s paid dividends for her.
Written and directed by the award-winning actress Carol Harrison, ALL OR NOTHING tells the electrifying yet bittersweet tale of Kenney Jones, Ian McLagan, Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott; four charismatic young kids from East London with humour, attitude, passion and above all talent. They became the Small Faces and were rocketed into the big time, only to discover the path to fantastic success is paved with exploitation, betrayal and ultimately tragedy.
Chris Simmons is probably best known for his role as big-hearted CID officer Mickey Webb in The Bill. He takes on the role of the older Steve Marriott who acts as the narrator for the show, taking the audience through the story as well as helping to map the life of his troubled character.
Having seen the show twice at The Vaults and again in Southend last year, it was great to catch up with Chris just before he headed off to a rehearsal in London’s Kings Cross with the new cast for the next leg of the tour. Here’s what he had to say…
The show’s obviously going down really well with audiences?
I’m so pleased to say it’s a massive hit. It’s a great show. So yeah we're well chuffed with it. It’s lovely to be part of something that’s wonderful.
What made you want to stay on with the tour?
Once in a blue moon you just stumble across a role that’s just so good. I mean, as an actor you want to do things and move on but when you land on something that’s so good you kind of think ‘wow’ you know? It changes all the time, the different dynamics to him. It’s just a really juicy and wonderful part to play. So it’s hard to move away from it. Plus I really enjoy it. They’re a nice bunch and it’s nice watching the show grow. It’s just going to get better and better and who knows where it’s going to go after. I believe it should be in the West End.
I was going to ask you that.
Well, we keep hearing rumours and they keep telling us that there’s lots of exciting stuff planned for next year, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ends up in the West End. I think it deserves to be - I really, really do. It’s got everything, it’s got pathos, humour, darkness, fantastic music - I sound like I’m trying to sell it to you but I know you’ve seen it.
Haha...no you really don’t need to...
It’s got everything. I love how funny it is and then people are just gobsmacked about how dark it is too. It’s very brave taking on the dark side of it. I mean you can easily fluff these shows up and they just become like everything else and Carol didn’t want that right from the start. She really wanted it gritty, real, truthful and I take my hat off to her for that.
Right from the beginning they said to her that you need someone from X Factor in it and she wasn’t interested in anything like that She’s been really ballsy - she said ‘I want something that’s truthful and hard-hitting and the music will speak for itself’. I can’t praise her enough when it comes to how she stands up for what she believes in. She’s been brave and I think it’s paid dividends for her.
Carol Harrison, writer and director of All or Nothing, playing Kay Marriott
Carol must be thrilled that it’s proved so popular and is continuing to tour?
Absolutely, yeah. People are now climbing over each other, theatre-wise, to get to have the show at their theatre, which is great.
And there’s a new cast now isn’t there?
Yeah, I can’t praise the boys [who play the Small Faces] enough. The new Stevie Marriott (Samuel Pope) is absolutely wonderful. He’s studied every mannerism. He’s got all the daftness of Steve Marriott, he’s also got the rawness. He hits the notes beautifully and his guitar playing is phenomenal. It’s the hardest casting you can imagine trying to find those boys.
Yes, because they’ve got to be right height-wise too because the Small Faces were all quite short weren’t they?
They can be wonderful at everything and be 2 inches too tall and that’s it they can’t do the job - it’s as simple as that. The new cast have just embraced it and are loving being part of it. I know the show inside out and when I’m up on the balcony sometimes - when I look out to the audience - some of the audience reactions to some of the gags, it’s just hilarious. It’s lovely to watch up to 700 people absolutely fall about laughing when I know they’re going to, every time, it’s really great.
Has anything changed from when the show first started?
Carol’s always trimming it. There’s been a few very subtle changes because she knew that the nucleus she had was a winning formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?
I remember that there were a lot of Mods in Southend who loved it?
Yeah, they’re nuts for it!
A lot of the Mods like to dress up for the show don’t they?
It's funny cos Southend was huge for that wasn’t it? But yeah, some people are more subtle but then you get the Mods who come in the full regalia and the scooters follow us everywhere. It’s brilliant. I think personally it will be a cult show. It’s not massively mainstream although the music is but I think it’s got more of Quadrophenia type thing to it. It’s great to have this cult piece of theatre that people love.
Have you had many celebs come to see the show?
We’ve had a few muso's come to see it; we’ve had one of the Ocean Colour Scene boys, couple of The Libertines, Rod Stewart was supposed to come but had to pull out at the last second, Paul Weller’s sister has come and Paul Weller’s supposed to be coming this year - so yeah, it’s gathering its following already.
Absolutely, yeah. People are now climbing over each other, theatre-wise, to get to have the show at their theatre, which is great.
And there’s a new cast now isn’t there?
Yeah, I can’t praise the boys [who play the Small Faces] enough. The new Stevie Marriott (Samuel Pope) is absolutely wonderful. He’s studied every mannerism. He’s got all the daftness of Steve Marriott, he’s also got the rawness. He hits the notes beautifully and his guitar playing is phenomenal. It’s the hardest casting you can imagine trying to find those boys.
Yes, because they’ve got to be right height-wise too because the Small Faces were all quite short weren’t they?
They can be wonderful at everything and be 2 inches too tall and that’s it they can’t do the job - it’s as simple as that. The new cast have just embraced it and are loving being part of it. I know the show inside out and when I’m up on the balcony sometimes - when I look out to the audience - some of the audience reactions to some of the gags, it’s just hilarious. It’s lovely to watch up to 700 people absolutely fall about laughing when I know they’re going to, every time, it’s really great.
Has anything changed from when the show first started?
Carol’s always trimming it. There’s been a few very subtle changes because she knew that the nucleus she had was a winning formula. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?
I remember that there were a lot of Mods in Southend who loved it?
Yeah, they’re nuts for it!
A lot of the Mods like to dress up for the show don’t they?
It's funny cos Southend was huge for that wasn’t it? But yeah, some people are more subtle but then you get the Mods who come in the full regalia and the scooters follow us everywhere. It’s brilliant. I think personally it will be a cult show. It’s not massively mainstream although the music is but I think it’s got more of Quadrophenia type thing to it. It’s great to have this cult piece of theatre that people love.
Have you had many celebs come to see the show?
We’ve had a few muso's come to see it; we’ve had one of the Ocean Colour Scene boys, couple of The Libertines, Rod Stewart was supposed to come but had to pull out at the last second, Paul Weller’s sister has come and Paul Weller’s supposed to be coming this year - so yeah, it’s gathering its following already.
Chris - far left with the boys who play the Small Faces
Before you go, can I ask you about your recent reunion with the cast of The Bill [which ended 7 years ago]. What was it like seeing everyone again?
It was great. It was a period of my life that I was really fond of. They’re re-showing the series on UKTV Drama and they said would you come and do some chats and I was like, ‘of course’, I’ve got nothing but fond memories of The Bill. It was lovely to see the guys. Everyone’s doing their own thing, some of them are doing theatre, some are doing film, all different things. You just go back to being a working actor again and you all have The Bill in common.
Trudie (Goodwin) does lots, she goes from tv show to tv show. Mark’s (Wingett) just done a film. Grahame Cole’s a CBE he does lots of talking - yeah lots of work. Eric (Richard) had a part in Dunkirk which was wonderful. And quite a few of them have come or are coming to see All or Nothing!
And once the All or Nothing tour ends you’ll be keeping your fingers crossed to be playing at a West End venue?
Well, these are the rumours that we’re hearing. We've been told great things are going to happen to the show but they can’t tell us yet but it’s going to be great for next year. But that’s what I believe is going to happen. In the meantime, come and find us in Southend - that’ll be lovely.
It was great. It was a period of my life that I was really fond of. They’re re-showing the series on UKTV Drama and they said would you come and do some chats and I was like, ‘of course’, I’ve got nothing but fond memories of The Bill. It was lovely to see the guys. Everyone’s doing their own thing, some of them are doing theatre, some are doing film, all different things. You just go back to being a working actor again and you all have The Bill in common.
Trudie (Goodwin) does lots, she goes from tv show to tv show. Mark’s (Wingett) just done a film. Grahame Cole’s a CBE he does lots of talking - yeah lots of work. Eric (Richard) had a part in Dunkirk which was wonderful. And quite a few of them have come or are coming to see All or Nothing!
And once the All or Nothing tour ends you’ll be keeping your fingers crossed to be playing at a West End venue?
Well, these are the rumours that we’re hearing. We've been told great things are going to happen to the show but they can’t tell us yet but it’s going to be great for next year. But that’s what I believe is going to happen. In the meantime, come and find us in Southend - that’ll be lovely.
Interview: Kim Tobin
For tickets at the Palace go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Read more about the show and watch our interview with Carol Harrison filmed at The Vaults last year - here