Click here to read the full review of The Producers
LOCAL CELEB, PHILL JUPITUS, TAKES TIME OUT TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS BEFORE STARRING IN
THE PRODUCERS
THE SMASH-HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL COMEDY
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
Tuesday 7th April to Saturday 11th April 2015
THE PRODUCERS
THE SMASH-HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL COMEDY
Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
Tuesday 7th April to Saturday 11th April 2015
Hold on to your lederhosen - The Producers is coming to town this week! Based on Mel Brooks’ much loved Academy Award winning movie, The Producers is a hilarious musical comedy that has taken Broadway and the West End by storm, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and 3 Olivier Awards.
Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock recruits timid accountant Leo Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. Together they aim to produce the worst show ever and run away to Rio with millions, but they soon learn that showbusiness can always find a way to kick you in the teeth.
From the producer of sell-out successes Midnight Tango and Dance ’Til Dawn, and the director of Top Hat (Matthew White), The Producers is filled with fabulous costumes, glamorous dancing girls, hysterical show tunes - including the all-time classic Springtime For Hitler - and an incredible live band.
The Producers claims to be the biggest, funniest Broadway musical of all time and guaranteed to be a hilarious night out.
Starring award-winning comedian Jason Manford, TV’s fabulous choreographer Louie Spence and also Southend’s very own legendary funny man Phill Jupitus who is playing Franz Liebkind.
Phill very kindly took some time out before the run at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion to answer some of my questions.
KT What was the appeal of taking the part of Franz Liebkind in the Producers?
PJ I'd always been a Mel Brooks fan, and saw the original film back in the 70s. I also saw the original West End production on a number of occasions with Lee Evans and Nathan Lane, so I was familiar with it. Franz is such a big mad character to play, I couldn't resist it really.
KT Do you feel more excited or nervous performing in front of a home crowd? Do you even get nervous when you perform?
PJ There's definitely a slight extra frisson when I'm doing stuff at home, but it's mostly like any other acting gig. You're too busy concentrating on remembering the words and tunes to think about the audience.
KT What’s your pre-show routine? Do you have any good luck rituals?
PJ I listen to music, quite loud. Mostly dance and reggae stuff, but that's only if I have my own dressing room.
KT As you are sharing your part with Ross Noble, was it intentional that you were going to be appearing at Southend?
PJ No the dates were booked before I was signed up. The biggest irony being that my last week is in Sunderland, and Ross is from the North East... I'm really glad to be playing at The Cliffs as it has been part of my cultural life since I was a teenager. Both as a punter and a performer...
KT How’s the lederhosen wearing going down (or up)?
PJ There have been several comments about my knees. I shall leave it at that. Let's put it this way, I'm not planning on buying any after the tour.
KT How are you getting on with all your co-stars in the show? I imagine that Louie Spence must be a bit of a handful? Will you be showing them the sights of Southend while you’re here?
PJ Louie is utterly brilliant, both on and offstage. There's a singular energy that boy gives off that I really like. And he's incredibly bendy as well. Like an action man. If any of the cast want showing round, my top five would be Old Leigh, Hadleigh Castle, the pier, the arches cafes and Prittlewell Priory
KT A lot of people will know you for Never Mind the Buzzcocks but you are clearly a man of many talents - you’ve had your art collection of Doodlings 1983-2012 displayed at Metal’s Cafe Valise at the Leigh Community Centre, you’ve sung with Billy Bragg, Madness and Paul Weller, you’ve played Edna Turnblad in Hairspray; you write poetry, you do stand-up and you even have an Honorary Degree from SE College. What gives or has given you the most satisfaction?
PJ Probably quite unsurprisingly, what I get the most satisfaction from, is that diversity. It was never my intention to mix stuff up quite so much. It's just the way it's happened. But if you can get away with it I do heartily recommend it.
KT What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on stage?
PJ It's always drying. I was in Urinetown at the Apollo Shaftesbury avenue and on my opening night forgot the middle verse of a song so just had to "lah-di-Dah" my way through the thing. And my mum was in.
KT Who would you like to meet, living or dead, and if they walked into the room right now, what would you say to them?
PJ My biological father. "What were you thinking?"
KT What’s the most showbizzy thing you have ever done?
PJ I think dressing as a 300lb woman in a full length red sequinned evening gown and singing in front of strangers might be it. I did get waved at by Paul McCartney a couple of months ago.
KT Do you feel proud to live in Southend? What do you think keeps you here?
PJ I don't really do 'pride'. What keeps me here is that I have a lot of love for Essex. I think there's a bleak beauty to our whole area of the Thames Estuary. It is one of my favourite views in the world. My mum did a painting of a sunset over Canvey for me, and I have loads of other art of the area. Last year we went out on a boat to the sea forts and the wreck of the USS Montgomery, and it was absolutely amazing. The whole team at Metal at Chalkwell Hall who put together Village Green every year are brilliant and inspiring people making things happen for the whole community...
KT When you’re not busy working, how do you like to relax?
PJ Walking the dog, drawing, going to Othellos Books and Leigh Record Exchange on the London Road. Reading, cinema, theatre. I love an art gallery. That's why I love the Leigh art trail every year.
KT What’s your next project after The Producers?
PJ I'm doing an art project, a poetry show and a play at the Edinburgh Festival.
KT What’s the best advice you’ve been given and what is the best advice you would give to anyone?
PJ In 1996 When I got NMTB, a comedian called Mickey Hutton said to me "It's brilliant that you got this mate, and well done, but never forget, it's only telly." That's just kept me aware that success is a passing thing. Maybe Mickey is the reason I mix the work up. If he is, I can never thank him enough.
Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock recruits timid accountant Leo Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. Together they aim to produce the worst show ever and run away to Rio with millions, but they soon learn that showbusiness can always find a way to kick you in the teeth.
From the producer of sell-out successes Midnight Tango and Dance ’Til Dawn, and the director of Top Hat (Matthew White), The Producers is filled with fabulous costumes, glamorous dancing girls, hysterical show tunes - including the all-time classic Springtime For Hitler - and an incredible live band.
The Producers claims to be the biggest, funniest Broadway musical of all time and guaranteed to be a hilarious night out.
Starring award-winning comedian Jason Manford, TV’s fabulous choreographer Louie Spence and also Southend’s very own legendary funny man Phill Jupitus who is playing Franz Liebkind.
Phill very kindly took some time out before the run at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion to answer some of my questions.
KT What was the appeal of taking the part of Franz Liebkind in the Producers?
PJ I'd always been a Mel Brooks fan, and saw the original film back in the 70s. I also saw the original West End production on a number of occasions with Lee Evans and Nathan Lane, so I was familiar with it. Franz is such a big mad character to play, I couldn't resist it really.
KT Do you feel more excited or nervous performing in front of a home crowd? Do you even get nervous when you perform?
PJ There's definitely a slight extra frisson when I'm doing stuff at home, but it's mostly like any other acting gig. You're too busy concentrating on remembering the words and tunes to think about the audience.
KT What’s your pre-show routine? Do you have any good luck rituals?
PJ I listen to music, quite loud. Mostly dance and reggae stuff, but that's only if I have my own dressing room.
KT As you are sharing your part with Ross Noble, was it intentional that you were going to be appearing at Southend?
PJ No the dates were booked before I was signed up. The biggest irony being that my last week is in Sunderland, and Ross is from the North East... I'm really glad to be playing at The Cliffs as it has been part of my cultural life since I was a teenager. Both as a punter and a performer...
KT How’s the lederhosen wearing going down (or up)?
PJ There have been several comments about my knees. I shall leave it at that. Let's put it this way, I'm not planning on buying any after the tour.
KT How are you getting on with all your co-stars in the show? I imagine that Louie Spence must be a bit of a handful? Will you be showing them the sights of Southend while you’re here?
PJ Louie is utterly brilliant, both on and offstage. There's a singular energy that boy gives off that I really like. And he's incredibly bendy as well. Like an action man. If any of the cast want showing round, my top five would be Old Leigh, Hadleigh Castle, the pier, the arches cafes and Prittlewell Priory
KT A lot of people will know you for Never Mind the Buzzcocks but you are clearly a man of many talents - you’ve had your art collection of Doodlings 1983-2012 displayed at Metal’s Cafe Valise at the Leigh Community Centre, you’ve sung with Billy Bragg, Madness and Paul Weller, you’ve played Edna Turnblad in Hairspray; you write poetry, you do stand-up and you even have an Honorary Degree from SE College. What gives or has given you the most satisfaction?
PJ Probably quite unsurprisingly, what I get the most satisfaction from, is that diversity. It was never my intention to mix stuff up quite so much. It's just the way it's happened. But if you can get away with it I do heartily recommend it.
KT What’s the most embarrassing thing to happen to you on stage?
PJ It's always drying. I was in Urinetown at the Apollo Shaftesbury avenue and on my opening night forgot the middle verse of a song so just had to "lah-di-Dah" my way through the thing. And my mum was in.
KT Who would you like to meet, living or dead, and if they walked into the room right now, what would you say to them?
PJ My biological father. "What were you thinking?"
KT What’s the most showbizzy thing you have ever done?
PJ I think dressing as a 300lb woman in a full length red sequinned evening gown and singing in front of strangers might be it. I did get waved at by Paul McCartney a couple of months ago.
KT Do you feel proud to live in Southend? What do you think keeps you here?
PJ I don't really do 'pride'. What keeps me here is that I have a lot of love for Essex. I think there's a bleak beauty to our whole area of the Thames Estuary. It is one of my favourite views in the world. My mum did a painting of a sunset over Canvey for me, and I have loads of other art of the area. Last year we went out on a boat to the sea forts and the wreck of the USS Montgomery, and it was absolutely amazing. The whole team at Metal at Chalkwell Hall who put together Village Green every year are brilliant and inspiring people making things happen for the whole community...
KT When you’re not busy working, how do you like to relax?
PJ Walking the dog, drawing, going to Othellos Books and Leigh Record Exchange on the London Road. Reading, cinema, theatre. I love an art gallery. That's why I love the Leigh art trail every year.
KT What’s your next project after The Producers?
PJ I'm doing an art project, a poetry show and a play at the Edinburgh Festival.
KT What’s the best advice you’ve been given and what is the best advice you would give to anyone?
PJ In 1996 When I got NMTB, a comedian called Mickey Hutton said to me "It's brilliant that you got this mate, and well done, but never forget, it's only telly." That's just kept me aware that success is a passing thing. Maybe Mickey is the reason I mix the work up. If he is, I can never thank him enough.