AMERICAN FIRST NATIONAL TOUR - THE PHANTOM in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA,
MANCHESTER, WEST END & EDINBURGH - OLD DEUTERONOMY in CATS, WEST END & WEST
END finale of CATS - SWEENEY TODD in SWEENEY TODD, THEATR CLWYD, THE WALES TOUR &
SANTA MONICA LITTLE THEATRE - ADAM PONTIPEE in SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS,
THE UK NATIONAL TOUR - STANLEY in ONE TOUCH OF VENUS, OPERA NORTH TOUR -
MR/REDMAN in SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, WYNDHAM'S THEATRE - JP MORGAN in
RAGTIME, PICCADILLY THEATRE - LLOYD MITCHELL in A TOUCH OF DANGER, UK TOUR - MAN
2 in CLOSER THAN EVER, JERMYN STREET THEATRE - FILE THE SHERIFF in 110 IN THE SHADE,
FORTUNE THEATRE; ALEX BARTON in DUBARRY WAS A LADY, HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE -
DON PIPPO in THE CAIRO GOOSE, BAMPTON COURT - BARON SCARHEART in DICK BARTON,
CROYDON WAREHOUSE; PERON in EVITA, SANTA MONICA LITTLE THEATRE - BILLY BIGALOW
in CAROUSEL, SANTA MONICA LITTLE THEATRE - EMILE in SOUTH PACIFIC, MORGAN WIXON
THEATRE - LT. CABLE in SOUTH PACIFIC, GLENDALE REPERTORY THEATRE - LIL' ABNER in LIL'
ABNER, SANTA MONICA LITTLE THEATRE; MIKADO in THE MIKADO, INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS
REPERTORY COMPANY - PVT. O'DAY & BROTHER GEORGE in JOHNNY JOHNSON, THE ODYSSEY
THEATRE - THE GENTLEMAN CALLER in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, ENSEMBLE THEATRE - SGT.
ROONEY in STREAMERS, SANTA BARBARA THEATRE; LARABEE in SHERLOCK HOLMES,
INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS REPERTORY COMPANY - KING HENRY in THE LION IN WINTER,
SANTA MONICA LITTLE THEATRE - DOGBERRY in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, SANTA
BARBARA THEATRE; TRAGEDIAN in ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, SAN
FRANCISCO REPERTORY THEATRE - GOOD ANGEL/CHORUS in FAUSTUS, GILES HAVERGAL
DIRECTED - MICHAEL in CALL BACKS, EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL - VOICE in PSALM &
PLAINCHANT, MARTIN BEST DIRECTED - MULTIPLE ROLES in BAY AREA PLAYWRIGHTS
FESTIVAL, ROBERT WOODRUFF DIRECTED - MR. WEBB in OUR TOWN, SANTA MONICA LITTLE
THEATRE - YAHOODI in MAD DOG BLUES, ALECHEMA PLAYERS
FILM: AMERICAN OFFICER in THE TIGER AND THE SNOW, Roberto Begnini Directed - FORMAN in
ROCKULA, CANNON FILMS - JACKSON POLLOCK in UNFRAMED SPACE, ART CENTRE
PRODUCTIONS, ANNOUNCER in REICH, CABLE
TELEVISION: DENVER in CHUCKLEVISION, BBC - POPS SCHWARD in ULTIMATE FORCE IV, ITV1 -
ROGER BOISJOLY in DAYS THAT SHOOK THE WORLD - CHALLENGER, BBC1, BBC2 & H
CHANNEL - IKE'S AID & voice over in D-DAY, BBC1 & H CHANNEL - STEVE in NY-LON BBC & US
TV - EDWARD FELT in TONIGHT WITH TREVOR MCDONALD, FLIGHT 93 SPECIAL, ITV -
PRINCIPAL GUARD in KAVANAGH QC 3, CARLTON UK PRODUCTIONS; FEATURED ACTOR,
CAROL VOLDERMAN MYSTERIES - SINGER, NATIONAL ANTHEM, BULLS, WHITE SOCKS & NY
METS GAMES - SOLOIST at CLINTON/ GOR RALLY, CNN NETWORK - CONVICT in 1OTH
ANNIVERSARY LES MISERABLES CONCERT, ROYAL ALBERT HALL - VALJEAN CHANNEL E
DOCUMENTARY WITH DEBBIE GIBSON, CNN; IMPROVISATION for PM MAGAZINE - Featured in
music videos for John Waite, Lovin' Spoonful & OVER 12 NATIONAL COMMERCIALS.
RADIO: SOLOIST FOR National Music Day, BB2 - OPEN SECRETS, BBC RADIO DRAMA - ALEX
BARTON in DUBARRY WAS A LADY, BBC3, FABULOUS FLOPS BBC4 - RECORDINGS: JULIAN
MARSH in 42 STREET, SOUTH PACIFIC, BEHIND THE IRON MASK & SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH
GEORGE
Mark has also narrated all characters for Penguin’s audio book of LES
MISERABLES, directed and trained disabled adults in theatre for six years with L.A.
G.O.A.L. FEATURED in workshops for DINNER AT EIGHT & HELEN OF TROY
soloist for MASTERS OF THE HOUSE CONCERT SERIES, UK TOUR and Directed
YOUR A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN at the American School in London.
Thank you so much Mark for your great interview and your friendship.
Sandra - What has meant for your artistic career being the Phantom of the
Opera in Webber's musical?
Mark - For me it was the pinnacle of a what had been a very satisfying
musical career so far. I'd already been Sweeney Todd and Jean Valjean (for
four years.) So getting to play the Phantom was very exciting stuff. I'd been
away and was called by my agent to come home. I was heard for the
Phantom on Wednesday, called in to work with Hal Prince on Thursday,
seen by Cameron Mackintosh on Friday and started Rehearsal in
Manchester on the Monday. Whirlwind beginnings. In Leicester Square in
London was a large sign with a picture of Phantom, Les Miserables and
Cats. Above it said The Classic Musicals. I got to star in all three. As my
agent said to me... "where do you go from here?" He was right, that was the
climax of my career.
Sandra - What scene/song of the Phantom musical is your favourite and
why. And the hardest song to sing?
Mark- The Final Lair was by far my favourite scene to play... so much drama
and mixed up emotion. One time in Manchester nothing came on and we
had to do the entire scene on a blank stage... very strange... but still worked!
I just dropped the veil and walked off stage right at the end! Favourite songs
to sing were "Music of the Night" and "Point of No Return." Also that bit of
music and scene after she takes his mask off the first time was very exciting
to do. Hardest to sing was the held note at the end of MOTN... only because
I'd just carried Christine to the boat and laid her in it and also sometimes
the conductor had taken the whole number a bit slower than usual so it
went on forever!
Sandra - What are some of the aspects you have brought into your
interpretation of the Phantom?
Mark - I read every single book there was on the Phantom. My take on the
guy was three things really. First off it was that adolescent need of
desperate first love and sexual lust that teenagers have. Secondly for me it
was a mid-life crisis situation where one needs to have done something
with one's life... having created something to prove one's value to society
either in the form of work or a child... a reason for one's existence if you
will. The Phantom also had real injustice issues and needed revenge.
Playing a killer/monster involves a lot of painful image development. For
the Phantom it was a lot of hatred and neglect which motivated him...
channelled into an obsessive love of Christine. It was this willingness to
change that made his character forgivable.
Sandra - What is it, in your opinion, that makes the show so appealing?
Mark - There isn't any single aspect of the show that makes it work but is
the whole that is its success. In fact most people start off hating the music
(having only listened to it on CD) but then end up completely converting
and loving the show once they see it. It is a great story of loving someone for
what they are on the inside isn't it? Everyone feels ugly at some points in
their lives and the Phantom represents this condition beautifully (in a very
ugly way of course.)
Sandra - What did you find most difficult to prepare for your role? Did you
read any book or see any movie?
Mark - I found it easy and fun to prepare for the Phantom. Hal Prince had
said that they'd not had a Phantom like me before and I took that as carte
blanche to build my own character and use my own interpretation of the
role. I made it my own as we say in the business. As an actor this is the most
successful way of doing things as it all then has meaning for you personally.
It was satisfying to see that some Phantoms after me had adopted my style
and interpretation.
Sandra - What is your opinion about your main character, the Phantom?
Mark - Very sad, very tragic character... the fool on the hill. Isolated, hated,
constantly reflective, angry, frustrated. Brilliant, inventive, guarded,
vengeful and very child like.
Sandra - You have been part of wonderful operas like Les Miserables, Cats,
Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, etc.,what is the role you would like to play some
day? what do you prefer musical world or tv?
Mark - I love musicals because you can use your singing voice to elicit
emotion from your audience. Music has a physical effect on people that you
can't achieve otherwise on stage. The only time I get goosebumps in the
theatre is when someone is touching me with their voice. I remember
moments in Les Miserables when you could hear a pin drop the audience
was so quiet and attentive (and this was in a house that seated 4,000.) These
are the magic moments we feel as performers sometimes... when the
audience is completely involved with what we are doing and we are all
aware we are having this experience together. The story telling is working
in other words.
Sandra - I've read you also narrated all characters for Penguin’s audio book
of Les Miserables, how was this experience?
Mark - It was at the sound studio at Carnegie Hall so that was special. I'd
researched and been involved in Les Miz for so long it was fun to use some
of that experience at hand. Pronouncing the French places and names was
another matter. As it happens so much in our business you have a very short
time to do a lot and just hope for the best. That is TV and recording in a
nutshell.
Sandra - What would you say to your fans?
Mark - I'm glad we had the opportunity to share some theatre together and I
hope you're still very satisfied and enriched with the theatre your seeing
today.
Sandra - Tell us about your current and future projects.
Mark - I'm currently in my first play in the UK called "A Touch of Danger"
by Durbridge. I'm playing a CIA agent that gets strangled and stabbed in
the end... so it is payback for playing Eric really. I'm a jobbing actor,
meaning I take what comes along and that suits me really. I'm not interested
in taking jobs away from the natives so I play Americans mostly. It is a
vicarious life as I never know what is next but it always seems to satisfy me
no matter how large the part.
Interview exclusive for this site.
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
