Theatre interview: Jonathan Ansell in Whistle Down The Wind

Thursday 4th February 2010

Natalie Hale talks to Jonathan Ansell about his debut role in a musical as the fugitive in Whistle Down The Wind

He may have an angelic face and a voice to match, but Jonathan Ansell has turned to the dark side for his musical theatre debut.

Gone is the blonde quiff, the baby-faced charm and spotless attire. In its place is a beefed-up, filthy, blood-stained man with rough stubble and a mumbling drawl.

The former G4 singer has taken on the role of the dangerous fugitive in Bill Kenwright’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Whistle Down The Wind.

You may think it’s questionable casting to have the squeeky clean golden boy of pop-opera playing “the man” as portrayed so brilliantly by Alan Bates in the 1961 film. But the general consensus from critics and audiences alike is that Ansell more than pulls it off.

“In rehearsals, you’re not sure how they are going to react to certain scenes and it’s been interesting to see how they laugh and cry at different moments to what you expected,” he tells me.

“It’s lovely when after an intensive rehearsal period you get an audience that’s so encouraging and captivated. The show becomes something else when you have a live audience there – it’s terrific.”

The musical is based on the much-loved film, which starred Hayley Mills as the bright-eyed and youthful Swallow who discovers a mysterious man hiding in her family’s barn. When she asks for his identity the first words he utters are ‘Jesus Christ...’ and it’s as though her prayers have been answered.

While the rest of the townspeople are searching for a fugitive who has escaped from jail, Swallow gathers the town’s children who make a pact to protect their new-found saviour from the cruelties of the outside world.

The musical adaptation combines multi-award-winning songs, all-new staging and epic storytelling to create a winning show. Jonathan holds the crown as Britain’s most popular and successful young tenor, but this is his first ever dramatic leading role in a stage musical.

“It’s my musical theatre debut and it’s a genre I’ve loved since I was young. I used to have The Three Tenors and Pavorotti albums alongside Michael Ball and Andrew Lloyd Webber compilations.

“Being in one of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s great works is wonderful. I saw this show when it was on tour about eight years ago and loved it then.”

The singer has ‘roughed up’ his appearance and has been pumping iron in the gym in preparation for the role – but his look wasn’t all Jonathan had to adapt.

“What is interesting for me is that normally I have to sing beautifully the whole time, but when you’re telling a story there are more variations. For example, at the beginning of the show my character is weak and exhausted and later he is frustrated and full of angst, and my voice has to reflect those changes in emotion.

“It was interesting at the beginning – there were quite a few times in rehearsals when Bill would say ‘look, it sounds great but a man in this situation and feeling this weak just wouldn’t be able to sing it that well’. So I had to hold myself back and not have as beautiful a colour and tone. I had to be the character.

“It’s a different way of singing, but it’s something I’m feeling comfortable with. And I know that there are songs later in the show in which I can really let rip. There are some incredibly dramatic vocal moments. I imagine it would have been frustrating if I didn’t have those moments to really showcase myself.”

For Jonathan, who was brought up in Bognor Regis, music was not just a passion, but a solace throughout his childhood. He was dyslexic, but had gone through school without anyone noticing it, and felt alienated from his peers.

“I wasn’t excelling academically and singing was something I was good at and confident at. When I sang, it was my one moment of being able to prove myself, express myself and find solace.”

Jonathan won a place at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and it was during his happy student days that he started busking in Covent Garden with friends, to make ends meet.

“We didn’t make much at first, but soon hit on a technique,” he says. “We’d sing a couple of big arias, like Nessun Dorma, then something a bit less showy. Which meant that people would pay us and move on.”

When the X Factor was advertised on TV in 2004, he persuaded his busking chums from the Guildhall to enter. G4 walked into the audition and the rest is television history.

“We entered the X Factor for a bit of fun just to see what happened and I feel blown away by what it led to. The show feels like another world now, but I have very fond memories of it.”

While many acts discovered on reality TV quickly fall by the wayside, G4 achieved unprecedented success. They enjoyed 1.5 million record sales and four sell-out tours, and when the group announced their split in 2007, their final concert was a Royal Albert Hall sell-out.

“Despite the success, we had to split because it had got to the point where it wasn’t what we all wanted to do,” says Jonathan. “There were a few frictions and frustrations, but I think you get that in any job in any industry. So we decided to walk away and just feel happy and proud about what we had achieved together. We are still really good mates and still hang out.”

It was clear that Jonathan had the charisma and talent to take him further as a solo artist and he has never looked back.

“It’s blown me away. Since X Factor, I’ve released five albums – three with the guys and two on my own – performed at the Royal Albert Hall in front of the Queen, been on tour and met some wonderful people. And now my childhood dream of playing the lead in a musical has come true.”

Whistle Down The Wind appears at the Bristol Hippodrome from Monday, February 15, to Saturday, February 20. Tickets cost £12-£34 – call 0844 847 2325.