James Gaddas Interview
Posted by Guest Writer on Fri, 20 Nov 2009.
From a prison governor to a swash buckling pirate, TV star James Gaddas is set to take the stage in Curve’s Christmas performance of Peter Pan.
Most famous for starring in ITV’s Bad Girls, Gaddas is back in the county for the first time in 25 years for the Leicester Theatre Trust’s festive treat from December 3.
With their brand new musical version of J.M Barrie’s timeless classic – Peter Pan – the audience in the £61.5m theatre will leave Leicester behind for a course set for Neverland.
Join the boy who never grew-up as he flies into the lives of the Darling family and takes Wendy, Michael and John on a magical adventure to Neverland. Using all that the state-of-the-art building has to offer to bring adventure to life with original music and spectacular effects.
Speaking during a break in rehearsals, James, who will play the infamous baddie, Captain Hook, and Mr Darling, said, “I’ve played Hook before in a traditional pantomime but this is something completely different.”The 49-year-old added, “It’s such a great story and quite dark in places. Hook is someone that has everything and nothing at the same time. I play Mr Darling too so I think it shows the different sides of being a parent. And that’s why it’s loved across all ages.”
James will join a talented cast line-up including Paul Baker (Smee) and Spencer Charles Noll (Peter Pan) for the show which will run over two months.
James, who lives in London with his wife Debbie and daughter Cate (9), will be staying in Leicester city centre for the production.
He said, “I was last in Leicester about 25 years ago in a play at the Haymarket Theatre called Some of my Best Friend’s Husbands. I remember the city seemed quite down trodden and oppressive. And just walking through the centre the other day I noticed how vibrant it’s become. There seems to be a positive air about the place and it’s great.”
James added, “This is the longest I’ve been away from my daughter since she was born and it’s tough. But I love hearing her phone messages at the end of the day. I’ll be heading back home for Christmas day but then I’ll probably be back here by Boxing Day. It’s going to be a busy season.”
When asked what he thought about the Curve he replied, “I’m just amazed by it all. I’ve never worked in anywhere like this before. It’s immense. I love how the space can just open up without losing the magic of the theatre.”
After the closing show on Saturday, January 23, James, will be heading to Dubai to launch a new production company with his partner and brother Chris.
Their new company – Belmondo Hat Production – will see James use his 30 years experience to direct and cast.
The pair will be following James’ wife, Debbie, to Dubai whilst she continues her work as a professional ballet teacher.
The name of their new venture – Belmondo Hat Production – is in memory of a friend of James who died a few years ago aged 47. The duo used to walk past a shop called Belmondo Hat and joked about starting a band with the same name.
The Jitty asked James what tips would he give to any budding actors and he replied, “Get to drama school. I went when I was 18 and it was the first time I had to move away from home and I had to do a lot of growing up.“
For those that just want to be famous it can be quite dangerous. If you want to be famous for acting then you have to be good at it so go and get trained. And take any opportunity you can to watch those that you admire to get inspiration.”
He added, “Always remember to be polite and respectful of what everybody else does. It’s often thought that if somebody’s difficult or acting like a diva that must mean they’re good at what they do. That’s all well and good when you’re being successful but if you fail people won’t want to know you.“
Be aware of the people that help you get on the stage. So don’t forget the wardrobe and crew members.”
Award winning director David Taylor will lead the cast and showcase Peter Pan – A Musical which he created with Paul Miller from December 3 2009 to January 23 2010.
For more information or tickets phone 0116 242 3595 or visit www.curveonline.co.uk.
By Jemma
