By Rosalind Gibb

Last updated at 15:19, Friday, 05 February 2010

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat star Craig Chalmers is a big fan of The Sands Centre’s leisure centre/theatre set-up – where he’ll be performing for six nights from Monday next week.

Craig Chalmers

“I enjoy it when the show comes to Carlisle because it’s got sports stuff! A gym, badminton, tennis and all that and I’m a real sports enthusiast so it’s great!” he says, speaking on the phone from Malvern where he’s just come off stage after a matinee performance.

The 28-year-old has been signed up to play Joseph until July meaning he will have been with this phenomenally successful musical for nearly three years.

“I’ve done more than 1,000 shows now but I still enjoy it, it’s a pleasure to do. It’s not too hard to keep it fresh, so long as you don’t get lazy or take it for granted.

“Joseph has definitely changed my life. I’ll always look back and realise how lucky I’ve been.”

In fact Craig is the only remaining member of this tour’s performing cast.

“That makes me feel old!” he jokes. “But it’s been such a big success and being able to make it last this long is great.

“I think I’ve been able to prove myself as an actor and performer outright, and not just someone who appeared on a reality TV show, and we still get really good reviews in.”

That reality show was Any Dream Will Do. Craig didn’t win but he did catch the eye of musical theatre guru Bill Kenwright who cast him in the lead role of this touring production.

Performing six days a week to audiences of thousands in a highly-charged, polished show – in a loincloth and covered in baby oil, no less – must seem like a dream come true for Craig, who worked for years on the club circuit as an entertainer and a singer with a male-strip troupe, hoping opportunity would indeed knock.

The only downside for now is that being on tour for much of the year means he can’t really settle anywhere, and that’s what he wants to do since meeting Jennifer, a marketing executive from Birmingham.

The pair got engaged last year after Craig proposed in Mexico and will marry this September.

“I don’t get to go back to Edinburgh much and home at the moment is an apartment with Jen in Birmingham, so I try to go there after a show on a Saturday and we spend the Sunday together.

“We’re getting married on September 5, we’ve got the venue sorted and Jen has her wedding dress.

“We’ll get married in Edinburgh, that’s my home town so it’s important for me to have the wedding there. And yes I’ll be wearing a kilt!”

So does his imminent marriage mean less attention from female fans?

He laughs: “Errr... they respect the fact I’ve got engaged and have accepted it positively I think. It’s still nice to have fans!”

Joseph runs from February 8-13 (matinee/evening shows). Tickets £16.50-£26.50 from www.thesandscentre.co.uk or call 01228 625222 or 08448 472276.

First published at 14:08, Friday, 05 February 2010
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk