We chat with Tom Gadie of The Choir Of Man
An idea born of Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay, The Choir of Man has been an international hit, and has sold out seasons at the Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Fringe Festival, and Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
A combination of music, dance, and a few beers, The Choir of Man is a toe-tapping night out, with musical numbers from artists such as Queen, Sia, Adele, and even Avicii. Playing a limited season in Australia, The Choir of Man is a guaranteed good night out.
A graduate of the University of York, Tom Gadie is one of the talented performers in the show. Some credits include the national tours of The Bounce and Mirror Mirror (both with Oily Cart), Brush in Something Special (CBeebies), 2&3 in The Remnants: As Thyself (Arts Theatre Leicester Square, Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Tweeds in Wonderland (The Union Theatre).
Could you tell me a bit about your performance history/training?
I studied classical music at the University of York and until that point hadn’t had much experience with performing in theatre apart from a few musicals at high school. At Uni there were several really good theatre societies which I ended up getting involved with and it quickly became something I knew I wanted to do for a job. However, I had the idea to be a director, not a performer, so continued my studies at York with an MA in musical theatre directing. It was purely by chance that a performing job came up immediately after I graduated that really fit my random skillset (I used to be gymnast and this particular show needed a singing trampolinist- very random, I know!) and with that I ended up becoming a professional actor. Since then I’ve been lucky to have a really varied career and get to see and perform in some beautiful parts of the world.
And what has your connection to The Choir of Man been?
I’d heard about the show and its success at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was really keen to be a part of it, so I was really excited to join the show in August of 2019 as an understudy for the new production aboard the Norwegian Encore Cruise Ship. We rehearsed in Florida for 3 weeks which was an amazing experience and a nice departure from rainy, cold London! I was then really lucky to be a part of the first European tour that took us to Holland, Germany, Denmark and Italy. It was a bit of a baptism by fire as I was the only cast member who’d never done the show before, but it was a real success! I now couldn’t be more excited to be heading out on the Australia tour in 2020.
What has been your favourite song to perform?
I’m lucky enough to sing some really fun songs in the show like “The Pina Colada Song” and “Somebody to Love” by Queen. However, there’s a really beautiful a capella arrangement of Sia’s “Chandelier” that was the first song I heard from the show, and was also used as the audition for the show, so now getting to sing that on stage every night is a real full circle- pinch me moment. It’s such a cracking arrangement and the reaction it gets from audiences makes it a really special moment in the show.
Why do you think people love The Choir of Man?
Aside from the free beer we give the audience on stage before the show? Haha. I think people are drawn to the high energy and the feel-good nature of the show. After all we are just 9 normal guys on stage having a sing, playing some instruments and inviting you into our pub for the night. It’s personable, it’s relatable and it’s a lot of fun. It’s also got a really big heart- we call ourselves a family and the audience are made to feel like part of that family. Oh, and did I mention the free beer?!
Since the show is set in a pub… what is your drink of choice?
I’m a hardcore Elderflower Gin and Tonic fan- don’t judge me!
The Choir of Man opens at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Playhouse on December 28th.
Tickets and more information are available at TakeYourSeats.com.au.
