He is one of our best-loved stars of musical theatre, gracing the West End and the pop charts with his rich singing voice. But, reassuringly, not everything comes naturally to Michael Ball. Like everyone, this Broadway idol still has to practise.

I caught up with him fresh from rehearsals for a UK tour to accompany his latest album Both Sides Now, which, on Tuesday, hits New Theatre, Oxford.

“We’re doing our final day of rehearsals before heading off for the first gig,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to this tour. We’ve got some terrific musicians and singers with us and it’s going to be fun.”

The show will see the platinum-selling singer belting out songs from the album, recorded last year, straight after he finished his West End run as the eponymous Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It features hand-picked songs by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Katie Melua and Dolly Parton, along with musical classics by West End titans Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

“I’m chuffed with it,” he says. “And when I was presenting The One Show the other night they presented me with a gold disc. I had no idea — it was lovely.”

The album was the result of a long process of elimination, he explains. “I’d been collecting ideas for songs for a while, listening to them, then whittling down the list to a manageable number.

“They’re all very special to me and there were writers such as Dolly Parton, Joan Armatrading, Snow Patrol, whose songs I’d wanted to record for a while.

“With Dolly’s I Will Always Love You, I wanted to make the song quiet and intimate rather than do the obvious belty vocal gymnastics, so I hope people will like my version.

“I was surprised that no one had covered Joan’s Love and Affection before. We started the song with lots of lovely acoustic guitar and gorgeous chord changes and as it builds we added some gospel vocal harmonies. Joni Mitchell entered my life when I was at college and I took up busking with a friend of mine who played guitar while I sang. We found her songs were absolutely perfect for us, and she remains my favourite singer-songwriter of all time.
“Snow Patrol’s Run also means a lot to me and my family. When we hit that point just after midnight on New Year’s Eve when we’re all telling each other how much we love each other and this is the song we sing along to! And of course to be offered brand new songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Perfect Song) and Tim Rice (Fight the Fight) was fantastic.”
There is also a new version of Lloyd Webber’s Love Changes Everything (from Aspects of Love) which he previously took to Number Two and kept in the charts for 14 weeks.
Michael talks a lot about his family. His partner is the broadcaster and former Ready Stead Go! presenter Cathy McGowan. And although he has no children himself, he is close to to Cathy’s daughter Emma, and grandchildren Grace and Connor – to whom he is godfather.
His career as an actor and singer is, of course, breathtakingly wide-ranging. Millions know him as the original Marius in Les Misérables, as Alex in Aspects of Love, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and, now, as Sweeney. But swhich role, I ask, was his favourite?
“It’s hard to choose because all my roles have been so different,” he says. “I have loved playing all the characters — from the revolting Count Fosco in Woman In White to the beautiful Edna in Hairspray and the troubled Sweeney Todd. And of course there’s the brave young Marius in Les Misérables who started it all.”
With roles so demanding, I suggest
there must be a great deal of physical,
and even psychological preparation — whether that be for the plucky Marius
or the barbaric Todd.
“That’s an interesting one because there’s more than 25 years between playing the two,” he says. “When I landed the role of Marius I was very young and very nervous. It was such a thrilling prospect, being picked by Cameron Mackintosh to originate a character in a brand new musical based on Victor Hugo’s 19th-century novel. The music, lyrics, and story were so powerful that I just completely immersed myself in all of it to get to know the character of Marius and just tried to get past the stage of first night nerves as quickly as possible!.
“Sweeney Todd is probably my all time favourite Stephen Sondheim musical. I think the man is a genius and I love everything he’s written — Gypsy, Follies, A Little Night Music, all of them. I had wanted to play Sweeney Todd for years but I was hesitant because I thought no one would cast me as Sweeney — I never really thought I looked like a typical serial killer!
“But when it happened I spent time deciding how he should look. It was important to me to give him a very defined look, a sharpness and an edge. I toyed with the idea of shaving my head but decided that was too extreme, so I grew a goatee and a wore a dark, straight hairpiece that Sweeney can flick to hide his face. And we had a sort of smoky makeup palette to match his menacing outlook.”

But, he says, the most striking transformation was that required by stepping into the high heels of the flamboyant Edna Turnblad in Hairspray.
“When I took on the role of lovely Edna I hadn’t realised the extent women go through to get ready,” he laughs. “I mean, the heels, the makeup, the tights! Not to mention the massive (and extremely heavy) false boobs and fat suit. And I haven’t even started on the wigs. In the beginning it took about two hours to get ready. I had to work out what to put on first. But after a few months I managed to get the whole process down to about 40 minutes.
“I also worked on Edna’s voice and the Baltimore accent for which I had vocal coaching. I loved every minute of Hairspray. I think it’s one of the happiest experiences of my life.
“I loved Edna, the overweight, loving mother and housewife who would do anything to protect her family, and I did get a kick out of wearing the gorgeous long red dress in the final scene!”
And his single greatest achievement? “As an artist I’d probably pick winning the Olivier for Hairspray, performing at the Sydney Opera House, performing at my own BBC Proms, and stepping on the Broadway stage for the first time in Aspects of Love. Away from all that I’m happy to say it’s all about family. I feel absolutely blessed that they’re in my life and that they put up with me.”
Now aged 50, he added: “I meet the fans at most of the venues and I often see people I’ve met before. I really appreciate my fans’ loyalty and the least I can do is to acknowledge their support.”

 

 

 

Michael Ball: Both Sides Now
 

  • New Theatre, Oxford
  • Tuesday
     
  • Tickets: £38.50 from atgtickets.com