Interviews.
All of the following interviews have been collected from various sources. I have credited all of the interviews in which I know the original owner. Some are transcripts and translations from German interviews. These were not done by myself.
John is also interviewed in soap magazines such as Soaplife, Inside Soap and All About Soap but these are not published on the internet. However the News section will contain all recent magazine published interviews.
John is also interviewed in soap magazines such as Soaplife, Inside Soap and All About Soap but these are not published on the internet. However the News section will contain all recent magazine published interviews.
Interview John Partridge – Berlin, January 3rd 2003
MC:Would you please be so kind and introduce yourself to the readers?
JP: Hi, I’m John Partridge and I play the Rum Tum Tugger!
MC:How did you join CATS? What was your motivation to participate in this musical?
JP:I joined the show in 1988 when I was 16 and I was asked to join the show.Somebody saw me perform and I was asked to come to do an audition.
MC: And which production was that?
JP: That was on the 1st UK Tour of the show which was in 1988, in England.
MC:You’ve also been in Hamburg, London and the Video. What’s the fascination with CATS? What is so special about it? What makes you always come back to the show?
JP: Well, there’s 2 stories to that... *laughs*. The first story is CATS is what we call my unemployment benefit. So when I’m not working, when I’m not doing another show, I always come back to CATS, that’s one theory. The other theory is I never stay with the show long enough to get bored. I only ever do short stints in the show, only ever do 6 months, maybe a year a maximum. So I always feel I can come back to the part because I haven’t exhausted myself. I think if you stay with the production for 3 years at one time, you probably burn out with the show, then it’s very difficult to maintain everything 8 times a week, full power if you sustain a long contract, if you sign again and sign again.So I tend to sign for 6 months – I tend to get short contracts, like 4 months. So that’s the way I stay fresh. And also I stay fresh with the show because for me it’s a great part. Now the show is very much geared towards my interpretation of the role. In some ways, how the role was before and how the role is now, is probably different, and they – the producers of the show –allow me to play the role my way. And I’m very happy with that.
MC: Would you tell us a little bit about your role?
JP: My role... When you join the show – when I joined the show – Trevor Nunn gives you 3 words which sum up your character. And mine are “vain”, “perverse” and “inconsequent”. So those were my 3 words! They are your basic guideline to your character. When you’re doing the show for a long period of time, sometimes those things get lost, people forget exactly what it is they should be doing. So I found, you should always come back to these 3 words from Trevor Nunn or from God... for want of a better phrase, you can’t really go wrong, so that’s how I stay focused within the character of my role.
MC: And what do you like about your character? What aspects do you dislike?
JP:I like about my character that you do very little and get a lot of praise! *laughs* That’s the best part, these are normally the best roles – you come on, you do 5 minutes, then you go off – and you are the one they remember the most. These are the roles that any actor wants to play really for a long period of time. And also, it’s not an indepth character, it’s not an emotionally draining role which is also good for a long sustained run, it’s not something that I need to absorb before I go on. It’s very much a tongue-in-cheek character, it’s very much a throwaway-part. Sometimes you play a part that is slightly heavier and it stays with you for the day or as I would call a method-actor, I tend to live my roles. I tend to not leave them at the end of the stage, they tend to become worthiness of my character. With this role, it’s quite good as it’s a light piece, as it’s a light part and a feel-good character and a feel-good factor of the show, so for my life that’s actually a good thing, too.
MC: So you identify yourself with the character you play?
JP: I identify with the character 100%, yeah.
MC: Do you have any favourite song or scene in CATS?
JP: I would say the opening is my favourite piece in the show because I think it’s the most exciting piece of the show and it’s also before anyone knows what’s going on, so that’s when you have the chance to set the scene for the rest of the piece – so I would say the opening is my favourite part of the show.
MC:You are already an oldie on CATS, are you still nervous before the show?
JP:I’m never nervous before any show. I’m excited, I’m never nervous. I think nerves are for people that aren’t prepared – nerves are for people that don’t prepare very well and I tend to prepare very well. I know that might sound quite egocentric but I think nerves are for the unknown and before I go on the stage, before I take on a role, I make my business to know everything that is to know about it, so I can just enjoy the unexcited nervous energy as suppose to: ‘Oh my god – is this’ gonna work?’
[(fan) call for John
MC: So you have a lot of fans, don’t you?
JP: Yeah, I tend to have a lot of fans, yes – and I gear up to to them through the correct channels, not at stage doors.
MC: Is there a special role or character you would like to play, in any musical?
JP:I really wanted to play “Roger” in Rent, that was a character that I really wanted to play and that was something that professionally was very satisfying for me to do. A very tiring role. I played the part for one year and it conceived a lot of my life. But it was a very satisfying role, as far as an actor is concerned. As far as other roles I would like to play... Yeah, there are a few roles that I still would like to play. Obviously, the older you get, the roles take on a different form. Currently, there are 2 roles I would like to play. One of them is “Radames” in AIDA, which I had some experience with that company before. I would like to play that role. Another role I would like to play is “Hedwig” [in Hedwig and the angry Inch, annotation of the translator] and I’ve had also some discussions about that, too.
MC:Is there some funny tale, a funny event that happened to you during a CATS show?
JP:I think there’s always a funny story! – Something special...Let me think...Ok, we’ll come back to it.
MC:Could you describe a typical day for you as a CATS performer?
JP:As a CATS performer? A typical day, it’s kind of difficult to that because I have another business in the day, so basically my CATS time only starts as soon as I come into the building – so I keep it relatively short, as far as that is concerned. So most of my preparation for the show is very small, I don’t really do any preparation for the show. I don’t extensively warm up before the show, I don’t do a heavy vocal warm up, I don’t do a heavy physical warm up – I tend to get ready and get on. Well, I arrive at 6:30, I kind of have a coffee, I chat to my colleagues and I wait till the quarter hour call, then I put on my make up and I get dressed – my showtime is showtime! I don’t really prepare, I’m not a big preparer.
MC:Is it like that in every show or maybe just only in CATS?
JP:No, in every show! Tends to be – emotionals I do....A show is a job, it’s not my life. It’s what I do to make money and obviously I enjoy it, but it’s not something that conceives me so wholly that I need to take care of myself in the day, not go out in the evening – I’m not one of those performers. The show is the show. Fortunately for me, I’m able just to do it, I’m able to not prepare, I’m able to go on, I don’t need to psych myself up for who I am anyway. So I don’t need to kind of prepare myself for myself, you know what I mean? This is who I am, this is how I do it and it’s very easy for me just to walk on. So, that’s what I do - lucky for me!
MC: So it’s some kind of dream job for you?
JP: It’s a dream job in the sense that I get to do what I want to do and in this day and age and in our economic climate it’s not something that not many people I think have the grace to be able to fully do what they want to do, and I’m lucky enough to be able to make a good living by doing what I want to do and that’s very special, I think.
MC: Could you please summarize some important stages of your career?
JP: Important stages of my career were probably going to Royal Ballet School, that was my first... If I hadn’t gone away to school at a young age then maybe I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now – so I would say that was probably a milestone in setting me on my way to what I wanted to be. And then I would say getting my first gig, coming to the show the first time in the late introduced me to another way of life because I came from the classical background and musical theatre is very different to that. And then I would probably say meeting my first agent, my first manager who shaped the first part of my career and which is a man called Michael Somerton who helped me a lot in advising me what to do and what not to do because as good as an actor is, unless you have somebody behind you who has a bigger vision as equally as big as yours or you can’t do these things on your own. It’s not like you go to school and you learn to be an actor and then you become a star – it doesn’t work like that, you need somebody else to shape your career, to tell you which of the shows to go for, which not to go for, which jobs to take, which jobs not to take My first agent in that respect educated me in what would be right for me and what wouldn’t be right for me.
After that I moved to Europe. When I moved to Europe in 97, a period which I thought may not go so well for me, but as far as growing into a man and growing professionally. I did quite a lot of that here I stayed here till the millennium and I think that was a very important part for me as far as emotional growth and as far as feeling that I could leave London, and could leave the West End and the world wasn’t flat and I wouldn’t come 10 min. off the plane and thought there is another life outside and that was very important for me, not worrying about leaving London. Then after that, I would say, I’m pretty much were I am right now. I’m in my thirties now and it all seems to take care of itself, so I guess I did something right somewhere along the line, everything now has an order to it. I have a great new manager, a great new agent who I owe everything to, right now he takes care of everything for me, completely everything. He dots the ‘i’s’ and crosses the ‘t’s’ and says YES and NO without even consulting me. So a lot of my decisions, my professional decisions now I don’t make, someone else makes them for me, which takes the pressure off me and I can just come in 10 min before the show – I don’t have to worry about that now.
MC: Your first contact with CATS, did you see the show before you joined the cast?
JP: No, I hated musical theatre.
MC: You just slipped into it?
JP: I took a leap of faith, is the word I would use, somebody told me it would be a good thing for me to do, and I thought, okay, I’ve got nothing to lose. I was young and foolhearted ... *grins* No, I was young and went along with it and fortunately for me I did go along with it.
MC: So back to your funny story...
JP: Ok, funny story, funny story, think of a clean one... Funny story..ok... – Oh, the photos!! [he points to the pictures in his wardrobe] These are calender photos, we did a naked calender. We did a naked calender, the proceeds will to go to charity. We did hear of this from the technique guys of the show. I made Mister December. I always wanted to be Mister December and now I am!
There’s always funny things I do in the show. There was one particular incident. When I go through the auditorium at the beginning of my number I always try to find a bald head before I come on. But I couldn’t find a bald head and I was like, ‘There is no bald head here, mmmh...’ And I thought, ‘There might be a bald head under there, is there a bald head under there? I think there might be a bald head under there...’, so I went out and yes indeed, the guy had a toupet over it, and he must have been in his late 60’s. It probably wasn’t the most PC thing to do, but off came the toupet to a huge round of applause and needless to say he took it all very well. It was funny for me, probably not so funny for him, but – you know – *laughs*
MC: Finally would you like to say something personal to the people - maybe to your fans - that may read this interview?
JP: I’d like to say on a serious note, thank you to anyone who comes to a show, to supports the show because they love it, or because of me, maybe me, either one. Usually these shows are so successful because people will come back again and again and again – and you know - and again and again *chuckles* And I’m very grateful for that, I mean we all are very grateful for that. Its not just the actors on stage, if you put on a show like CATS it involves a lot of people and without those people coming back there wouldn’t be so many of us in the job. So for that I’m very grateful, but that is something that should be said.
MC: Thank you very much!
JP: Thank YOU very much, very short and sweet.
"Theater Am Potsdammer Platz: Musical star John Partridge plays his favorite role in his favorite city." Tuggerine Translated.
You came to the rehearsals just 3 weeks before the first show! How come?
I had another engagement in London, in ‘Taboo’ with and by Boy George. When I got the offer to go back to Berlin, I agreed right away. My boyfriend lives here and I love this city. The chance to be able to perform here again came very unexpected. It’s very difficult for an actor to get work in Berlin – and particular a dream role!
The director and choreographer Gillian Lynne had decided to set up a pure german cast, but then they cast you in London for the role of the Rum Tum Tugger. Did Gillian have a good old think about that?
Yes, I think so. Gillian knows me since I first performed CATS on stage when I was 17, now I’m 31. She’s seen me as Rum Tum Tugger from the start and watched me grow with that role. But she does continuously look for new performers. That she actually chose me again, makes me really proud.
In how many productions have you been performing as Rum Tum Tugger?
In four, in London, Hamburg, on the UK-Tour and in the CATS-Video. But it was never boring. That role was written for me, the more often I performed it, the more of myself filtered into it.
Whats so special about this role?
The Rum Tum Tugger is someone, that excites the people. He spreads a good time, touches everyone with his enthusiasm. I’m exactly like that myself when I’m on stage – and also off stage.
The audience loves you for it. Could it be, its because your not just turning on the women but also men?
Of course, I want to turn on both. That’s what makes it successful and that’s the thrill – to be sexy for men and women. I love to play with this and fool around with it.
The critics in german newspapers are excellent. What do you think of CATS-Berlin?
Well, I honestly have to say, that this production is at least as good as in London, if not better . The cast and staff are absolutely professional! Besides, what I really like is, that the cast is fairly old, on average – around 30. This raises the acting qualities.
Your stage german is really good.
(laughs) Yes, they taught us with the whip!
Do you speak german offstage as well?
My boyfriend is Italian, so we don’t necessarily speak german at home. I tried all different ways to learn german, but it just doesn’t work. That’s why now I’m going to the university 3 times a week in the mornings.
Many of the performers think that Berlin is one of the most exciting cities in the world – what do you think?
That’s true, Berlin is the most fantastic city in Europe! Such a lot is going on here. We live in Friedrichshain and I already met such a lot of interesting people in that area. Besides that, I have a band and my band-members came along with me. We take in everything around us and get totally influenced by it.
What kind of music do you play?
Particulary Electro-punk. The band is called ‘Machtlos’ (powerless). In a couple of days, when our third band member arrives from his world tour with Patricia Kaas, we will start to play in Berlin.
Have you been in the music-business very long?
I was working as a dancer in video-clips, f.e. in ‘Real Thing’ by U2. I got to know the company that way. Later I also worked with Pet shop boys, Kim Wilde, Nenneh Cherry, Pete Townsend, Mica Paris and Ultra Nate as a background singer.
Which three locations in Berlin would you suggest to go and see to someone, who comes to Berlin for the first time?
That is difficult. Well, I would most definitely go to the restaurant No. 55 (near the University). You get a brilliant view over all of Berlin. Than the Jazz-bar ‘Soul Trane’ in the Stilwerk in the Kantstrasse – its just fantastic there. And then the Technikmuseum (museum of technology). Its great. And they do the best cappuccinos.
Right, the show will begin soon so I better leave you alone to put on your make-up. They say it takes a performer up to 2 hours to put it on!
(laughs) Oh, I only need 15 minutes. I throw all the make-up into the air, put my face underneath, then the make up falls onto it just the way it should.
It’s home, sweet home for Miss Saigon star - Jeni Harvey
November 24, 2005
HIT MUSICAL 'Miss Saigon', currently the largest touring musical in the UK, began its run at the Palace Theatre last night (Wednesday).
And local man John Partridge will take one of the lead roles in the epic production, which features more than 50 actors and musicians and is already taking the North West by storm.
Set in 1975 during the final days leading up to the American evacuation of Saigon, Miss Saigon is a heart-rending love story about the relationship between an American GI and a young Vietnamese woman.
John will take the role of his namesake, American GI John, who is one of the most interesting and rounded characters in the show.
And in the middle of his non-stop schedule, the accomplished actor took time out to catch up with the Guardian.
"I play John, Chris (the lead character's) best friend. It's quite interesting for me as an actor, because most of the characters are pretty much one-dimensional, but John isn't.
"In the first half he's your typical soldier's soldier, a typical man's man, whereas in the second half John realises that what they were fighting for wasn't what he wanted.
"He starts up a foundation to get all the displaced children back with their American fathers. You see a completely different character, so I get to play two totally different roles."
Although he was born into an ordinary Radcliffe family, at the age of just 10 John followed his dream and moved down to the bright lights of London to train with the Royal Ballet School.
Success followed in everything from theatre shows to musicals to television programmes, and he is now based in Berlin, working as a popular soap star. But, ever the family man, he'll be back in North Manchester for the festive season.
John said: "I wanted to do Miss Saigon and, because I'm in Manchester for Christmas, it's a great opportunity to see my family.
"When I was young I went to Radcliffe United Reformed Church with my family and was involved in productions there. I went to a local music school and, when I was 10, my teacher Rita thought I could take it further.
"I auditioned for the Royal Ballet School, got in, and moved down to London. Then, when I was 16, I auditioned for 'Cats' and it went from there.
"It was a bit of a Billy Elliott story - my family aren't musical and I come from a traditional, working class, northern background."
John also offered young townsfolk some advice on how to get into showbusiness.
He said: "I think, if you have a passion for something and if you've got something inside you that tells you you want to do that, then that's the best thing.
"It's like most things - you have to work hard and you have to want it. There are hundreds and thousand of people out there who want it, so you have to really want it and really work at it.
"It's a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work."
November 24, 2005
HIT MUSICAL 'Miss Saigon', currently the largest touring musical in the UK, began its run at the Palace Theatre last night (Wednesday).
And local man John Partridge will take one of the lead roles in the epic production, which features more than 50 actors and musicians and is already taking the North West by storm.
Set in 1975 during the final days leading up to the American evacuation of Saigon, Miss Saigon is a heart-rending love story about the relationship between an American GI and a young Vietnamese woman.
John will take the role of his namesake, American GI John, who is one of the most interesting and rounded characters in the show.
And in the middle of his non-stop schedule, the accomplished actor took time out to catch up with the Guardian.
"I play John, Chris (the lead character's) best friend. It's quite interesting for me as an actor, because most of the characters are pretty much one-dimensional, but John isn't.
"In the first half he's your typical soldier's soldier, a typical man's man, whereas in the second half John realises that what they were fighting for wasn't what he wanted.
"He starts up a foundation to get all the displaced children back with their American fathers. You see a completely different character, so I get to play two totally different roles."
Although he was born into an ordinary Radcliffe family, at the age of just 10 John followed his dream and moved down to the bright lights of London to train with the Royal Ballet School.
Success followed in everything from theatre shows to musicals to television programmes, and he is now based in Berlin, working as a popular soap star. But, ever the family man, he'll be back in North Manchester for the festive season.
John said: "I wanted to do Miss Saigon and, because I'm in Manchester for Christmas, it's a great opportunity to see my family.
"When I was young I went to Radcliffe United Reformed Church with my family and was involved in productions there. I went to a local music school and, when I was 10, my teacher Rita thought I could take it further.
"I auditioned for the Royal Ballet School, got in, and moved down to London. Then, when I was 16, I auditioned for 'Cats' and it went from there.
"It was a bit of a Billy Elliott story - my family aren't musical and I come from a traditional, working class, northern background."
John also offered young townsfolk some advice on how to get into showbusiness.
He said: "I think, if you have a passion for something and if you've got something inside you that tells you you want to do that, then that's the best thing.
"It's like most things - you have to work hard and you have to want it. There are hundreds and thousand of people out there who want it, so you have to really want it and really work at it.
"It's a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work."
Interview from Rainbow Magazine.
LUCKY STAR.
John Partridge, star of the musical, Notre Dame De Paris talks success and rebellion to Tim Mowbray.
John Partridge, star of the West End musical Notre Dame De Paris, makes success seem easy. When he was ten years old, he landed a place at the prestigious Royal Ballet School despite being "a pretty bad dancer". He then went on to study at Bush Davies dance school and the DBC where he was expelled for misbehaving, before landing a role in Cats aged 17. Since, he has appeared in everything from Jesus Christ Superstar to Rent, despite railing against the all-consuming theatrical lifestyle. "In some ways, I'm not hungry enough but I would'nt want to be. There's something ugly about that," he says "I love performing but I only love to do it two hours a day".
His school record seems to have reflected this need to live life the way he wanted it rather than the way he was expected. "I was really naughty, I got asked to leave every single school. They allowed me back after a couple of years but it did'nt work out. I just went around, did them all and had to go back round again." His dancing gave him an exscuse to carry on. "Dancing was easy for me and I was spoilt in a way; I would always put myself in these situations,do things I knew I should'nt be doing, but I liked it quite alot at the time," he says mischeviously "Whatever I did I just wanted more.It was never enough, I always wanted to go that bit further, stick my neck out. I'm still like that, never really satisfied."
Coming out was equally chaotic. "I'd been on the phone calling chat lines and my sister had gone upstairs and listened to this filthy conversation. She was like "What do you think you're doing?"and I said "What do you think I'm doing with your green mohair V kneck jumper on....." His parents did'nt fare much easier with his wild behaviour. "One of the schools I got expelled from was for doing "things" with boys" he says in a whisper. "My Dad had to pick me up from school so I'm sure he must have known what for but we never talked about it. After that he always described me as "theatrical" but, ofcourse, it was nothing to do with that."
Despite this,his Mother eventually came round. "My first boyfriend was 6ft 4" and Jamaican. And I thought, she's not going to take this very well.But the only thing she said was, 'Eh, bloody hell John,you'd never know would ya.' She was brilliant from then on but I think it helped that we were together for along time, I was 16 when we met and we were together for seven years.She could see that I was looked after, in a kind of "straight" way. She could think, you've got a house, a car, a dog."
Today, Partridge lives with his German boyfriend in Berlin. A place he calls home but often has to leave for work purporses.He got the part in Notre Dame in August and plans to stay well into next year if he can. "It's an all round pleasant experience because I only do five shows a week.I was quite worried about coming back (to London) because you usually do eight shows a week and that's very tiring."
Despite the show being panned by critics, Partridge remains positive. "The show's about high vocals. It's not high art but it breaks alot of rules and we have been slagged off for that. If something is different it's the first thing to be attacked." he says. He describes the show as "pop-up story book. It's a real spectacle.We've got olympic gymnasts. There's quite a circus element to it." Based on the novel by Victor Hugo about the Hunch Back of Notre Dame and his love for Esmerelda, the show is broken up into musical segements, like a concert. Partridge plays the narrator, Gringoire. "I come on in the beginning and tell the audience what they are going to see, introduce the cast and then move in and out of the show like a thread running through it."
He no longer takes dancing roles. A few years back he had an operation on his knee and he know sings for his supper. Does he miss dancing? "No. Dance requires discipline and it's something I don't have. It's alright when you're young (he is only 29), you can still put your legs around behind your ears. But the older you get, the more and more maintenance it requires. Nowadays, the only things I ask myself before taking a role are, do I want it and can I earn a decent pay cheque. I would rather be out of work than doing something I don't like. I like this." Thank God.
20 April 2008 Bealey Elliot By Jon Wise [email protected]
When actor John Partridge landed a plum role in EastEnders it was a bolt from the blue.
The star who has worked in theatre for 20 years had never even thought of telly until producers came calling.
But now - as Jane Beale's gay brother Christian - he's set to be as important to Walford as Arthur's bench or Dot's cigs.
In his first-ever interview John, 36, tells about being a real-life Billy Elliot, the tragic death of his dad, finding love - and that gay kiss with confused teenager Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell, 19) that shocked viewers on Friday night.
Q I Hear you were a real-life Billy Elliot as a kid. What happened?
A yep you could say that. I was brought up in Bury in Lancashire, but when I was 10 I won a place at the Royal Ballet School in London. It was incredible. They only take 20 new entrants a year and I got a place so off I went to school in Richmond, Surrey.
Q Did you get stick from your friends and family?
A i Come from an extremely working class background in a Lancashire papermill town but everybody was made up for me. It's pretty much a Billy Elliot story and actually the real-life Billy Elliot, Philip Mosley, was my mentor at school. He was great and spoke in the same accent as me, which was good because I couldn't understand what people were saying for a while.
Q What happened when you left school at 16?
A i Went straight into Cats the musical. I was never going to be good enough to be a ballet soloist so I figured, if I am not good enough to be the best then I'm not going to do it.
Q So suddenly you are living in London at 16 and working?
A yep. I was out every night of the week. When I think about it now I was so many shades of wrong it's not true. But somehow I was always a bit older than my years. I was very responsible at work and always there and giving it my all. I did Cats on and off for eight years over 18 years. My knees are knackered. I've had a lot of surgery. I've had four operations on them so there's not so much I can do any more.
Q Your dad George passed away when you were 17. How did you deal with that as a teenager?
A i Didn't have a very close relationship with him because he was a lot older. He was 51 when I was born. But I loved him and he loved me and when he died it was incredibly sad.
Q What happened?
A at the Christmas he told us he had a tumour but said it was nothing to worry about. Because I was away, the magnitude of it didn't really register with me. I got a knock on the door at about 6am at the squat where I lived and it was the police. They said they'd had a call from Manch ester police to say that my father was in hospital and was hanging on for me to get there.
Q Did you manage to make it back home in time?
A i Jumped on a train and got there at 5pm. My sister was four months' pregnant and my dad asked me to take her home. We left at about 11pm. He was a Scottish guy and Hogmanay was important to him. He hung on and hung on and he let the bells come in at midnight. Then my mum said to him "George you can go now" and five minutes later he passed away. At that point I still hadn't officially come out as gay. My dad dying opened that door to talk about it with my mum and that's when we started that part of our relationship. I have a great family, I really do.
Q What would your dad have made of you in EastEnders?
A he would have loved it. He was so proud of my sister and me and the great thing was that when I very first opened in Cats he got to see that.
Q You live with your partner.Tell me about him.
Ahe's called Jon Tsouras and is Greek Canadian and he is 26. We've been together four years and he's great. He's an actor and is in the Lord Of The Rings musical which means he works nights and we don't see each other much. We're like ships in the night.
Q Where did you meet each other?
A while I was working in Berlin. I had moved there for love in 1997 and was there about six weeks when it all went wrong. Rather than come home I decided to stay. That was about three years before I met Jon. He was the reason we came back to England. He wanted to work here.
Q How did you land the EastEnders role?
A i Was doing a theatre show and they saw me and thought I would be right.When my agent told me I had got it, I felt sick. I thought it must have been a fluke and now I am actually going to have to come up with the goods. I was terrified. Everything kicked in. I am just getting over it now.
Q What advice have you been given?
A i Am good friends with Tamzin Outhwaite. She told me to keep my head down and just focus on the work.
Q Are you ready for people recognising you?
A it takes me an hour and a half to get to work on the train. People keep telling me I won't be able to do that any more. So far it's been fine.
Q Are you worried about the reaction to a gay character?
A no, not until someone says it. Coming into EastEnders is pressure enough itself.
Q When Steven lunged at Christian for a kiss what happened?
A i think that was probably the first time Christian's been lost for words. Christian had correctly guessed Steven's a virgin but when the lad made a move and tried to kiss him there was a bit of a scuffle.
Q Steven tries to pretend nothing's happened by dating Stacey Slater and flaunting her?
A steven is just covering up. Christian's really not interested in him sexually - he just wants to be a mate.
Q I Hear you've had a few topless scenes?
A i've had a few and one where I'm in small shorts in the Vic. Then I lose the shorts. I had a nice little pouch and I am carefully disguised with Roxy's kimono on. It's my first TV role, and Iamin EastEnders naked. Luckily it was over in a flash, pardon the pun.
When actor John Partridge landed a plum role in EastEnders it was a bolt from the blue.
The star who has worked in theatre for 20 years had never even thought of telly until producers came calling.
But now - as Jane Beale's gay brother Christian - he's set to be as important to Walford as Arthur's bench or Dot's cigs.
In his first-ever interview John, 36, tells about being a real-life Billy Elliot, the tragic death of his dad, finding love - and that gay kiss with confused teenager Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell, 19) that shocked viewers on Friday night.
Q I Hear you were a real-life Billy Elliot as a kid. What happened?
A yep you could say that. I was brought up in Bury in Lancashire, but when I was 10 I won a place at the Royal Ballet School in London. It was incredible. They only take 20 new entrants a year and I got a place so off I went to school in Richmond, Surrey.
Q Did you get stick from your friends and family?
A i Come from an extremely working class background in a Lancashire papermill town but everybody was made up for me. It's pretty much a Billy Elliot story and actually the real-life Billy Elliot, Philip Mosley, was my mentor at school. He was great and spoke in the same accent as me, which was good because I couldn't understand what people were saying for a while.
Q What happened when you left school at 16?
A i Went straight into Cats the musical. I was never going to be good enough to be a ballet soloist so I figured, if I am not good enough to be the best then I'm not going to do it.
Q So suddenly you are living in London at 16 and working?
A yep. I was out every night of the week. When I think about it now I was so many shades of wrong it's not true. But somehow I was always a bit older than my years. I was very responsible at work and always there and giving it my all. I did Cats on and off for eight years over 18 years. My knees are knackered. I've had a lot of surgery. I've had four operations on them so there's not so much I can do any more.
Q Your dad George passed away when you were 17. How did you deal with that as a teenager?
A i Didn't have a very close relationship with him because he was a lot older. He was 51 when I was born. But I loved him and he loved me and when he died it was incredibly sad.
Q What happened?
A at the Christmas he told us he had a tumour but said it was nothing to worry about. Because I was away, the magnitude of it didn't really register with me. I got a knock on the door at about 6am at the squat where I lived and it was the police. They said they'd had a call from Manch ester police to say that my father was in hospital and was hanging on for me to get there.
Q Did you manage to make it back home in time?
A i Jumped on a train and got there at 5pm. My sister was four months' pregnant and my dad asked me to take her home. We left at about 11pm. He was a Scottish guy and Hogmanay was important to him. He hung on and hung on and he let the bells come in at midnight. Then my mum said to him "George you can go now" and five minutes later he passed away. At that point I still hadn't officially come out as gay. My dad dying opened that door to talk about it with my mum and that's when we started that part of our relationship. I have a great family, I really do.
Q What would your dad have made of you in EastEnders?
A he would have loved it. He was so proud of my sister and me and the great thing was that when I very first opened in Cats he got to see that.
Q You live with your partner.Tell me about him.
Ahe's called Jon Tsouras and is Greek Canadian and he is 26. We've been together four years and he's great. He's an actor and is in the Lord Of The Rings musical which means he works nights and we don't see each other much. We're like ships in the night.
Q Where did you meet each other?
A while I was working in Berlin. I had moved there for love in 1997 and was there about six weeks when it all went wrong. Rather than come home I decided to stay. That was about three years before I met Jon. He was the reason we came back to England. He wanted to work here.
Q How did you land the EastEnders role?
A i Was doing a theatre show and they saw me and thought I would be right.When my agent told me I had got it, I felt sick. I thought it must have been a fluke and now I am actually going to have to come up with the goods. I was terrified. Everything kicked in. I am just getting over it now.
Q What advice have you been given?
A i Am good friends with Tamzin Outhwaite. She told me to keep my head down and just focus on the work.
Q Are you ready for people recognising you?
A it takes me an hour and a half to get to work on the train. People keep telling me I won't be able to do that any more. So far it's been fine.
Q Are you worried about the reaction to a gay character?
A no, not until someone says it. Coming into EastEnders is pressure enough itself.
Q When Steven lunged at Christian for a kiss what happened?
A i think that was probably the first time Christian's been lost for words. Christian had correctly guessed Steven's a virgin but when the lad made a move and tried to kiss him there was a bit of a scuffle.
Q Steven tries to pretend nothing's happened by dating Stacey Slater and flaunting her?
A steven is just covering up. Christian's really not interested in him sexually - he just wants to be a mate.
Q I Hear you've had a few topless scenes?
A i've had a few and one where I'm in small shorts in the Vic. Then I lose the shorts. I had a nice little pouch and I am carefully disguised with Roxy's kimono on. It's my first TV role, and Iamin EastEnders naked. Luckily it was over in a flash, pardon the pun.
A dance injury brought me to my knees, says EastEnders star
By Harriet Griffey
Last updated at 9:52 PM on 28th June 2008
New moves: John has found fame in his role as Christian in EastEnders
EastEnders actor John Partridge would not be on our screens were it not for his knees. The 36-year-old joined the cast earlier this year as Christian Clarke, the gay brother of Ian Beale's wife Jane, and quickly became a favourite on the show.
But John actually started out as a dancer until repeated injury forced him off the stage and in front of the camera.
At the age of ten, John left his working-class Lancashire home to join the Royal Ballet School where he was the year below Darcey Bussell.
'We pushed ourselves physically - it was a very competitive atmosphere. I decided I didn't want a career in classical ballet so when I left, aged 16, I went straight into the cast of Cats.'
John suffered his first major injury at 24, when he tore the meniscus cartilage (one of two pads of cartilage between the femur and tibia in the knee joint) in his right leg.
'I was in the musical Tommy and there was a lot of high-impact work which is hard on the knees. I had surgery to repair it and because I was already very fit, I made a quick recovery and was back at work two weeks later.
'You have to remember that as dancers we're used to physical problems. Chronic tendonitis - inflammation of tendons - in the knees was something else I suffered from. It is inevitable in a physical job. I was then fine for about five years.'
The second injury came in 2002, when John went back into Cats playing Rum Tum Tugger. 'On the evening after the opening night, the meniscus cartilage tore in my right knee, but this time it tore so badly it also affected the ligament.' Six weeks later, another agonising disaster struck John when he ruptured the cruciate ligaments - this time in both knees.
It was awful, I felt my knees go and I knew I'd done something terrible. It was hideously painful and I was in plaster for six weeks. Then I was back in the show four weeks after that, gently working my way up to full fitness.'
Mark Rickman, orthopaedic surgeon and knee specialist, says: 'The meniscus cartilage sits on top of the tibia (shin bone) and acts as a shock absorber.
'Cartilage and ligament injuries are often sports injuries, typically occurring in young people.
'Repairing the cartilage usually consists of trimming off the torn bit, smoothing the edge but keeping as much of it as possible so it can continue to protect the joint.
'The two cruciate ligaments cross over within the knee joint, stabilising the joint from front to back, and are also at risk from sports injuries - football, squash, skiing - wherever there is a twisting movement.
Dancers push themselves beyond normal limits and their joints tend to be hyper-lax so they have greater flexibility.
'But because their muscles are so well toned, the recovery time from injury can be quicker than for most people, although many end up with chronic joint problems after a 20-year career.
'Surgery is done through two 5mm incisions either side of the knee, called an arthroscopy,' says Rickman.
'A fibre-optic camera is inserted in one side, the surgical instruments in the other, rather than in the past when the knee was opened up.
'Often referred to as "keyhole" surgery, it reduces swelling and recovery time, and the aim is to get the patient up as soon as possible.
'The biggest risk to knee joints after sport and accidental injuries is obesity, and a body mass index of more than 30 inevitably leads to arthritis because the entire weight-bearing load of the body is transferred through the knees.'
John knew that as a dancer, his career hung in the balance. 'I was not dancing like I had before, I could not push myself, because my knees didn't feel the same.
'Because of my knee problems I had moved more into singing roles in musical theatre. When I was appearing in The Drowsy Chaperone last autumn, I was seen by an EastEnders producer looking to cast a new character. He contacted my agent and I was asked to audition.
'I got the part, which was great as I knew my days as a full-time dancer were limited because of my age.
'After the discipline of working out every day as a dancer since I was ten years old, it feels odd not to exercise daily, but I do Pilates, running, stretching or weights, five days a week.
'On the set at EastEnders, I take myself off during lunch for a quick session in the gym because exercise is so much part of my life.'
By Harriet Griffey
Last updated at 9:52 PM on 28th June 2008
New moves: John has found fame in his role as Christian in EastEnders
EastEnders actor John Partridge would not be on our screens were it not for his knees. The 36-year-old joined the cast earlier this year as Christian Clarke, the gay brother of Ian Beale's wife Jane, and quickly became a favourite on the show.
But John actually started out as a dancer until repeated injury forced him off the stage and in front of the camera.
At the age of ten, John left his working-class Lancashire home to join the Royal Ballet School where he was the year below Darcey Bussell.
'We pushed ourselves physically - it was a very competitive atmosphere. I decided I didn't want a career in classical ballet so when I left, aged 16, I went straight into the cast of Cats.'
John suffered his first major injury at 24, when he tore the meniscus cartilage (one of two pads of cartilage between the femur and tibia in the knee joint) in his right leg.
'I was in the musical Tommy and there was a lot of high-impact work which is hard on the knees. I had surgery to repair it and because I was already very fit, I made a quick recovery and was back at work two weeks later.
'You have to remember that as dancers we're used to physical problems. Chronic tendonitis - inflammation of tendons - in the knees was something else I suffered from. It is inevitable in a physical job. I was then fine for about five years.'
The second injury came in 2002, when John went back into Cats playing Rum Tum Tugger. 'On the evening after the opening night, the meniscus cartilage tore in my right knee, but this time it tore so badly it also affected the ligament.' Six weeks later, another agonising disaster struck John when he ruptured the cruciate ligaments - this time in both knees.
It was awful, I felt my knees go and I knew I'd done something terrible. It was hideously painful and I was in plaster for six weeks. Then I was back in the show four weeks after that, gently working my way up to full fitness.'
Mark Rickman, orthopaedic surgeon and knee specialist, says: 'The meniscus cartilage sits on top of the tibia (shin bone) and acts as a shock absorber.
'Cartilage and ligament injuries are often sports injuries, typically occurring in young people.
'Repairing the cartilage usually consists of trimming off the torn bit, smoothing the edge but keeping as much of it as possible so it can continue to protect the joint.
'The two cruciate ligaments cross over within the knee joint, stabilising the joint from front to back, and are also at risk from sports injuries - football, squash, skiing - wherever there is a twisting movement.
Dancers push themselves beyond normal limits and their joints tend to be hyper-lax so they have greater flexibility.
'But because their muscles are so well toned, the recovery time from injury can be quicker than for most people, although many end up with chronic joint problems after a 20-year career.
'Surgery is done through two 5mm incisions either side of the knee, called an arthroscopy,' says Rickman.
'A fibre-optic camera is inserted in one side, the surgical instruments in the other, rather than in the past when the knee was opened up.
'Often referred to as "keyhole" surgery, it reduces swelling and recovery time, and the aim is to get the patient up as soon as possible.
'The biggest risk to knee joints after sport and accidental injuries is obesity, and a body mass index of more than 30 inevitably leads to arthritis because the entire weight-bearing load of the body is transferred through the knees.'
John knew that as a dancer, his career hung in the balance. 'I was not dancing like I had before, I could not push myself, because my knees didn't feel the same.
'Because of my knee problems I had moved more into singing roles in musical theatre. When I was appearing in The Drowsy Chaperone last autumn, I was seen by an EastEnders producer looking to cast a new character. He contacted my agent and I was asked to audition.
'I got the part, which was great as I knew my days as a full-time dancer were limited because of my age.
'After the discipline of working out every day as a dancer since I was ten years old, it feels odd not to exercise daily, but I do Pilates, running, stretching or weights, five days a week.
'On the set at EastEnders, I take myself off during lunch for a quick session in the gym because exercise is so much part of my life.'
Fame and fortune: John Partridge
The ‘Billy Elliot of EastEnders’ has swapped the stage for soap and is loving it
JOHN PARTRIDGE is best known for his role in the prime-time BBC soap EastEnders. Since January, he has played charmer Christian Clarke.
He originally trained as a dancer at the Royal Ballet School and then specialised in musical theatre at the Bush Davies and Doreen Bird performing arts schools.
At the age of 16 he joined the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. His other musicals include Tommy, Starlight Express, Grease and Miss Saigon. Last year he appeared alongside Elaine Paige in The Drowsy Chaperone.
Partridge, 37, lives with his boyfriend Jon in Greenwich. How much money do you have in your wallet? I carry barely any cash round with me, I pay for most things by card.
Do you prefer debit or credit cards? Larger purchases go on the credit card and smaller purchases go on the debit card. I use NatWest for all of my accounts.
Are you more of a saver than a spender? I am a saver, but I’m quite a messy one. I do save, but it’s slightly random. I separate Vat, my mortgage and tax into three accounts.
How much did you earn last year? A six-figure sum. My salary has steadily increased from year to year. I have done musical theatre for nearly 20 years. Last year I was in a show called the Drowsy Chaperone at the Novello theatre with Elaine Page and that is where I was spotted for EastEnders. I loved that show and all the people in it. It was fantastic to work with Elaine. She is a musical theatre icon and I would go as far as saying a national treasure. It was about everybody else’s performance as well as her own. For a lead role you can get anything from £1,450 to £4,000 a week. I was in it for four months. I am paid per episode on EastEnders and you are guaranteed on contract a certain number of episodes, so you know roughly how much you can make and then there is a bonus. I am having the time of my life on EastEnders. The fact that in one day there may be 30 scenes to shoot or produce, and to be able to turn that out with such a degree of quality is really no small feat. It is a skill in itself to be working in this genre. I have done quite a few commercials. If you are on a repeat, commercials make a lot of money but on a buy-out, where you don’t get repeats, not so much. But generally you can look to be making £18,000 to £20,000 even if you are on a buy-out. I made £53,000 for a Cadbury’s Twirl one. I will never eat a Twirl again; we ate thousands of them! That was in 1990. I didn’t do any commercials this year because I am now the sole commodity of the BBC. They are very strict, understandably so.
What was in your first pay packet? When I first went into Cats and joined the ensemble in 1988 I probably made £275 a week before tax and then I went on to play principal roles so obviously it went up.
Have you ever been hard up? I come from a working-class background, from a northern industrial town – paper mills, that type of thing. We never had much money but we didn’t want for anything. When I went to ballet school I managed to get a government-funded scholarship. My sister danced and I used to go pick her up and watch the last half hour and I decided I wanted to do it. It was one huge adventure. Somehow I knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, coming from the background that I come from. I do get the comparison to Billy Elliot quite a lot, but there were a few of us from a similar background because there is no snobbery or elitism in the selection.
What is the most lucrative work you have ever done? Did you use the fee for something special? As an actor, you can’t beat television. Right now I am in my most lucrative phase. In youth you spend it straightaway but as I become older and wiser I’ve become better with all of that and you want less.
What property do you own? I am sleeping on a friend’s floor at the moment as we wait to move into our new house. The house cost £400,000. We actually got £25,000 off and that is the good thing about the market right now. It had been on the market for more than a year and people are willing to take lower offers. It was going for £475,000 last year. It’s a Corbett-style house in Greenwich, built in the beginning of 1900s. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, both en suite. It is in a family area and is near a quite sought-after primary school so it will be great for resale. We pulled out of two properties before that, so we have spent over £10,000 on surveyors and we haven’t even moved. Each time we have gone through the process of applying for a house it has taken six weeks and interest rates have gone up by a big margin in the meantime. The first offer we got was 5.24%; we had to pull out of that and the next offer was 5.79%; and now we have ended up paying 6.54%. I think mortgage companies are making it impossible for first-time buyers.
Do you invest in shares? No I don’t. I think you should invest in things that you know about and I have no idea about shares. I would rather invest in bricks and mortar.
Property or pension? Oh God, property. I used to have an equity pension then I left the country for so long I stopped paying into it. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to come back.
Are you financially better off than your parents? Do I manage my money better than them? No. But am I better off, yes. I am a generous son but much to their disgust I am the type of person who will spend £200 on a pair of sunglasses; they think it’s slightly ostentatious.
What has been your worst investment? An old Mercedes coupé I paid £7,000 for. It looked good but was a pile of junk. I think I drove it for two weeks and it was written off – it was absolutely a death trap. And your best? I would have to say my house and my boyfriend.
What aspect of our tax system would you change? Stamp duty for first-time buyers. It is outrageous to expect first-time buyers who are struggling to get on the ladder to be taxed on top, which adds virtually a third on to their costs again. Stamp duty has added about £13,000-£14,000 on top of our deposit.
What is your financial priority? My priority for the future would be paying off as much as I can from my mortgage. We are willing to pay extra lump sums as well as the normal repayments. I am hoping to pay it off in seven years.
Do you have a money weakness? I do spend a lot of money on groceries. I love cooking, I love to eat and we always have lovely things in the fridge. We have tended to stop eating out now and eat more at home. But with the credit crunch I have seen my weekly grocery bill increase by 35%. One specification with our house was that we needed a vegetable patch to grow our own.
What is the most important thing you have learnt about money? The difference between gross and net, really. You really can’t put off paying tax because I have been stung before that way. I was fined before when a bill for around £40,000 came in and it took me two years to pay if off.
FROM CATS TO ALBERT SQUARE.
By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • August 28, 2008 - 13:35
John Partridge confides that he is slowly getting used to being recognised everywhere he goes.
As the actor who plays Christian Clarke on EastEnders, the attention is understandable.
"The overall response has been fine," he tells PinkNews.co.uk when we call do discuss his support for animal charity PDSA.
"You lose your ability to people watch because they instantly know who you are - that is the biggest change.
"People have been great - they only say good things.
"I always get my standard "you are not really gay are you?"
"Everyone asks that."
Well for the record, both John and his EastEnders character are gay. Sorry ladies.
At 37, the fame that comes with soaps is unlikely to turn his head much.
After all, he has been in the business since he was a child.
At age 10 he left Manchester to take his place at the Royal Ballet Lower School in Richmond, west London.
A shy Northern lad, he was given support from an older pupil who would find fame too.
"They give you a father figure, a 5th year boy to look after. Phillip Mosley was mine.
"We Had similar background - he was from Sheffield."
The dancer who inspired Billy Elliot, Mosley joined the Royal Ballet in 1986.
As for John, he "just wanted to work" and he certainly did lots of that.
At 17, he was in the cast of the original UK tour of CATS and stayed with the musical for years.
He has had consistent success in musicals ever since, everything from Rent, Taboo, Starlight Express to Notre Dame de Paris.
"When you are 16 of course you think about fame, and as you get out into the world and get the rejections, you just want to be a jobbing actor," he explains.
"I can dance a bit, sing a bit and act a bit. I can always fall back on one of those!"
He says that TV was not an aspiration before EastEnders came knocking.
"To have this change of direction - I am really grateful and I feel like I am learning - it's unusual to feel both professionally and personally fulfilled."
John has been widely praised for playing Christian as a realistic older gay man.
Gareth McLean, who writes about soap operas for The Guardian, could hardly contain himself.
"Christian is a) obnoxious as opposed to happy/harmless and eager to befriend all and b) in possession of a sex drive. Not for EastEnders the desexualised gay man usually resident in Soapland," he wrote earlier this year.
"The thing with cliche is that it is very easy to look at a character and say "it's a stereotype" but the fact is lots of gay men fit the stereotype," says John.
"I have my degrees of camp - sometimes I will be listening to Dolly and hoovering but then there is other side of me that you would never know.
"It's important to show all those degrees of camp.
"As an actor you have to decide, as you do in real life, if you are being camp or not.
"A lot of writers are not gay and do not actually get that."
John will be featured in the PDSA calendar with his pet Tilly.
"PDSA provides free treatment and supports good ownership," says John.
"If you are gong to get a pet you should be in a position to provide for it - a lot of time people get a dog as an accessory. It is important to promote responsible ownership."
