Popular musical comedy partnership DOMINIC FERRIS and MARTIN MILNES are bringing their hit seasonal show, Ferris & Milnes – Christmas Cracker! to London’s Riverside Studios on 12 December 2020. Guests include 10-year-old anti-bullying campaigner Charlie Kristensen.
Produced by James Quaife and Robin Rayner of New Frame Productions in association with Ferris and Milnes, the family-friendly mix of festive comedy, music and vocals is a new version of the duo’s first-ever West End show.
Formed in April 2016, the act links the talents of acclaimed pianist Ferris, who toured the world as half of the duo The Piano Brothers, with gifted singer Milnes whose ‘two voices’ (tenor and falsetto) have won him rave reviews in both musical theatre and opera genres.
Ferris & Milnes – Christmas Cracker! debuted at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2016. The programme included an eclectic mixture of much-loved choral works John Rutter’s ‘Angels’ Carol’ and Adolphe Adam’s ‘O Holy Night!’ through to show tunes from Irving Berlin, Elton John favourites and Christmas classics and seasonal standards presented in unique Ferris and Milnes style.
The musical double act debuted at Stephen Sondheim’s 85th Birthday Gala at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane with the critic and crowd-pleasing musical mash-up ‘33 Sondheim Numbers In 5 Minutes’.
A regular attraction at the annual West End LIVE event, Ferris and Milnes’ signature mash-ups also include ‘31 West End Musicals in Under 10 Minutes’ and a celebration of ‘Gershwin – George in Rhapsody’ – which premiered at the Rose Theatre in New York. Earlier this year the duo created the star-packed morale boosting ‘We’ll Meet Again’, a film dedicated to the theatre industry featuring the late Dame Vera Lynn.
Here Dominic and Martin continue Musical Theatre Review’s interview series: Five Questions With…
How have you both dealt with two lots of lockdown? I know Covid cost you a gig at the Crazy Coqs quite recently as we were going to review it. Have they offered you a new date?
During lockdown we tried to keep as productive as possible – spending April and May producing a music video as a morale-booster for the theatre industry. “We’ll Meet Again 2020” was created entirely in isolation, bringing together 22 West End stars, all filming at home. We were extremely privileged that Dame Vera Lynn offered a voiceover for the film – it was her final public engagement, passing away shortly afterwards at the age of 103.
We were very sorry to lose our Crazy Coqs date to the second lockdown – but watch this space! Live theatre is bouncing back…
How does it feel to be in rehearsal for an actual live stage production at such an extraordinary time?
To sing and play in a rehearsal room has been thrilling – a welcome return, but in some ways it’s like we never left! It’s also interesting to see how certain lyrics now take on a new emotional resonance as a result of world events in 2020.
What can we expect from Ferris and Milnes – Christmas Cracker on 12 December at Riverside Studios? And can you tell us more about your guest #CheerUpCharlie anti-bullying ambassador Charlie Kristensen?
As always with Ferris & Milnes, audiences can expect a dynamic cocktail of explosive festive glamour and fun. Expect the unexpected – as well as the songs you know and love. Having both been interviewed by Charlie for his ‘Musical Chairs’ YouTube channel, we’re very excited to work with him on stage. We have a special surprise planned with Charlie for the show… this is certainly a guest appearance with a difference.
We first saw you stealing the show at the Sondheim Society’s 85th birthday gala for the great man at the Theatre Royal in 2015. That 33 Sondheim numbers in five minutes routine was the most talked-about act of the evening. How long did it take you to come up with that? And had you tried it out in public before then?
The medley’s world premiere was on stage at Drury Lane – it had only been seen by the production team in a run-through the day before!
We created the mash-up over the course of several weeks, paying great attention to detail to maintain the musical integrity of Sondheim’s work. We were delighted when Mr Sondheim officially approved the mash-up, and thrilled that the music video (filmed at Steinway Hall) has reached Sondheim-lovers across the world.
Martin, your “soprano” other voice is one of the things that makes Ferris and Milnes so distinctive as a comedy act. Was it something you had to work on or did it come naturally?
I approach singing in falsetto exactly the same way as singing in my tenor voice – and safely strengthen the soprano range through classical technique. I first ‘discovered’ my falsetto voice by accident in a tech rehearsal for a show back in 2007. For Ferris and Milnes, it’s proved extremely useful when mashing up the entire score of West Side Story in eight minutes!
Dominic, you are one of the most brilliant pianists around. Where did you learn, who was your inspiration and are you classically trained?
I was classically trained at the Royal College of Music, although my musical interests growing up ranged from Elton John to the West End and beyond.
I was lucky to have some wonderful mentors throughout my childhood and training. They have all had an influence on my performances across many different styles which has provided a solid musical grounding.
Questions compiled by Jeremy Chapman
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