Five Questions With: John Barr

Acclaimed West End actor and singer JOHN BARR (Les Misérables, Evita, Aspects of Love) is currently playing iconic British songwriter Lionel Bart in It’s A Fine Life at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch (29 April to 4 May 2024 and touring until 20 September).

John made his West End debut at the age of 12 in Bart’s Oliver! at the Albery Theatre. Since then, he has enjoyed a four-decade-long varied career in theatre, TV, radio, film, cabaret, concerts, workshops, pantomimes and recordings – including original cast albums and five albums. John also teaches and directs [see biog below]. He recently appeared in Rehab the Musical at London’s Neon 194.

Written especially for John, It’s A Fine Life is a riveting musical tale of triumph and turmoil in the life of one of Britain’s greatest songwriters, Lionel Bart. In the 1960s Bart was earning in a minute what the average person earned in a week. He was the toast of the West End as well as writing hit after hit songs that topped the charts (‘Living Doll’, ‘From Russia With Love’, ‘Little White Bull’ and musicals such as Oliver!, Blitz!, Maggie May and Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’be), but then things went wrong… very wrong.

When did you first discover the music of Lionel Bart? Have you performed in many of his musicals?

I first discovered the wonderful music and lyrics of Lionel Bart when I was lucky enough to be cast at the age of 12 in the 1977 revival of Oliver! at London’s Albery Theatre (now the Noël Coward Theatre) with the amazing Roy Hudd as my Fagin and the incredible Gillian Burns as my Nancy (we are now great friends). That was the first major revival of Oliver! since the 1960s and it was the original production redirected by Robin Midgley on the original groundbreaking sets designed by the genius Sean Kenny. So it was very exciting to be part of that and Lionel used to pop in so I would see him, but I was only 12 years old. I wish I could have had conversations with him like I so would now.

Can you tell us a bit more about the format of It’s a Fine Life! (it’s described as the dramatic story of Bart’s rise and fall) and when you first performed it?

We first performed it back in 2014 at the London Hippodrome when it was called The Story of Bart. The format of the show is more or less a chronologically told story of Lionel Bart’s life from beginning to end, but it starts at one of the songwriter’s famous parties in the mid-1960s. It’s one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done because I’m on stage for two hours from beginning to end, I get to sing 19 songs out of the 26 compositions, and I’m the only one who talks.

We have Michelle Francis playing Barbara Windsor, Debbie Wileman as Judy Garland and Maximus Woodward as Cliff Richard. The show was written and put together especially for me by my dear friend Simon Hanning who has also produced and directed it. At this point in my career, it’s a truly wonderful thing to do as a performer, but what is more important is to keep Lionel’s name alive, particularly this year as it’s the 25th anniversary year of his passing. There were so many twists and turns in Lionel’s life, the gasps I hear from the audience are a delight. This show is a real labour of love to perform.

What do you think it is about Lionel Bart’s work that makes it so special and continues to resonate with audiences today?

I think the main reason Lionel’s songs are a joy to sing and perform and are still remembered and sung by people in the street is the honesty in his writing; because he couldn’t read or write music I think he truly wrote from the heart. A lot of people are familiar with ‘Where is Love?’, ‘As Long As He Needs Me’, ‘Reviewing the Situation’ and ‘From Russia With Love’, but that’s just a handful of songs. He also wrote the absolute classic ‘Little White Bull’ for Tommy Steele, and the score for several other musicals including Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’be. Then there’s the unknown song that I sing from Quasimodo, his musical based on the Hunchback of Notre Dame story (‘Don’t Look at Me, Just Listen’) which is a joy to sing. There’s also another unknown song, called ‘Belonging’, from his musical La Strada, which was originally sung by Bernadette Peters on her leading lady Broadway debut. It’s the most painfully beautiful song to sing for me in the show.

What are the pros and cons of performing/touring in a show like It’s a Fine Life! compared with being part of a company in a larger-scale musical production?

I love being part of a company, I really do. Even though we’re a small group and I’m by myself on stage for most of the show, it very much feels like we are a family. I most definitely feel like there is a company behind me and we have a wonderful three-piece band too. I’m very much looking forward to doing the week at the Queen’s Hornchurch which is a theatre I love very much. I was the resident Panto Dame there a few years ago. It will also be lovely not to have to pack up my bag every night.

You have enjoyed a long and successful career in theatre, is it possible for you to pick out a couple of highlights you will always cherish?

I know, I have been incredibly lucky. There have been many career highlights. At 16 I was cast in the national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, and at 20 I became the youngest ever Che in Evita, directed by Hal Prince, which was definitely a major turning point. Others include being offered the role of Tobias Ragg on the spot in Sweeney Todd at Birmingham, which was pretty special, and appearing as Convict 5 in the Les Misérables movie. I was the first person ever to sing a new Stephen Schwartz song, ‘In Whatever Time We Have’, on the original demo for Children of Eden, with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Frances Ruffelle. I’m so grateful for these amazing moments in my life and to be still working as an actor now.

I often look back and reflect that I’ve had more of a career than I thought I ever would. I was definitely discouraged from being an actor at a young age because of my looks, height and dance ability, despite the fact that people knew I could sing and act. But you know I’ve been a performer now for over 46 years, I’m nearly 60, and I’ve done everything and more than my teenage self could ever have dreamed of. I have played every part in musical theatre that I really wanted to play, except Fagin in Oliver! I have worked with some great directors like Hal Prince, Trevor Nunn, John Caird, Matt Ryan, Michael Strassen, Alan Ayckbourn, Peter Walker, Gary Lloyd and Robert McWhir. I consider myself to be very, very blessed and lucky that I’ve more or less continuously worked as an actor for most of my life and particularly in musical theatre. I think my five solo albums are probably my most proudest achievement.

I fell into teaching over 12 years ago so I mostly teach these days because it’s simply too hard being an actor. I love performing but I don’t have a desperate need to get on stage for lots of reasons anymore. I treat my acting career like a hobby, it’s a much healthier way of looking at this lifestyle. If something comes my way, and I feel I can do something with the part, and more importantly I want to do it, then I will give 100%. I have loved this year so far because I have done two great interesting and creative shows: Rehab The Musical and now It’s a Fine Life. These have been such fun projects to be part of and with two amazing casts who have made going to work very special. For me that’s what it’s all got to be about now.

Tickets for It’s A Fine Life at the Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch are available HERE.

Bio

John Barr trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.

THEATRE: It’s A Fine Life (UK tours, Mirth, Maud and Marvel, The Hippodrome), Rehab the Musical (Neon194, Playground Theatre), King The Musical (Hackney Empire), The Who’s Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), Rhythm of Life (St James Theatre Studio), Sweeney Todd (ENO), A Class Act (Landor Theatre) for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Offie and BroadwayWorld Awards 2013-14, Ragtime (Landor Theatre), Assassins (Union Theatre) for which he was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Offie Awards 2010, Bent (Landor Theatre), Diamond (King’s Head Theatre), Batboy the Musical (West Yorkshire Playhouse, Shaftesbury Theatre), Ragtime (Piccadilly Theatre), original cast member of Aspects of Love (Prince of Wales Theatre), Hey, Mr Producer! (Lyceum Theatre), Les Misérables (Palace Theatre), The Boy Who Fell Into a Book (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough), Hairspray (Curve Leicester), Chicago (Plenary Hall, Kuala Lumpur), Cats (Larnaca Municipal Amphitheatre, Cyprus), Company (Derby Playhouse), The Mikado, The Merry Widow (both for Opera Della Luna), Flora The Red Menace and Snoopy The Musical (Cambridge Arts Theatre), Berlin to Broadway – A Kurt Weill Revue (Water Rats), Cowardy Custard (Theatr Clwyd), In the Midnight Hour (York Theatre Royal), Evita (Opera House, Manchester), Sweeney Todd (Watermill Theatre, Newbury).

FILM: Les Misérables – The Movie, The Catch, Do Not Disturb.

RADIO: Principal cast member for BBC Radio 2’s Musical Series: Jesus Christ Superstar, Kiss Me, Kate, Fiddler on the Roof, A Chorus Line. John was also a regular guest on Songs From the Shows and Friday Night is Music Night, also on BBC Radio 2. He played the young Roy Hudd in Like They’ve Never Been Gone (BBC Radio 4).

RECORDINGS: John has recorded five solo CDs: A Small Affair, In Whatever Time We Have, A Different Corner, Anything Can Happen and All I Am. Original cast recordings include: Batboy: The Musical, Matador, Aspects of Love, Godspell (studio cast album conducted by Stephen Schwartz), Oscar, Dracula, Les Misérables – The Complete Symphonic Recording, Jason Carr’s Listen Up.

CABARET: John has performed his own cabaret shows on the QE2 and in some of the most prestigious cabaret venues all over the world, including London, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Washington DC, Chicago, Sydney, Venice, Switzerland and Denmark.