Fact File: Full Name: PAUL BASLEIGH Date of Birth: 7th JUNE 1975 Place of Birth: FRIMLEY HOSPITAL (CAMBERLEY) (Near us!) Likes: FRIENDLY, INTERESTING PEOPLE. COMPUTER GAMES, ART WORK, BEAUTIFUL SUNNY DAYS, AMAZING BEACHES WITH CLEAR SEA. Dislikes: SPICE GIRLS ie. UNTALENTED PEOPLE MAKING MONEY. 1. Have you enjoyed your time at "Saturday Night Fever"? I HAVE ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. IT'S BEEN ALONGSIDE "TOMMY" AS ONE OF THE BEST JOBS EVER. 2. You understudy for the parts of "Double J" and "Gus", which part do you prefer to play and why? I'D SAY DOUBLE J HAS BEEN BETTER, IT'S A PART YOU CAN REALLY GET YOUR TEETH INTO - HE'S A HORRIBLE CHARACTER, BUT THEN THAT'S HALF THE FUN TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES HIM TICK AND WHY HE ACTS LIKE HE DOES. 3. Do you get a good response from the audience after every performance? ALMOST EVERY SHOW WE GET VERY GOOD AUDIENCES UP FOR A GOOD TIME, BUT THERE HAS BEEN A FEW, HOW CAN I SAY "CRAP" AUDIENCES. 4. What's your favourite "Saturday Night Fever" song? IT'S HARD TO SAY. THE BEE GEES SONGS ARE ALL PRETTY DAMN GOOD. BUT IF YOU TWISTED MY ARM IT WOULD HAVE TO BE "NIGHT FEVER" Oh! AND "HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE" I KNOW THAT'S TWO. 5. Have you any funny/embarrassing stories from your time at "Saturday Night Fever"? OH YES QUITE A FEW. ONE I REMEMBER WAS WHEN I FIRST WENT ON FOR DOUBLE J. MY SHIRT BUTTONS CAME OFF AND UNDONE AT THE START OF BOOGIE SHOES AND EVERY TIME I TRIED TO DO THEM UP THEY CAME UNDONE AGAIN. I DID FEEL VERY VERY SILLY ON STAGE, "THE BARE CHESTED DOUBLE J ENTERS THE 2001". 6. Are you good friends with the rest of the SNF cast? VERY MUCH SO. SOME MORE THAN OTHERS THOUGH. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT COMPANY OF PEOPLE TO WORK WITH. 7. The show is quite energetic. What do you do to relax? I LOVE TO GO HOME AFTER OR BETWEEN SHOWS AND LISTEN TO QUALITY MUSIC, THAT REALLY RELAXES ME. 8. What plans do you have for after SNF? WELL I WAS REHEARSING FOR "MAMMA MIA" TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE END OF SNF, SO I SUPPOSE THOSE ARE MY PLANS WORK-WISE. OTHER PLANS INVOLVE HAVING MORE FUN AND GOING TO THAILAND AND AUSTRALIA. THOSE BEACHES ARE CALLING!! 9. Where did you grow up? I DON'T THINK I HAVE OR EVER WILL, "LIFE'S TOO SHORT". 10. Before you went to college which school did you go to and what was your favourite subject? YATELEY COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL. I ENJOYED ART WORK, GRAPHIC DESIGN AND DESIGN + REALISATION (MAKING THINGS). I WENT ON TO FARNBOROUGH COLLEGE TO STUDY "GRAPHIC DESIGN + BUSINESS STUDIES". 11. You trained at London Studio Centre, before you went to Prince Regents in Farnborough didn't you? Tell us a bit about it, how long did you go there? How much did it prepare you for appearing in musicals? Also what's your opinion on Farnborough? (be careful - we live there!!) PRINCE REGENTS WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE, I LEARNT SO MUCH THERE AND IT PREPARED ME PRETTY WELL FOR 'LONDON STUDIO CENTRE', BUT I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE GONE STRAIGHT INTO MUSICALS AFTER PRINCE REGENTS. I WENT THERE FOR 9-10 YEARS. FARNBOROUGH, WELL WHAT CAN I SAY...., NO JUST KIDDING, I'VE HAD A LOT OF FUN THERE, SOME REALLY GREAT MEMORIES. (Yeah, F'boro is great!!!! What?!) 12. You have been in "Grease" and "Tommy", did you enjoy your time in these shows? Who did you play in "Tommy"? GREASE WAS ALOT OF FUN TO DO - I WORKED WITH SOME AMAZING PEOPLE ON IT AND I MISS SOME OF THEM A GREAT DEAL. IT'S THE SAME STORY WITH "TOMMY" REALLY. I WAS SWING AND ASSISTANT DANCE CAPTAIN ON IT, SO I COVERED A GREAT DEAL OF THE CAST - VERY HARD JOB BUT AN AMAZING SHOW TO DO IT ON. 13. Of all the musicals in London which would you most like to appear in and as which character? I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN IN "RENT" AND PLAYED "ROGER" OR MAYBE EVEN "TONY" IN A SHOW CALLED "SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER", I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE HEARD OF IT? (Erm..think so!) 14. What was the last show you went to see? Was it good? DE LA GUARDA, IT WAS FANTASTIC, AND, BLOOD BROTHERS, "AMAZING". 15. If you weren't an actor/dancer/singer what would you be doing? WHO KNOWS - MAYBE A DIVING INSTRUCTOR OR A GRAPHIC DESIGNER OR MAYBE JUST A MILLIONAIRE! 16. Do you support a football team? NO 17. What's your all time favourite film? THERE'S A FEW "STAR WARS" (ALL OF THEM), "THE MATRIX", "HEAT", "SCARFACE". 18. What's the last CD you bought? ERIC BENET (Who??!) 19. Boxer Shorts? Y-fronts? G-Strings?!!!! Y-FRONTS (PANTS I CALL THEM) CALVIN KLEINS AND YVES SAINT LAURENT OF COURSE! (oh yes, of course!) 20. Haagen Daas or Ben & Jerry's?! HAAGEN DAAZ OFF SOMEBODY ELSE!! 21. Tell us a secret OUIJI BOARDS REALLY WORK. AND RU PAUL + LILLY SAVAGE ARE MEN! (Never!!?) ELVIS IS ALIVE AND WELL AND WORKING IN TESCO'S SURREY QUAYS. AND I'VE HAD A SEX CHANGE!!! (You what?!!) A big thank you to Paul for answering our questions :-) No part of this interview can be copied or used for other web sites without permission from us first. This interview was undertaken early February 2000.