Theatre and Dance Previews

Packed with some classic songs, the musical Never Forget includes the Number One smash hits Relight My Fire, Pray, Back For Good, Babe and of course, Never Forget and
follows the story of a group of lads who form a Take That tribute band.

But as well as all the singing and dancing, it is also a feel-good comedy about love, friendship, ambition and betrayal, with an original story written by BAFTA award-winner Danny Brocklehurst (Shameless, Sorted, Clocking Off) Guy Jones and Ed Curtis.

Dean Chisnall beat off some 3,000 applicants for the parts to play Ash who is the Gary Barlow of the group. He spoke to us just before the tour started!

Never Forget

It's billed as the Take That musical but it's not actually the story of Take That is it?

Dean: Yes - the writers have taken the great music of Take That, which is very theatrical and lends itself to a show like this, and devised a script which is a completely separate story, and nothing to do with the lads themselves. It's about Ash and a group of his mates who get together and form a Take That tribute band.

It's a really nice little journey and it's actually a story with heart. It's quite different for a juke box musical to have heart. Sometimes they depend so much on the music that they forget about the story and this one, I'm glad to say, has both.

So, you're playing somebody who is playing somebody else?! You are Ash who is the Gary Barlow figure in the group?

Dean: Yes - but it's an awful lot simpler than it sounds! My character Ash has parallels with Gary Barlow in Take That as we know and love them now, and when we perform as Take That at the end of the show we do a big number, Relight My Fire, I step into the shoes as Gary and we all become the guys but it's much more straightforward than I'm making it sound.

Never Forget

So as the tribute band, do you go through the same trials and tribulations as Take That did?

Dean: Again there are parallels, somebody in our band leaves, but I won't say who, and it's a bit of a journey and a love story, with all sorts of bits and pieces going on. So it's not just based on five guys going out and singing Take That songs, it's a story with real heart and real comedy as well.

But of course the songs are important! They have a great back catalogue, but how many of the songs are actually in the show?

Dean: We cover most of their back catalogue from 92 to 96 which is when they originally split up, so there are about 16 numbers in the show in total. People come and see it and are up on their feet straight away. Take That's music is fantastic and now they sound better than they ever did, so to be doing a show like this and celebrating what they achieved is a real thrill.

What research have you done for the show?

Dean: The main research that I've done for Gary was just listening really. We're playing very different characters, new characters that have been scripted especially for the musical, so I just listened to the style of Gary's voice really. I put my own stamp on certain songs and later on when we become Take That I try to be "Gary-ish", but not taken as he does it note for note or word for word, I add my own things to it as well.

Never Forget

Is it easy to pick up his voice?

Dean: It's a very difficult sing! People think that Take That songs are so easy to sing because everyone sings along in the car and in the shower, but it's much more difficult! But as I say, I don't take his voice off as it is, I just try and put my own stamp on it and if things are different to his then that's fine, because it's Ash and not Gary Barlow so to speak!

It's been well documented that Take That distanced themselves from this musical. Do you know if they've seen it and what their reaction is now?

Dean: I know some of their family members have seen it! Robbie's mum was there in Stoke and apparently had a great time and I spoke to Jason Orange's dad personally, after our opening night in Manchester, who had a fantastic time. He said he was going to call Jason who was apparently very sorry that he couldn't be there but he was rehearsing. I'm sure they will see it at some point but they're very busy. We have heard that they distanced themselves but we hope that they will be there at the Savoy in May.

I suppose they had to distance themselves really as they hadn't actually written it?

Dean: Absolutely! But I don't know all the ins and outs - we just leave all that to the producers!

But the audience reaction has been good has it?

Dean: The reaction has been absolutely incredible! It's been beyond anybody's imagination. At the opening night in Cardiff last July they just went absolutely barmy and ever since then, every night they've stood and everyone's been clapping and cheering and dancing. It's been a real dream.

Never Forget

So has it given you a taste to be in a boy band?

Dean: [laughs] I think it probably has! It's given us an insight into what they have to deal with every night and everywhere they go. But we are very much actors doing a job so it's not like we want to be a boy band but it's interesting. We've always wondered what people go through and I think we're starting to get a taste of it!

But no one's going to leave dramatically?!

Dean: No, nobody's going to leave, everything's all fine!!

So you're looking forward to getting back into it now?

Dean: We can't wait. We finished at the end of September and at that stage we didn't know what was going to happen to the show or what the future was. Six weeks later we got the call to say that we're doing a little tour then heading to the West End! We just can't wait now!

So this tour is getting you back into it?

Dean: Yes - it's great to go on tour. It puts the word around and is good for the show. We chopped and changed it on the last tour and put in little bits and pieces and it's good to do that, to find out more about yourself and about the show and things that work and things that don't. We can't wait to get out there!

And it makes you feel like you're in a boy band?!

Absolutely! But I'm too old for that I think!