I’ve played a few villains – it’s nice to play a hero

(CHUCKLES) It’s sort of true. My wife (actress Michelle Edwards) and I were looking for names and we were both watching The Sopranos. Arrabella was the name, not of an actress, but one of the characters and we thought it sounded quite nice and unusual. THEY will definitely come along and see some of the shows on the tour. They came nearly the whole summer to see me playing Chief Weasel in The Wind In The Willows at the London Palladium and loved that. This is my first major tour, but I’ll get home as much as I can. Mr Nice Guy, Neil McDermott top. Left as Ryan Malloy in EastEnders, with Charlie Brooks as Janine Butcher and, right, as Captain Von Trapp with Maria (Lucy O’Byrne), in The Sound Of Music AT the end of the day, the music and the story are so strong and that’s why it has stood the test of time.

The story is at the heart of it all and it is all about Maria and the Captain. She’s the novice nun who becomes the governess of the Von Trapp family and he’s a widow and a father left with seven children.

At the start, his story is one of sadness really. Maria frees him from that. (LAUGHS) Lots of children. Only the character of Liesl stays the same. We have 18 children, three sets, playing the Von Trapp youngsters and they are all fantastic. I WILL be taking a steamer along for my voice and I normally go to the gym when I can, although it depends on the role I’m playing.

A few of them can be quite an exercise in themselves. Wind In The Willows was a very physical role, more than anything else I’ve done.

The Sound Of Music is more of an emotional challenge than a physical one, but I’ll still be popping in and out of the gym when I can. I PLAYED Lord Farquaad in the Shrek musical on my knees. My knees were OK, but the rest of me was tired from being in that position for a whole show. It was a fantastic role though, my funniest role, and my favourite role in musical theatre. I had a lot of fun playing Lord Farquaad.