Jason’s back in the war
JASON Donovan is back playing the “deranged” Parson Nathaniel, who takes refuge with the journalist amid the alien attack alongside his wife Beth in the stage version of War of The Worlds. He reveals what fans can expect from the show.
How does it feel to be returning to The War of the Worlds?
This will be my fourth time with the show, so it means I must be doing something right. I put everything I can into it. It’s nice to flex your muscles and do some big shows. It’s a great band, fantastic sound and a bit of meaty stuff to get your head into. They’re a great bunch of people to work with. It’s a great character to play, it’s a small part but it’s very powerful and it’s quite an actor’s part as well. I’m excited.
What do you bring to the show?
My reviews with the show have been positive so I hope I can bring as much energy and as much freshness to the character. As performers we go through different periods in our lives and I don’t know how I’m going to come to it this time, but I sink myself into these things in a major way and try and bring truth and honesty to a performance, and make it real - that’s the most important thing to me. I think I did that last time.
How would you describe your character, Parson Nathaniel?
He’s a bit deranged, he’s a bit obsessed, he believes that the reincarnation of the devil is these Martians and he believes that he should have protected the world. He’s evangelical in a way, too - he’s possessed. I think I put a particular stamp on the character the last time I did it and working with Carrie [Hope Fletcher, who plays Beth] was fantastic, the dynamic between her and I. So yeah, it’s madness, and I think I sometimes do madness quite well.
What would you say makes the show so exciting?
It’s a visual musical extravaganza. The background - the fire, the hologram, it really is like a landscape of expressionism and I think it’s quite a special piece. To be able to do arena tours 40 years on, it has a core audience that won’t go away. It’s about the story and the music, and that’s what people connect to. The Artilleryman and Parson are musical classics people relate to.
What do you put the show’s endurance down to?
A great score, it’s a timeless piece of music and it’s a subject matter that is very close to people’s hearts. It’s our fascination with Star Wars and whatever it is out there that we don’t know a lot about. Who knows what is out there? I don’t know whether I’m a believer or not.
Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds will be coming to Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena on December 7 from 6.30pm. Tickets are priced between £52 and £145 and are available from ticketmster. co.uk.