Everything’s just shipshape for birthday boy Charlie

chaRlie sTeMP (left), who was plucked from the chorus line by cameron Mackintosh and made a leading man in musicals, has landed his first play.

Bill Kenwright is producing a touring production of Tom stoppard’s 1984 comedy Rough crossing.

Kenwright told me he rang Rachel Kavanaugh, the play’s director, and said he wanted someone ‘with a twinkle in their eye’ but also the comic physicality of a Norman Wisdom or lee evans, for the part of a ship’s steward known as Dvornichek.

Kavanaugh recommended stemp, whom she had directed in Mackintosh’s chichester Festival Theatre and West end production of half a sixpence.

Kenwright said: ‘it was an inspired choice. We had to run it by Tom stoppard, and he’s very pleased with the casting of charlie. he’s the nicest boy.’

stemp, who’s currently rehearsing the Palladium panto snow White, will join issy van Randwyck, simon Dutton and Matthew cottle in Rough crossing, which begins a ten-date tour at the Theatre Royal, Windsor, from January 30.

The actor told me he’s thrilled but nervous about the new job because ‘i’ve never done a play before — but it’s something i’ve wanted to do’.

‘There’s some dancing to be done,’ he said, cheerfully. and the comedy appealed to him, too.

The snow White panto will help sharpen his comic timing for the stoppard play. Plus he worked with funny lady Bette Midler in hello, Dolly! in New York, which won’t hurt.

stemp, who turns 25 today, has a busy 2019. as this page reported, he will join zizi strallen in Mary Poppins at the Prince edward in the autumn.