Tony Cowell talks to Alfie Boe
Musical maestros Alfie Boe and Michael Ball are set to delight cinema audiences across the country with the final show of their successful UK tour, Back Together, filmed at London’s O2 Arena and screened nationwide. We catch up with one half of the winning duo, Alfie Boe - officially the nation’s favourite tenor – about his meteoric rise to fame, from working in a Blackpool car factory to performing LesMisérables on Broadway, his mate Michael Ball and becoming pals with HRH Prince Charles...
The final performance of your tour with Michael at London’s O2 Arena is
hitting cinemas – are you excited?!
Yes, we’ve been doing this over the past few years, and people seem to enjoy it. Working with Michael is just so much fun. We enjoy performing together and have become good friends as well, which is important. We are just grateful to the fans for showing up and supporting us in such a big way. We are very fortunate to both be able to continue our solo projects, and then come back and team up again.
You started out singing while working in a car factory. What did your parents think when it became a career?
They were always very supportive. They encouraged me to do whatever I wanted in my life. I never thought, back then, that singing would be my career – it just turned out that way. But once it took off, I was hooked and wanted more, and my parents were always behind me. It was my dad who drove me all over the country to auditions. Sadly, I lost my dad 25 years ago, but he was such an inspiration to me.
Your dad inspired your love of all musical genres, didn’t he?
Yes, because his record collection was totally unique; he would play Fifties rock’n’roll, soul, gospel and country music – and, of course, opera. So, this is what I grew up listening to at home. He really loved his music, so I suppose this helped to inspire my love of all types of music, not just musical theatre and opera. I love rock music, too – I recently worked with Pete Townshend of The Who on his Classic Quadrophenia. I’m also currently working on a new album of my own material.
How often do you think back to your life before fame?
Quite often. I have fond memories of that time. I made a lot of friends in that car factory. So, my heart is still in the north of the country. It still calls to me, because that is where I first started singing in amateur shows. I remember one day when I was riding my bike to work, I had this crazy urge to sing on stage. It was then I knew I had to leave this job, and follow my dream.
Something was telling me I had to change my life. In the end, it was a customer at the car factory who first suggested I audition for the D’Oyly Carte
Opera Company. Luckily, I passed that audition and got my first big break.
Are you still as ambitious as you were back then?
I don’t think I’ve ever stopped being ambitious, or driven in my work. There is still so much more that I want to do. I am very proud of what I have achieved so far. I’m lucky. I don’t take my success for granted. It’s been a lot of hard work to get where I am today. But I still want to continue to entertain my audience and try to inspire them in their own
lives to achieve their goals.
You have enjoyed a long association with the Royal Family, in particular Prince Charles. How do you two get along?
Really well. I started as a Prince’s Trust scholar at the Royal College of Music and began doing a bit of work for his trust. I think the Prince of
Wales is an amazing man. His charitable work is incredible, and he’s helped change a lot of people’s lives for the better. I think he’s a very special guy – that’s why I will continue to support him.
You’re a bit of a maverick in the opera world – do you enjoy bringing opera to the masses?
All music, not just opera, should be available to everybody. It shouldn’t belong to any class. Music should be free and available to everyone. I enjoy playing my part in that – whether it’s musical theatre or opera.
Will there be another tour with Michael in the future?
I don’t know when, because we both have our own solo careers. But yes, I dare say there will be!
Michael Ball & Alfie Boe: Back Together
comes to cinemas nationwide on 28 and 29 March. For cinema locations visit ballandboeincinemas.com.