The next interview in our stagey chat series, is with the incredible Carl Man. Carl is currently in West End production of & Juliet. Carl recently finished his time at Wicked playing cover Fiyero, and is now playing 1st cover Romeo in West End smash hit, & Juliet.

Get yourself comfy and join Carl and I for a chat about all things stagey!

Hi Carl, thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page today! How are you? And would you mind  introducing yourself and telling us how you first got into acting?
Hello everyone, my name is Carl Man and I am an actor and singer, most recently in West End musicals. I actually first got into acting doing local am dram shows when I was a kid. 

When you were growing up, did you know that you always wanted to be on stage?
Absolutely. I never wanted to do anything else. My Grandma took to me to see Oliver! and from that  moment I knew I wanted to be like those kids on the stage. 

You've just finished your run in Wicked. Do you have a particular moment or memory that stands out from your time on the show?  
I have a couple; my first performance as Fiyero, I remember being really calm for the whole show and then as soon as the curtain came down I just cried. Also, the reopening after being closed for 18 months was insane! The energy from the audience was incredible! 

By the time this interview goes live, you'll have just started your run in & Juliet. How has it been  rehearsing for the show?
It’s been challenging as there is a lot of hip hop and commercial style dancing in this show which is  completely out of my comfort zone. I was nervous about it but the team have been amazing and really  helped me a lot. 

For those that don't know, you're now first cover Romeo! How does it feel to be taking on a role that's so well loved by the fans of & Juliet? 
I’m really excited! Especially for that epic entrance! Romeo is just ridiculous and a lot of fun. I’m excited to play around with it. 

How does preparing for a show like & Juliet, differ from preparation for a show like Wicked? They couldn't be more different if they tried! 
They are both completely different. & Juliet definitely requires a higher level of fitness as there is so much dancing. With Wicked you have to make sure your voice is in top form as there are a lot more vocals and harmonies. 

Regardless of gender and age, which stage role would you choose to play and why?
Hmm maybe Jenna in Waitress? I like the emotional journey she goes on. 

Do you have a go-to musical theatre audition song? I spoke to someone recently who said they prep a different song for every audition! 
I think as long as you have a one solid song that you feel comfortable singing for each type of show, for example a good pop rock song, a good legit song and a good contemporary MT song then you’ll be fine.  Recently I’ve been fortunate to be asked to only prepare songs from the show I am auditioning for. 

What do you enjoy doing when you're not doing theatre? 
I love spending time with my dog, going to the cinema and trying out new restaurants. 

My blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it be and why? 
I think all the best ones have probably been done already. I’ve recently done a few workshops for new musicals that had completely original stories, not based on anything like a book or a movie. I would love to see them make it from script page on to the West End stage.

And finally, why should people book tickets to & Juliet? I've seen it 7 times this year...and I have no doubt I'll be back very soon. 
The show has so much heart and is just a really good time! It’s so current and really clever and the  characters are so relatable. Also, if you were a kid of the 90s and early 2000s then you will love every single song!

Thank you so much for chatting to us Carl. You can catch Carl in & Juliet at The Shaftesbury Theatre, here.