West End Star Paul Nicholas looks back on over 50 years as a star of stage, film and television in new book Musicals, Marigolds & Me.
In these sparkling, funny and heart-warming memories of more than 50 years in the entertainment business, Paul Nicholas is where he’s always been – centre stage.
He’s co-starred with theatrical legends, sung with David Bowie, topped the pop charts and TV ratings, made Hollywood movies and was the first Jesus Christ Superstar on the London stage – the best ever according to the show’s co-creator Sir Tim Rice.
Paul will celebrate the 50th anniversary of becoming Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ in August 2022.
He did the original workshop of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s worldwide sensation ‘Cats’ and went on to appear in the West End premiere, creating the role of the Rum Tum Tugger.
He and Elaine Paige were the first English Sandy and Danny in the original West End production of ‘Grease’; he originated the title role in ‘Blondel’ by Sir Tim Rice and Stephen Oliver and starred in ‘Jekyll and Hyde’, ‘Fiddler On The Roof’ and ‘42nd Street’, and as The Pirate King in Joseph Papp’s version of ‘The Pirates of Penzance’. He also starred in ‘Barnum’ and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, directed by Tommy Steele.
Alongside acting, he built a distinguished career as the producer of hugely successful stage musicals including ‘Grease’, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ and ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ in the West End, on tour and on Broadway.
Paul appeared in the movies ‘Stardust’ with David Essex and Adam Faith, ‘Tommy’, as his vicious cousin, ‘Kevin’, and ‘The Jazz Singer’ with Neil Diamond and that memorable studio rant scene with the punk interpretation of ‘Love On The Rocks’. In his early roles on the small-screen, Paul co-starred as newly-wed ‘Jimmy’ in ‘Two Up, Two Down’ with Su Pollard and as lovable ‘Vince’ in ‘Just Good
Friends’ with Jan Francis, with most recently, as the evil ‘Gavin’ in ‘EastEnders’.
Today, he has endeared himself to a new television audience, travelling to exotic retirement destinations to check in to ‘The Real Marigold Hotel’.
Packed with anecdotes and behind-the-scenes revelations, Musicals, Marigolds & Me is a close-up look at the joys and disappointment, the hard work, creativity and risk-taking that goes into a lifetime as a star.
As the lead in the first London production of the censorship-smashing 1968 rock musical ‘Hair’, Paul, unlike many of this co-stars, did not reveal all. In a manner of speaking, he does now…
Musicals, Marigolds & Me is available to purchase here.
