LOOSE ENDS
BBC RADIO 4
Saturday, 1st September 2001

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Ned Sherrin introduces Michael
Now Michael Ball has played leads in Pirates of Penzance, Les Miserables, The Phantom, Aspects of Love and Passion, he is about to bring a one man show to the Divas at the Donmar season to coincide with his new album "Centre Stage" which will be released on September 17th.  Here he is on Centre Stage singing Stephen Sondheim's 'Not While I'm Around'.

They play the track Not While I'm Around - applause

Ned
You have supporters here Michael.

Michael
This feels like Juke Box Jury. (Laughing)

Ned
Why did you change the title, Stephen calls it Not While I'm Around, you've called it Nothing's Gonna Harm You?

Michael
Have I? (Laughing) Then someone's going to have to be fired.

Ned
Then there must be a misprint.  That's the first line but the title is Not When I'm Around.  Now is that in the bill at the Donmar?

Michael
No, the thing about the Donmar is it's full of songs I've never sung before, never recorded before and at the last count there were 58, 58 new songs and bits of songs.

Ned
So it's a five hour show is it?

Michael
(Laughing) I'm trying to learn it at the moment, it's crazy, but it's something I'm determined to do, to do a show that contains nothing that I could rely on.

Ned
That space is a huge difference from Last Night Of The Proms, VE 50th Anniversary, Rugby World Cup, Italy World Cup, West District Council inauguration.

Michael
(laughing) That was a biggie.  Well that was kind of the point of it.  Sam Mendes phoned and I obviously knew about his series although I hadn't seen any of the new shows and the opportunity arose and he said here's a great space, a great opportunity to do something totally different to make a departure and I thought you can either do this half heartedly and try some new material but include some old favourites or I could try and do something radically different which is what I've decided to do so it's going to contain no songs that I've ever sung before, some songs that have never been heard before, writing of new material, I'm only using a piano ... a lot of what I do when I do concerts is about my rapport with the audience, talking to the audience, and I'm not going to that either.

Ned
Is it true that your Welsh antecedents got very upset when you sang God Save The Queen at the Italian football ....

Michael
Absolutely not.  They were thrilled.  They were all good British subjects.  I knew the words to the Cwm Rhondda as well so they were alright.

Ned
It must be quite a thrill going to Twickenham or somewhere like that ...

Michael
I think the biggest thrill was the launch of the Rugby World Cup because it was in the new Cardiff Millennium Stadium which is a stunning building, they really got it right and the people who were thinking about ...

Ned
The expense of that nice opera house  ...

Michael
Yeah.  Yeah.  The people who were thinking of building the new Wembley ought to take a serious look at that building because it came in on time, on budget, it's a huge arena but you feel really close to the pitch and walking out there with 72,000 people all singing along with you ... it's a pretty good experience.

Ned
(Laughing) Any of your own songs going into the Donmar thing ... you started writing your own, Someone Else's Dream a little while ago.

Michael
No because I sung it before.

Ned
You haven't written anything else then?

Michael
No I haven't.

Ned
Would your Fan Club like you to write more of your own songs?

Michael
(Cheers from the audience) One would hope so.

Ned
What was the difference of the audiences going to Broadway, I mean you've been established here as a considerable musical star and then you had to crack it all again with Aspects?

Michael
Yes.  And we went there as well but there was a big backlash against British Musical Theatre and against Andrew Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn especially, so as far as response from the most important critic, Frank Rich, it was pretty horrible.  But the experience of being in New York, of spending that amount of time there and getting to know the Theatre community ... I've just come back from a week ... I've just done a series for Radio 2 about the new musicals that are on Broadway and the change in the theatre over there is extraordinary ... the pleasure of actually going to the theatre which is diminished in London so hugely ... it's just not a nice experience.  Great when you're in there and seeing some nice shows but the area surrounding it and actually getting to the theatre is not good, and then the quality of the productions, the enthusiasm, the vibrancy of the Broadway Theatre scene is something I hope will start to translate over here.

Ned
One last thing ... how did you get on with The Producers.

Michael
I thought it was the funniest thing I've ever seen on stage, the second they struck up that overture "A Springtime For Hitler" you just know you are in for a fantastic show.  It's one of my favourite films, it had been hyped to death and I thought it's just not going to live up to this and it was better than I could have possibly imagined.  So funny.

Ned
Michael Ball has been hyped up to the hilt but he is going to the Donmar and I'm sure he'll live up to all your expectations.  Michael Ball!!!  (Applause)

Michael
Thank You!!!