Interview: Warren Sollars Talks 20TH CENTURY BOY And FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
By: Carrie Dunn May. 12, 2014
It's the start of the UK tour of 20th Century Boy, and Warren Sollars is euphoric.
"It's going really great. Everyone's really excited - it's the start of the tour, and we're getting great receptions. We're looking forward to bringing it to different parts of the country."
He's absolutely gleeful to get the chance to play glam rock legend Marc Bolan - and to spend his rehearsal time watching and listening to some of his greatest hits.
"You don't get asked every day to sing songs by T-Rex! I was a big fan before the auditions, so for me singing these songs every night is a dream.
"He's loved by a lot of people - he was a great influence on loads of artists. To grasp hold of him, I lsitened to his songs every day, and immersed myself in his work. So I was watching his live stuff on YouTube, looking up his older stuff - he's a man who recreated himself again and again.
"They're amazing songs. They've got a real groove to them. And it's amazing to be playing a character like this - he's an enigma, and playing all these different incarnations of him is great for an actor."
It's a rather big diversion from his previous job - as a G Company soldier in From Here To Eternity.
"That's what's great about this business!" he says - but he does admit to missing the show a little since its early departure from the West End.
"We created the characters from scratch - so that makes it really special for us. We believe there's life in the show as well. We feel it'll go off and do other things, like the forthcoming movie - and resurface."
And so for the next three months he'll be travelling the country with his feather boa on, telling the story of Bolan. And he's quick to add that although the music is great, so is the script.
"What's lovely is that if you took the songs away, the book would stand on its own. You've got to have a strong story - and this is fantastic."
20th Century Boy is touring the UK now.
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