Interview: 'You Have to Make it Your Own': Actor Dean Chisnall on Taking on The Phantom in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

The Phantom of the Opera has been a staple on the West End for over thirty years, having recently celebrated its 15,000th performance at His Majesty’s Theatre. Recently, we had the opportunity to chat with Dean Chisnall, who has taken on the titular role of the Phantom. We discussed how he first got started in the world of theatre, what it is like becoming the Phantom and the impact the show has had for generations.

Starting with a general question, how did you first get started in the world of theatre?

Oh, gosh, I don't really know the answer! I never had the opportunities that perhaps a child in London grew up with, where theatre school, dance class or singing lessons were a possibility. I grew up in a very small village up north and was very lucky to have a wonderful childhood.

I did performing arts A-levels and then ended up at a school in Blackpool doing a musical theatre course, and it just wasn't what I thought was going to be. And then someone said, “No, you need to go to London and take this seriously.” And I knew I loved theatre! It's all I really wanted to do. I loved school, perhaps for reasons that were non-academic, rather than those people who love school for academic reasons, and both are completely valid. But I just wanted to be practical. I wanted to play sports or be on a stage - that was literally it for me. So I auditioned for ArtsEd and didn't really know what I was walking into. Obviously, I’d done my research, but I didn't understand the world of theatre - I just loved it. I had a real passion for it. I got in, and it was a complete shock to me and my family. The rest is history, as they say. It's a very strange, Billy Elliot-like version of events. [Laughs]

And what has it been like taking on the role of the Phantom now?

It's the greatest privilege in the world to do this. It's the most iconic role in musical theatre. It's the one everybody wants. It's the one I've always wanted - I make no secret about that! To be doing it is just the greatest thrill of my life. And I feel very lucky indeed, and I will treasure it and never take it for granted.

What has it been like joining the Phantom of the Opera?

It's like meeting your heroes. People say you should never meet your heroes. And so you always have that 5% fear in the back of your mind, thinking, “Is this going to be as magical as I want it to be?” And truly, it is. It really, really is. It's been the most extraordinary whirlwind. We're still working things out and finding things.

You can't treat it as a preview season, because it's not - you're straight in, you open and you go. As the actor, I'm still trying to be as creative as possible. Within the parameters of the most extraordinary, wonderful direction, I will always try to create my own Phantom. So it's been magic. I'm very lucky to have a wonderful company to work in, on and off stage. And off-stage deserve more credit than the people on, quite honestly, on a show this technical. So it's been it's been amazing, and I'm literally living the dream!

Do you have any particular favourite scenes to either perform in or to watch?

It's so early that everything is such a pleasure and a privilege to do! I think that first section for him [Phantom] . . . I remember seeing Phantom when I was fourteen and always wondered how that person appeared in the mirror, and then how he got on the bridge so quick, and then how he sailed his boat into his lair! So I'm pinching myself whilst doing it. I'm trying to make my focus my job, rather than the fact I'm going, “Oh my god, I'm playing Phantom!” And then obviously, the full circle with “The Final Lair” and all those magical bits that go on at the end as well. I don't think I pinpointed my absolute favourite moment yet, but that will come in time, I'm sure. 

You've taken on several iconic roles, as well as the Phantom like Jean Valjean and Shrek and even the Narrator in Blood Brothers. What is it like taking on these roles that have such a legacy?

It's a real honour, and all of them are so different! I've already had, at stage door, at least half a dozen people say, “How does it compare to Valjean?” Actually, you can't compare the two at all. They are so vastly different in every way, so it's really difficult to quantify role by role. But as you said, I've been really lucky to play iconic characters.

I grew up doing Blood Brothers as a GCSE exam in my English, and then to play what I think is the greatest role in the show some years later was really phenomenal. You just have to value that you're merely a custodian of such a thing. I've been tasked with with taking it on now, and I will be eternally grateful for that. But you just have to have in your mind that I'm one of however many that have been in [the show], value that you're a custodian of it and value what it is to do it. It's really special. People travel the world, save up money for years and years to come and see the original production of Phantom. They did the same with Les Mis. And I always have that in my mind. I think that's really important.

I just feel very lucky. I just feel very fortunate. I would never have believed if you said to me when I started at ArtsEd that one day I'd play one of these roles, let alone all of the ones that you've listed - I would never have believed it, and I still don't believe it now! But to take on roles like this, you have a serious responsibility to honour it and to value it and to work as hard as you possibly can. I'm determined to do that.

And there’s quite a difference between, say, Shrek and the Phantom! How do you approach these roles focused on comedy versus those more focused on seriousness? 

The only similarity they have is their very heavy makeup! [Laughs] I wear lots of prosthetics in both Shrek and Phantom. How do you approach it? You have to make it your own. You have to bring some of Dean to the role, some of my heart and soul to it. And I've always tried to do that. I think that's why these shows are still as relevant today as they ever were. In fact, I think that's why they're still alive, why they're still going and why they're sold out. The numbers at Phantom right now? You can't get a ticket. It's absolutely incredible. 

What has it been like seeing these audiences for Phantom of the Opera?

Gosh, it blows your mind! You're lucky in your career to do one show where the crowd, every night, stand up at the end, and I've done a number of those. But there's something really special about this one, and meeting the people afterwards is a really important part of the job. Everyone's got a different story as to why they've come, but you really feel it with this. You really feel the energy in the room - they value it, they appreciate it and respect it. It really does blow your mind...Phantom’s really special. There's just something about it that sets it aside from the rest.

And, if you had to guess, what would you think is that special thing about Phantom?

I think it's the music! An extraordinary, romantic score. Beautiful, lyrical, one of, if not the greatest scores that's ever been written. It's iconic, and people come for that reason. But I also think the story - and we can go into the depths and details of whether we agree that it's romantic or it isn't - there are themes within there we can all relate to, the heartbreak and everything that goes on there. It's the love that pours out of the show that then pours out of the audience, and we meet in the middle somehow. That's really beautiful.

Did you read the original book by Gaston Leroux before joining the show?

No, I hadn't read the book, and I was advised not to! I can't remember who advised me not to read the book, but I had read Les Mis . . .  I’d grown a beard by the time I finished! ... so I chose not to read the book on this occasion. But I knew the show pretty well, so I felt like I didn't want anything to cloud the direction I wanted to go in with with him [Phantom], because he is a man, not a monster. He's not a gargoyle, he's a man, and I wanted to approach that man in my own way.

You mentioned that you approached Jean Valjean in a different way to the Phantom. Can you go a bit more into that process? 

I wanted to try and get to the nitty-gritty of it, and the level of detail within the literature was something I really wanted to hone in on, have a look at and do my research on. Also, I had a bit more time with that. I got Les Mis quite early before I took over, so I had the time to read it and look at it.

The level of detail of the show of Les Mis is long enough, but if we did it like the book, we’d be there for three weeks! Different strokes for different folks, different approaches to every show, whether that be playing an ogre or Valjean or Phantom. Every time you come to a job, you bring yourself, but you also bring a different approach. It sometimes goes on instinct, and that was my instinct with that.

With the Phantom, how does it feel getting all that makeup and the mask on?

It feels incredible, actually! If I hadn't had the experience I had with Shrek, which was something like 1,350 performances in that green makeup, I think the makeup would be quite a scary prospect, but compared to that, this makeup is actually a breeze. So I simply have to sit there whilst the geniuses do their job.

Olivia and Tara, who do my makeup, they're the incredible ones who create this extraordinary face. And I quite enjoy it! It can be quite a therapeutic process. And it is so brilliantly designed that it moves with you, it goes with you. Shrek was always quite restrictive, simply because it was so vast, whereas this is made for me - it's moulded to form my face. You get used to seeing yourself in it. When I looked in the mirror the other day when I had it off, I didn't actually recognise myself! I'm used to seeing it on now with all the deformity. 

What do you hope audiences take away from Phantom of the Opera?

There's a wide-ranging amount of answers there! But I want generations beyond generations to come and fall in love with theatre. The amount of young families, students, [and] children I've seen with this . . . I want them to feel like it did to me when I was fourteen. I want it to affect them in a way that makes them inspired, or I want them to fall in love with the characters . . . I just want them to come to the theatre and enjoy live performance! It's such an inspiring show. I'll never forget that first time I saw it at the Liverpool Empire when I was very young. And for me, whether I ended up on a stage or not, it made me fall in love with the art form. I think there are only certain shows who can really say that they can do that for people right now. This one does inspire the generations to come back and perhaps have a love theatre for the rest of their life.

Do you have a favourite line from the show?

Oh, gosh, I think it's too early for that! It's really early days. You can't fake Phantom. You can never fake it. You have to be completely in it. And the final line that he sings, “You alone can make my song take flight / It’s over now, the music of the night,” breaks my heart every night, and I think it breaks a lot of people's hearts, too. That is a stunning line to sing because it's vocally written in a place that I adore, but it's too early to really pick one! It may end up not even being a line that I sing that I fall in love with the most. There's not a wasted lyric or note in the show, and I think that's a testament to the writers.

And finally, how would you describe Phantom of the Opera in one word?

I'm trying to think of something really profound, but the word that comes to mind is “beautiful.” It's just beautiful. It's beautiful visually, it's beautiful musically, there's beautiful people in it. It's just a beautiful thing to do and a beautiful show to see. 

The Phantom of the Opera is currently booking at His Majesty’s Theatre until 29 March 2025.