Matt Slack may be the king of comedy in Birmingham Hippodrome’s pantomime every Christmas, but his next appearance at the venue is taking place in springtime and sees him donning an altogether different crown - as the rock & roll character of Pharaoh in the currently touring production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. 
Matt spoke to What’s On about appearing in Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic musical, and about the wide-ranging and sometimes entirely unpredictable nature of life as an actor…

Matt, we usually see you causing chaos in the annual panto - how do you feel about your side-step into the Hippodrome’s musical theatre programme?
It's fantastic. I'm extremely honoured and privileged to be asked. Michael Harrison - the producer of Joseph, and of course the pantomimes - when he asked me, I said it would be an honour. Such a prodigious role in such a prestigious show - I'm very, very lucky; I can't wait to do it. It's very nice to do something different from panto at the Hippodrome. 

What’s your history with musical theatre - have you dabbled before?
I've had a very varied career - a lot of people don't know that. I do screen, stage, and serious drama. My first taste of musical theatre was Boogie Nights, the 70s musical. I played a part which was the understudy to the lead role of Roddy, and eventually I played the lead - I loved it. It was something very different to what I was used to, but I took to it straight away. My second real taste was when I went to see Blood Brothers in Torquay, where I'm originally from. The show just blew my mind. It blew me away, and still does to this day. I'm very proud that, after I watched it, about six months later, I was in it!  

You've got a long history of working with Michael Harrison, Joseph’s producer. Did that influence you when you were asked to play the role of Pharaoh?
He’s an incredible man, Michael Harrison, and I owe everything to him - my success at Birmingham, he opened the door for me. He’s one of the biggest producers of musical theatre in the country, and he took pantomime to a different level.  
When I'm asked to go and appear for two weeks only in Birmingham, what is there to say ‘no’ to? I couldn't say no. I know there'll be a lot of people who will go to see Joseph because they're Joseph fans - musical theatre fans. I'll bring a new audience, and vice versa - people may go away going ‘Oh, we must go and see him in the panto!’

What’s your Pharaoh going to be like?  
It's a tricky one, because originally it was ‘The King’ - it's based on Elvis Presley. I was a massive Elvis fan as a kid… I think they still want to stick true to that, but I shall make it my own. It's kind of an amalgamation or a hybrid with Matt Slack - whoever that is, I don't know! The man is very different from the performer.  
There will be elements of Elvis in there. It doesn't have to be just an impression of Elvis. I don't need an Elvis wig and sideburns! The show’s moved on from how it was originally played when it first came out. The associate director just said “Have fun with it!” 

Does your working year usually follow the same pattern?
It's a funny old life, really, because it's either 100 miles an hour, or it's the complete opposite. It can be testing to get back into gear, if you switch off too much… I've just moved home and I've got a 10-month-old baby, so I'm being a dad, doing runs to the tip and things like that, painting and decorating. So I've got one finger on that pulse. The other thing is, after pantomime, I need that down time - just to rest my voice for a start! 
I was in episode six of Bergerac, the remake. That was nice. You just don't know; sometimes you've got something on the horizon - next week, I could be cast in a movie! That happened a couple of years ago when we were on honeymoon in Mauritius. I had a casting for a Netflix film. I did a short thing with a phone, just handheld, and I got the job! It turned out to be an award-winning movie alongside Millie Bobby Brown and Ray Winstone. It's very exciting; you just don't know what's around the corner. 

What would you say about Joseph to an audience member who comes to see you in panto every year?
If you're a fan of me, fantastic - you'll see me in a different light. I'll still have that little wink and that ‘comedy walk’, because that lends itself to the role. There are parts that I've played where people wouldn't recognise me. That's what I do; I'm a comic and an actor, and it's not all going to be the same. With this role, they can see a bit of Matt Slack, and the Joseph fans will see an actor they don't necessarily recognise or know, playing the part of Pharaoh - making it as good as I possibly can. It's a great gift of a role. It's a showstopper moment. 

There’s often a lot of bare chests on show in Joseph. Have you felt any pressure to hit the gym before you hit the stage?
I'll be honest... with having a 10-month-old baby, keeping fit has not been my priority. You don't have time! It’s full-on being a dad again at 54 - nearly 55 - so I'm gonna try and get in shape as much as I possibly can. I don't mind if I've got a bit of a beer belly, though - I'll use that to my comedy advantage! I've got no qualms about the costume - if Joe McElderry can wear it, I can wear it! I've not put it on yet, and I'm having some boots made. I did see footage of Donny Osmond [playing Pharaoh], and he is really fit! I don't know how old he is, but he’s an incredible man. I promise, just for the mums, I'll get in the gym - at least once! 

Do you have a favourite musical number in the show? 
Obviously the number that I'm doing, which is Song Of The Pharaoh - a rock & roll number. That's great fun, with the ensemble performing as well. I think the music, from the off, is just enchanting. It's captivating, it's mesmerising, and it's addictive. Everything seems familiar, because it is familiar! Even if you've never seen the show, you will recognise at least one tune, one melody. You just feel very safe - it's like a warm mug of musical theatre. 
Close Every Door is just incredible, and there's one moment in Act Two, with all the brothers. They are absolutely fantastic - it’s such a talented cast. They do a big, epic number, and the harmonies, and that's a highlight moment.

If you had your pick of another musical in the future, which would you choose, and who would you play?
I've always been a fan of Les Mis and the role of Thénardier. I'd love to play that, and it was on the cards a while ago. If that came around again, that would be fantastic. I’d also love to play someone like Fagin… Those ‘character roles’, I would love. Who knows?! The whole point about being an actor - a comic actor or a straight actor - is the diversity of those roles. That's what I find exciting… I find getting laughs from an audience just as rewarding as making an audience emotional or making them cry. I need both ends of the spectrum. 

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 20 May to Sunday 1 June