The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer

People with Greek heritage taking on lead roles in POTO

Peter Polycarpou, Phantom in West End 1991-1992. Born in the UK, to Greek-Cypriot parents.

Mario Frangoulis, Raoul in West End 1991. Greek, born in Zimbabwe, grew up in Athens. 

Melina Kalomas, Madame Giry in the World Tour 2019-2020. Mostly assuming here, cause DAT NAME is Greek. 

Paris Paraskevadis, u/s Raoul in Thessaloniki and Athens 2019-2020. Greek, born and raised in Athens, based in the UK. 

Constantine Pappas, u/s Raoul in the Restaged US Tour. Greek-American. 

Theano Makariou, Meg Giry in the Hamburg revival, 2013-2014. Born in Cyprus, based in Germany. 

Denia Lev, u/s Carlotta in Thessaloniki and Athens 2019-2020. Greek, lives and works in Greece. 

Review: #FallingStars "Conceived and written by Polycarpou, Falling Stars is the story of a lost songbook found hidden away in an antique shop. The song cycle is an homage..." @Gingerqmedia @TheUnionTheatre @stream_theatre

Stars of stage and screen Peter Polycarpou and Sally Ann Triplett unite in the new musical Falling Stars.

Conceived and written by Polycarpou, Falling Starsis the story of a lost songbook found hidden away in an antique shop on the East Finchley High Road. The song cycle is an homage to the composers, collaborators, and publishers of the 1920s, who created some of the greatest music of all…

Pictured: Shona Lindsay, Peter Polycarpou, and Geoff Ferris, London 1991.

Peter Polycarpou was the first Phantom I got to see on stage (in the ALW version - will be adding memories of the Ken Hill show some time, too!), and consequently I don't remember a lot about his performance, except that it underwhelmed me compared to Crawford on the OLC. Polycarpou didn't really have the vocal power to sustain the long notes, and I didn't cry as hard as I was expecting to. Though I saw him a few years later in The Secret Garden (with the magnificent Philip Quast), in which he was excellent.

I have an article from Polycarpou's time in the show, from the Daily Telegraph in late 1991. Its tone annoys me, as it's focused on how "difficult" it was for Geoff Ferris, then resident director, to deal with actors wanting to put their own touches to the role, like Dave Willetts once falling to his knees at the end. Ferris evidently didn't like actors doing the very things that have kept fans going back to see the show with new casts year after year - in contrast to Hal Prince, who I'm told welcomed and appreciated interesting innovations.

Honestly, this piece still pisses me off. From the earliest fan reviews in the Phantom Notes zine to now, fans have always loved noticing the different details, takes and approaches different actors have given to the role. The notion that they should have been stopped from doing that goes against the whole point of acting and is fundamentally absurd. Also, three West End Phantoms in a row told a handful of us fans at the stage door that Ferris was himself difficult to work with, with one calling him a bully (again in contrast to Hal Prince). The second two were glad to hear it wasn't just them. I wonder what Polycarpou's Phantom would have been like if he'd been given more freedom in the role.

(Pic should pop open a bigger version with legible text.)

The Backstage with Robert Emery Podcast

"Getting sacked by Andrew Lloyd-Webber is the worst moment of my career"  -- Peter Polycarpou

Robert Emery talks to Peter Polycarpou, British stage, TV and film actor best known playing Chris Theodopolopodous in the hit TV series 'Birds Of A Feather'. Peter talks about his approach to work, tells some incredible stories on what happens behind the scenes in the world of theatre, and answers a quick-fire round of questions culminating in the big question; Les Mis or Miss Saigon?

Since becoming a household name in TV, Peter has gone on to forge an incredible career in theatre and film.  This conversation takes us through what it was like to work with Madonna (Pop Star, not the picture of the Virgin Mary!), being in the first cast of both Les Mis and Miss Saigon and what happened in Phantom when Andrew Lloyd-Webber didn't like his approach to the role.

Listen Now

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, YouTube or on your favourite podcast platform. 

SHOW NOTES

Peter Polycarpou working with Robert Emery [01:15]

Figuring out how to be an actor [05.07]

Birds of a Feather [11:24]

Miss Saigon [14:20]

Mrs Henderson Presents in Toronto [14.49]

Working with Madonna on Evita [15.45]

Claude-Michel Schönberg [21.10]

Phantom of the Opera [28:35]

Imagine This [29:50]

Accents [32:10]

Turning into a composer [36:16]

Tips and tricks to be ultra-productive [43:10]

Meditation [49:10]

Predictions of the business in 20 years [51:18]

Quick fire questions [53:52]

Victor Spinetti [56:22]

Selected links from the episode

thebackstageblog.com

Peter Polycarpou

Miss Saigon

Evita

Claude-Michel Schönberg

Phantom of the Opera

Victor Spinetti

Lat_56 

TV, films and albums featuring Peter Polycarpou

Miss Saigon [Original London Cast]

Les Miserables - From Stage to Screen

Cleanskin

The Man Who Would Be King: A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisation

Birds of a Feather - The Complete Series [DVD]

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Stage Door: Man of La Mancha at the London Coliseum

Cast Members: Peter Polycarpou, Kelsey Grammer and Danielle de Niese