BWW INTERVIEWS: Simon Burke, London's New Georges In LA CAGE AUX FOLLES

Hi, Simon, welcome to BWW:UK. How are you?

I'm really good; I'm having the time of my life. I'd seen La Cage previously as a punter, down at the Chocolate Factory and when it came to town, and I think it's such a beautiful show.I enjoyed it so much; I love what Terry [Terry Johnson] has done with it; he's made it richer and concentrated on the domesticity of their lives, and that makes it a world that I can recognise. In fact, I'd seen it about 20 years ago, I think possibly even before it came to the West End. But I thought that perhaps being cast in it was a little way off for me yet!

When did you get approached for it?

About six or seven weeks ago! I was supposed to be going back to Australia for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but then this came up. And then I got the opportunity to record an album as well!

We'll come back to that! There's been a lot of talk about you and John Barrowman being the youngest pairing to play the parts so far.

Yes. They presented it to me as playing opposite John, and yes, we're slightly younger than the other incarnations, but I could easily have a 24-year-old son and be in a 20-year relationship. John and I knew each other slightly before - we've had quite similar careers but in different countries. And I think this cast works because Jacob is being played by a younger actor as well, so it's almost like there's a nuclear family at the heart of the show - ma, pa, brother and sister, which serves to point out the domesticity of the piece even more. I love how the production concentrates on the club as a very safe place. I just love it.

I remember crying so much when I first saw it - it's so beautiful, tough, fun, and witty, and Harvey's book [Harvey Fierstein] is fantastic. By its nature it's a unique piece, with two leads, both male, and it's a very masculine show. I think it's all about maleness, acceptance, the gay issue, and it looks at what it is to be male. It's a journey of discovery for all three male leads, who find different ways to be a good man. We've had four very intense weeks of rehearsal, making it our own.

And you've found time to do an album as well.

Yes, I was thinking about an album when I did The Sound Of Music, but it didn't happen. Now this time the idea came up, I went straight into the studio with the band and the MD, and sang some songs. I thought I'd better sing a song from La Cage, and chose Song On The Sand, and that was the only song I was unfamiliar with at the start. I thought I'd better do lots of songs I knew - it's kind of like when you write a book, you need to write about what you know, and I needed to sing songs I knew! But I did take a line from Song On The Sand to give my album its title - Something About Always.

What's next for you when your run in La Cage finishes?

I'm not sure! I lived here in the UK for five years in the 1990s, and then I went back to Australia unexpectedly. Then I got offered The Sound Of Music, with Connie [Connie Fisher], which was such fun, and when I got here I felt as if I was back at home. I've bought a place here now, so I'm here for a bit, but it is very important to me to keep my career at home in Australia as well. I've managed to do plays and musical theatre too, which is something else that's important to me. So we'll see!

Look out later this week for an EXCLUSIVE interview with John Barrowman.

Simon stars as Georges in La Cage Aux Folles at The Playhouse Theatre as from September 14. His album, Something About Always, is released on the same day.

Photo by Catherine Ashmore.