Matt Terry – Alex in Madagascar The Musical – Photo by Bonnie Britain.Join Alex (X Factor 2016 winner Matt Terry), Marty, Melman and Gloria as they bound out of the zoo and onto the stage in Madagascar The Musical. This smash hit musical features all of your favourite crack-a-lackin’ friends as they escape from their home in New York’s Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien’s Madagascar.
This brand new musical from Dreamworks (Shrek The Musical) will leave audiences with no choice but to ‘move it, move it’!
Here is our Q&A with Matt Terry:
Bonnie: How did you get involved in this musical, as a lot of people will know you as a singer who won X Factor and not as an actor.
Matt: Well, what a lot of people don’t know, is that I trained in Musical Theatre prior to X Factor. I did 3 years on a scholarship at D&B Academy of Performing Arts in Bromley and I auditioned for everything in the West End. I was in the finals for Thriller Live, Kinky Boots, The Book of Mormon, everything you can think of.
Bonnie: All before X Factor?
Matt: Yes, then I just kind of fell into X Factor and obviously it went very well. Now I’ve just kind of found myself back in my roots. They are two different worlds and I love them both equally. It’s nice to be able to do both .
When I got the call saying Madagascar are very interested and would like to meet you, I kind of thought I had nothing to lose, went ahead and then the next day they said ‘okay, we want him’. I had a lot to think about obviously, I was like oh god can we clear the schedule, what is coming up and what are we doing and I just felt like the time was right and I love this!
I obviously trained in this so it’s nice to be part of a company and what drew me to this mostly was the fact that we’re the first, we are the original to bring this to life.
Bonnie: So no one is going to compare you to a human-lion in Madagascar?
Matt: No, exactly, I’m the first.
Bonnie: So what are you going to bring to it?
Matt: I think, the thing with Alex is that we are quite similar and I think that that they’ve cast us very well so that I’m very similar to Alex, Anton is very similar to Marty, the same with everyone else. I think with Alex, I’ve given him a voice which may be in the movie he isn’t known for, but this is a musical, so it’s an adapted version of the movie, however, throughout you’re still gonna see iconic scenes, obviously there are the iconic songs as you have just seen so it is still the movie on stage.
Bonnie: So I’ve just seen a little preview – you are all looking good as a company, the dancing and the puppetry, but you weren’t in possession of a puppet like some of the others does that mean you are dressing as a lion?
Matt: Yes, you can expect a big muscular, lion, muscular than me!
Bonnie: Ooh are you going to get fake muscles like Superman?
Matt: Yes, big chest, big arms, abs, tail and a mane but they have done it impeccably. So for myself, Marty and Gloria, they have built these costumes – a custom fit to us, they have done is so cleverly that I’m really excited to get in it.
Bonnie: You said you’ve trained for 3 years, so you would have done lots of performances as part of your training, what have you done before?
Matt: Roles wise, obviously at college, we did Grease and I played one of the T-birds, I got to play Enjolras in Les Mis, played Drew in Rock of Ages, there were LOADS!
Bonnie: Did you have a favourite one that you’d love to revisit, maybe on a West End stage?
Matt: I’d love to play Enjolras in Les Mis, that was really cool, it’s just a really good sing, and obviously singing is my passion so, I’d say that or, actually Rock of Ages was sick as well, so hard to choose.
Bonnie: You said you played Drew in Rock Of Ages?
Matt: Yes, and it’s just gone on tour hasn’t it? So, who knows…
Bonnie: Going back to Madagascar, my press release has a years worth of tour dates but it says you’re only contracted till December?
Matt: Yes, that’s right – Busy schedules and stuff, but I cleared it for this half, who knows maybe I’ll clear it for the next.
Bonnie: So when you said cleared it, is that gig related, another album?
Matt: I’m still gigging, that kind of thing, I think I will need to start album touring at some point so let’s see how we can fit that in.
Let’s see, it’s been quite easy up until now, but obviously rehearsals are a bit more full on, I’ve still been in the studio, writing, I’ve got gigs, I’m gigging on Sunday, then for the rest of the year as well, and they are kindly giving me some time off to be able to do that
Bonnie: And will you be gigging whilst you are playing Alex the Lion? Will you accidentally be roaring at someone, or maybe be bringing some of the musical numbers to your gigs? (I joke)
Matt: Who knows, I may end up roaring halfway through, who knows… (laughter)
Bonnie: What are you most looking forward to about touring with this company?
Matt: I think bringing it to life and just I LOVE the iconic venues like Manchester. I’m so excited. I remember just touring there last year and the crowds were nuts, the same with Edinburgh and Glasgow and all of that, so I think that.
Bonnie: You must be looking forward to Bromley too, being a Bromley Boy?
Matt: Of course, it’s number one on my list.
Bonnie: All the family and friends will come right?
Matt: Family yes, and my mum texted me the other day “Matt, you better be on in Bromley, because I’ve just sold 40 tickets.” I was like oh right mum, there is a box office.
Bonnie: So what else have you been doing that people may not know about?
Matt: Writing, a lot – so there are some more really cool fun projects going on which I can’t say about.
Bonnie: I just want to say Good luck, and as a leaving question I want to ask you if you have a favourite, humanised animal character from a show?
Matt: Okay, the first that comes to my head is probably Donkey from Shrek, I love anything Eddie Murphy I’m obsessed.
Bonnie: Ahhh cool, good one!
Well, I best get following Matt Terry on Instagram to keep up with all his news, if you want to as well he is on there @mattterry.
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Madagascar The Musical
Touring Production
Suitable for ages 5+.
Running time: The running time will be added as soon as it is confirmed.
21st-28th July 2018
New Wimbledon Theatre
31st July-4th August 2018
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham
7th-11th August 2018
King’s Theatre Glasgow
14th-18th August 2018
Palace Theatre, Manchester
28th August -1st September 2018
Sunderland Empire
2nd-6th October 2018
Edinburgh Playhouse
9th-13th October 2018
Bristol Hippodrome
4th-8th December 2018
Theatre Royal Brighton
5th-9th February 2019
Liverpool Empire
12th-16th March 2019
New Victoria Theatre, Woking