John Barrowman has taken up residence in Birmingham ready to star in Britain's biggest panto. Alison Jones gets his first impressions.
"Someone said there is a Bullring in Birmingham, I said 'They have bull fighting in Birmingham? My God. How barbaric.'"
Actor, singer, renegade time-agent and all-round entertainer John Barrowman still has a little to learn about the city that is to be his home the next two months.
However, it seems that the locals or at least the portion of them young enough to believe a blue police box can fly, even if they don't know what one is, know an awful lot about him.
"I pulled up at a stop light when I was driving into town." continues John, who only arrived in Birmingham at the weekend. "I wound my window down to ask the guy next to me if I was heading the right way and, before I could even get anything out, the little girl next to him said 'IT'S CAPTAIN JACK!'."
The 51st century conman turned Torchwood troubleshooter - saving the earth, well, Cardiff, from the scum of the universe - has become a hero for the noughties and almost as popular as the Doctor on whose, or Who's, programme he first appeared.
This has translated into a Birmingham box office bonanza for the Hippodrome, who expect to take more than £1.75 million during the five week run of Aladdin.
John will be playing the lamp-rubbing lead, assisted by Don Maclean as Widow Twankey, the Grumbleweeds as some Chinese policemen and the Daleks, who will be making their panto debut.
This will be the 40-year-old's star's third season in panto, but don't let the American accent fool you, he knows the art form from way back, having spent the first eight years of his life in Glasgow.
"One of my most visit memories was of panto at Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow, and I think it was Babes in the Wood. So I know about panto I know about the importance of it to the British psyche and I am honoured to share in that,
"Also it is a great introduction for kids to a future of theatre going. I think that is why people like myself and others have been getting involved in it over the last three or four years because it generates an audience for the future.
"Musical theatre is one of the biggest mediums and it is a huge industry to bring in tourism for the UK particularly in London. The tours that are going on, Joseph and Maria (The Sound of Music), the success of all that proves there is an audience out there for it."
The Barrowmans relocated to Illinois for John's father's job (he was a manager with Caterpillar) and it was while in school that he developed his enthusiasm for musicals.
John is now probably musical theatre's most passionate advocate - his default emotion for most things seems to be unrestrained enthusiasm - and fiercely defends it against critics who say television popularity contests to find new stars have devalued it.
"This gives amateurs a chance, a possibility. We would never put anyone in that position if we felt they could not do it. Connie (Fisher winner of How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria, for which John acted as a judge) was a telemarketing girl, but she was also going to stage school, so we knew she wanted to do this.
"The only reason people in the industry are upset about people like Connie getting these roles is they are jealous. Get up off your ass and audition!
"It worked for Lee Mead (winner of Any Dream Will Do, the search for a new Joseph). Lee was an understudy. He wanted it badly enough, he worked his tail off and he got it.
"I don't have a problem with those shows. I have been asked to do another one and I have signed up. I think it gives everybody an opportunity and it is great television.
"Someone did say 'oh you are bringing a different class of people to the theatre'," he says, adopting a faux upper class English accent. "Shut up! It sells tickets. That's what you want, bums on seats."
John's own big theatrical break came when he was cast opposite Elaine Paige in Anything Goes nearly 20 years ago.
He has carved out an impressive career on stage, appearing in Miss Saigon, Matador, Phantom of the Opera, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love, and made a name for himself on children's television, co-presenting Live and Kicking.
The openly gay star, who had a civil partnership ceremony with long term love Scott Gill last year, also auditioned for the lead in the hit American comedy Will and Grace. He was reportedly denied the part for being too straight, instead it went instead Eric McCormack, who is heterosexual.
However, John admits that he had "no clue" what was in store for him when he accepted the role of Captain Jack, a temporary companion to Doctor Who, he proved so popular he was given his own series.
"It was one of those life changing moments. I've had four and that's one of the biggest. It has allowed me to do things that I would never be able to do, I can't walk down the street now without being recognised."
But the open-natured and almost impossible to embarrass Barrowman is not about to start complaining about invasion of privacy.
"I am all for it. I came into this business to work, in the back of my mind, as it is in the back of every person who comes into this industry, there is the possibility you think 'I could be a star, I could be a celebrity'.
"When it happens there is one of two things that everybody does. You either embrace it and you love it or you become a hermit. I don't understand those (latter) people. You know it could've possibly happened so why are you becoming an asshole?
Some of his most enthusiastic fans are children, even though Torchwood is the 'adult' answer to Doctor Who, so much more violent and sexually explicit that it is shown safely after the watershed.
His young admirers will have a chance to watch a toned-down version of the new series, as there will be a post-9pm edition and one to be shown earlier with "all the violence and gore edited out".
"The sex will stay in because sex is not a dirty word," says John. "We all do it, we just do it in different ways. Kids need to know and understand that.
"I'd rather see two people making love than blowing each other's brains out. I think that is a lot easier for parents to explain 'they are kissing because they like each other'."
John has made his own little piece of history as the enthusiastically sexually indiscriminate Jack, the man behind the first same-sex kiss in the long history of Doctor Who.
He admits he was grateful to be able to break a few taboos and also to act as a role model for gay and bisexual teens.
"In Doctor Who he kissed the Doctor. Kids have seen him kiss boys, they have seen him kiss girls and the kids don't give a s**t, they really don't care.
"It is the adults that bother about it."
In addition to Torchwood, once he has finished Aladdin John has a tour to promote his new album, Another Side, to look forward to - he will be appearing at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on April 8 - and he will also be releasing his autobiography.
If fact, his life is so full at the moment that if, like Aladdin, he was granted three wishes, he'd say thanks but no thanks.
"I wouldn't need three wishes because I am living my dream. I know that sounds corny but it is not.
"I have everything I could really wish for I have a good relationship. I have a great home, a great family life, I have my dogs, a nice car and I am chuffed as I am. So I guess I would give the wishes to somebody else maybe a little less fortunate..."
* Aladdin is on at the Birmingham Hippodrome from December 19 to January 27. Tel: 0870 7301234 or look up www.birminghamhippodrome.com
