Kit takes on role of hero Tom Jones at Aylesbury's Waterside Theatre

A Welsh man playing the role of iconic pop star Tom Jones during his early years is relishing the chance to play the role.
Kit Orton as Tom JonesKit Orton as Tom Jones
Kit Orton as Tom Jones

Kit Orton plays the music star in Tom - a new musical coming to Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre from Tuesday April 5 to Saturday April 9.

Speaking to us two days after the show’s premiere, Kit said: “There is a lot of pressure in playing the role of Tom Jones, he was such an icon.

“But because there is a not a lot of footage of how he was in the 1950s, there is quite a lot of artistic licence in our creation of Tom Jones and there is nothing out there to contradict our view of it.

“He hasn’t really been involved in the show. We have had good luck messages from both him and his management team but he hasn’t been a long to rehearsals or anything like that.

“However we had former members of his band The Senators whom he started out with. Bernard Hopkins actually came to see the show on the second night we performed and he has been messaging Tom telling him that he must come and see the show.

“I hope that if we carry on getting the reaction we have had so far then hopefully news will travel and he’ll come and see us at some point.”

The show is all about the early years of his life during the 50s and 60s as well as looking at the relationship the singer had with his wife Linda.

And while he might have felt pressured, he was delighted to take on the role.

Kit said: “I was very lucky in that I had a phone call asking if I was interested in auditioning for the part. Being Welsh I said yes, and was just lucky enough to get the job.

“I was a huge fan of Tom Jones growing up. I think it is one of those things when you are Welsh, you are born with a knowledge of all the Tom Jones songs.”

It might come as a surprise that some of his more well known songs do not appear in it.

Kit added: “It isn’t a jukebox musical in that all the songs are shoehorned in. The story very much comes. It’s Not Unusual is the last song in the show but things like What’s New Pussycat we do as an encore at the end of the show.

“It looks more at him finding his voice and musical style and the things he was trying out when he was performing at working men’s clubs. There are songs by Ray Charles and Jerry Lee Lewis which people will know.

“My favourite song to sing is What They Sang which is a Jerry Lee Lewis song, it comes at the start of act 2 and it’s the beginning where you get to see Tom come into his own musical style.”

It was only two days in when we chatted to Kit, but the reaction at the time of speaking had been outstanding.

Kit said: “It has been going really well so far, We have been performing it to 2,000 people and we have had a standing ovation at the end.

“It is a show where you don’t have to be a Tom Jones fan, it is full of great music that you will recognise. It is the perfect show to have a little dance too as well.”

Tickets for the show are available from £15. To book call the box office on 0844 871 7607 or visit www.atgtickets.co.uk/aylesbury.

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