Interview: Sam Ferriday talks about being a villain in Ghost The Musical at Aylesbury.

Playing the villain in the romantic and massively popular story of Ghost means  the audience is unlikely to be on your side.
Ghost the MusicalGhost the Musical
Ghost the Musical

And Sam Ferriday, who plays Carl, the ‘best friend’ who betrays hero Sam in the current UK tour of Ghost The Musical, knows only too well how it feels.

In an exclusive interview before the show arrives at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury he said: “It’s interesting going out there and knowing the audience don’t like you. They’ve seen the film, so they know what the character is up to. Knowing that they are not on your side, you definitely feel it. But I’ve had quite a few people say I suit the slimy villain!”

That could be taken as a harsh personal insult, or a sincere appreciation of Sam’s talent as an actor, and is much more likely to be the latter.

In fact, his versatility as an actor means he is also the understudy for good guy Sam and last year he took on the role several times when Andy Moss (the Hollyoaks actor who plays the lead role) was down due to illness.

Sam also played the hero for the first days of rehearsal when Carolyn Maitland joined the cast at the beginning of the year, taking over the role of Molly from Girls Aloud member Sarah Harding. Carolyn has a solid background in musical theatre with appearances in Miss Saigon, Miss Me Kate and From Here to Eternity.

Sam said: “I think Carolyn’s CV speaks for itself in terms of what she’s done in a professional capacity. She’s knows the disciplines of the stage.”

Sam also has a pretty impressive CV himself and played Bob Gaudio in the UK tour of Jersey Boys for the entire 18 month run - which also included a stop at the Waterside. The role was a dream come true for Sam, who said: “I saw Jersey Boys on Broadway when it first opened and I said to my dad, I would love to be in that show. So it was incredible for me.”

When he was younger he dreamt of being in a band and being on tour, so he said: “In a weird way it went full circle in a sense because when I was with Jersey Boys we were doing shows, we were always together, we loved each other to bits, we had that chemistry.”

When Sam first left drama school he was in a band as the drummer, but arm injuries meant he came to a decision to focus on his acting career and he says now that he sees himself first and foremost as an actor, as well as being able to sing.

He hopes to move into television and film here and in America.

He comes from the Midlands but certainly doesn’t sound like it. He’s lived in London for six years, and has also spent time in the States and on cruise ships.

His CV lists an impressive list of accents he can pull off including Geordie. As a Geordie myself I couldn’t help testing him, and I have to say he came out with flying colours.

He said: “The trick with a Geordie accent is to think of the words ‘audio player’ and ‘microwave’, they are the two words that bring it out.”

And I have to admit, he’s right. In no time at all we were microwaving and audio playing with those flat vowels and I almost felt like I was back home again.

Ghost tells the story of Sam and Molly who reconnect with the help of a storefront psychic after Sam is murdered. The movie (which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore) and the stage show both feature The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody.

The show will be at the Waterside from Tuesday, April 18 - Saturday, April 22, with evening and matinee performances. Tickets from £15. Book online at www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury or call the box office 0844 871 7607.

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