Ep 50: Gary Wilmot, leading actor and musical theatre star.

Gary’s first West End role was that of Bill Snibson in the award winning Musical ‘Me And My Girl’ in 1989 (Adelphi Theatre).  A successful No.1 theatre tour of a new comedy, ‘Teething Troubles’ followed, both productions to critical acclaim. 

With direction by Simon Callow, Gary’s next role was that of Joe in the award winning ‘Carmen Jones’ (Old Vic). Gary then starred in the first sell out national tour of ‘Me And My Girl’ which earned him a best actor nomination.

He then went on to star in the world premier of the Barry Manilow musical ‘Copacabana’ at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre after which, he received a special invitation to recreate his role in ‘Me And My Girl’ for the final tour of this great show.

That same year he recorded a one-hour TV special for the BBC – ‘Showstoppers’ and was invited to record a further series of six TV spectaculars with the BBC Concert Orchestra and many national and international guest stars. He also starred in and directed a 160 date tour of ‘Showstoppers'.

In 1997 he created the role of Elliot Garfield in ‘The Goodbye Girl’ and in 1998 another successful characterisation of Fagin in the Cameron Mackintosh production of ‘Oliver’, touring through spring and summer 1999.

Gary spent a highly successful period at the Bristol Old Vic (and touring) in Willy Russell’s play ‘One For The Road’ and starred in the concert tour of ‘Music To Watch Girls By’ singing, in his own inimitable style. 

A No 1 tour of Alan Ayckbourn’s ‘Confusions’, Bottom in The New Shakespeare Company to play  ‘A_Midsummer_Night’s_Dream’ (Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park) and the Pirate King in ‘Pirates of Penzance' and a performance in the national tour of Giles Havergal’s brilliant adaptation of the Graham Greene novel ‘Travels With My Aunt’.

Gary spent most of 2003/4 at The London Palladium, starring in the record breaking ‘Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang’ and ending the year with his own national concert tour ‘My-Kind_Of_Music’. 

In the summer, he was invited back to The Open Air Theatre to play Dauntless Dick Deadeye in ‘H.M.S_Pinafore’ and then starring in ‘Santa Claus the Musical’ at The Mayflower, Southampton in 2005. He was invited back to ‘Chitty_Chitty_Bang_Bang’ and the 2006 Christmas season saw him starring in ‘Peter Pan’ as Captain Hook.

A successful national tour of ‘Half_a Sixpence’ and the 2007 Christmas as the Scarecrow in ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and then the Lion in The Festival Theatre's The Wizard of Oz in 2008, finally ending the year in Manchester as Smee in Peter Pan.

In 2009 Gary starred in the national tour of ‘Chicago’ in the role of Billy Flynn, the lawyer, ‘The Invisible Man’, at Chocolate Factory, the national tour of Lord Arthur Saville's Crime as Septimus Podgers and as the lead comic role in the national tour of  ‘Radio Times’. In 2013, he played Dame for the first time at the Birmingham Hippodrome and then a run of westend shows including, The Pajama Game, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Wind in the Willows followed by another panto at the Palladium and a run of M