A^
LI
FEIN
Vince reveals all about the development of his stagecraft
and the evolution of his rock’n’roll cabaret act
A
s a 5ft 11in
skinny
13-year-
old, I began
my amateur
singing career
by appearing in a
local pantomime
as Simple Simon
in Mother Goose, and NO, it wasn’t
typecasting. I must admit that there was
a certain amount of nepotism involved
in acquiring the role, as the pantomime’s
producer was a friend of my grandad which,
understandably, brought its own pressure.
It was not only the singing and acting that
fascinated me, but also the attitudes other
artists could show towards each other. Of
course, in pantomime anything goes(“Oh yes it does”), so I was somewhat
surprised when the producer asked me if
I would sing a solo. I couldn’t get my head
around why Simple Simon would sing a solo
in a market square, but in panto, as I said
before, anything goes.
The song the producer challenged me
with was a ballad from the original movie
version of Moulin Rouge entitled Where Is
Your Heart? Following what seemed like
endless rehearsals, I was thrust into the
spotlight at the dress rehearsal, where
I sang it for the fi rst time with the orchestra.
To my surprise, and apparently the principle
girl Ethel’s dismay, the scattered audience,
who were mainly relatives and friends of
cast members, were applauding, whistling
and shouting for more. No one was more
bemused than me, but I must be honest,I revelled in it. “That was a great
performance Roy,” shouted our producer
Arthur – even the musicians in the orchestra
pit applauded. I was on cloud nine, I’d never
had anything happen like this before. As we
all readied ourselves to call it a day and head
home, our musical director congratulated
me, adding “You didn’t just sing that song
great Roy, you sold it.”
I was soon to discover that selling
a song was as important as – if not at times
more important than – simply singing it.
In the meantime, Ethel told the producer
that I shouldn’t be singing the song, as
I was too young and it didn’t suit me.
Thankfully, her concerns fell on deaf ears
and I continued to perform it. The show
ran for 14 performances and I enjoyed some
great receptions, as well as a few standing
ovations from the diverse audiences.DURING THE FOLLOWING three
years performing in panto, I also had
a newspaper delivery round and a part-
time job at a local fl orist. Having two jobs
enabled me to save up for my fi rst luxury
purchase, a Dansette record player. I soon
discovered the wealth of American singers
available on record, such as Johnnie Ray
and Frankie Laine, and once I had my
Dansette, there was no stopping me.
I sang along to all their songs, with
Johnnie Ray being my favourite, and like
Johnnie, concentrated on putting all my
feelings into them. He was an amazing
performer, and songs such as The Little
White Cloud That Cried and Cry became
my favourites. Having read all about him
in the Picturegoer magazine, where it
stated how he actually cried when singing,
I decided to try to emulate him. So, when PHOTOS
SUPPLIED^ B
Y^ V
INCEEAGER
He’s behind you: a young
Vince and principle girl Ethel
ham it up during their panto
appearance in Mother GooseVince Eager