Spotlight on 'The Phantom of the Opera' with Dean Chisnall

As part of a series celebrating some of the West End's longest-running shows, we speak to Dean Chisnall who plays The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera.

Narrowly pipped to first place by Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera is the second longest-running musical in the West End, having opened its doors to audiences on 9 October 1986.

Based on Gaston Leroux's book, Andrew Lloyd Webber's romantic musical follows young soprano Christine Daaé, who is mentored by a musical genius known as the Phantom, who lives beneath the Paris Opera House.

The Phantom has been played by several well-known musical faces over the years, including Michael Crawford, Ramin Karimloo, Jon Robyns, and John-Owen Jones (the latter two currently playing alongside each other in summer musical The Great Gatsby at the London Coliseum). But it is Dean Chisnall, who has starred as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables among many other roles, who currently plays The Phantom. He tells LondonTheatre.co.uk why he is so bewitched by the music of the night.

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Why do you think this show has lasted for so long in the West End?
Because it is magnificent! It’s lavish, it’s spectacular, it’s a total masterpiece. The music, the set, the costumes, the wigs – I could go on. Not many shows can stand the test of time like this one. Generations of families all come together to spend an evening at His Majesty’s Theatre, and that’s magical!

What is the best audience reaction you have seen to the show?
Without wishing to sound predictable, every night is pretty special. The audience stand as one every night, and I don’t take a moment of it for granted. We’re very lucky.

What is your favourite moment in the show?
This changes almost daily. I’ve always loved "Masquerade" from an audience point of view. The wall of sound, the set, the colour, the voices. But to perform, I think I’d have to choose "The Final Lair". You get to let rip and leave it all on the stage each night. I’m so lucky!

What is a little-known secret about performing in this show?
A little-known fact is that some of the original props from the very first performance are still used to this day in the show. Also, in my dressing room there are still things that are in place from when Michael Crawford was resident in The Phantom dressing room.

What do you hope audiences take away from the show?
A guarantee is that audiences will take away a memory. The world spends so much time looking at a screen, so I urge audiences to come here and see the show with their own eyes and be part of a unique, spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime experience. This show may have been around for nearly 39 years, but it’s never been the same twice.

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Photo credit: Dean Chisnall in The Phantom of the Opera. (Photo by Johan Persson)