INTERVIEW | Luke Conner Hall, The Choir of Man

The Choir of Man has been on quite the journey since its foundations began at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017. With national and international success now under its belt, this production has been bringing joy to hundreds of audience members at the Arts Theatre in London where it opened in October 2021. The Choir of Man was also nominated for ‘Best Entertainment or Comedy Play’ at the 2022 Olivier Awards. Part of the show’s current success is Luke Conner Hall who plays Romantic in the current West End cast. Enjoy our interview with Luke to find out more about his own journey with this show and if you haven’t already seen it, why you should!

Which musicals do you think had the biggest influence on you when you were developing your professional career and interest in musical theatre?

The two musicals I watched relentlessly as a child were Alice in Wonderland, the classic Disney one, and Mary Poppins. I was obsessed! I come from the music world more than anything else. I studied it before I started acting and dancing, so the score of a show is a huge part of the appeal for me. A handful of good examples of that for me are Fun Home, Legally Blonde (a perfect musical in my eyes, sorry not sorry) and Sondheim's Passion.

Working on musicals in the West End must come with their own challenges, how have these shaped you as a professional performer?

The schedule in the West End is brutal. Doing the same thing day in, day out and still always finding new things in it can become hard. I do think I've learned a lot and I have a good level of professionalism and I continue to learn in every contract I'm lucky enough to land. I'm a bit of a night owl, so that helps me as far as the unsociable work hours go!

Tell us about The Choir of Man, did you know much about this show prior to auditioning and what drew your attention about it?

I knew about it. I hadn't seen it. Content wise, I knew I'd enjoy singing the material, but I had always had an assumption about the show that I wasn't the right kind of guy to be involved. I couldn't have been more wrong, I've been welcomed in and celebrated in a way I never thought was possible.

For my readers who perhaps haven’t seen The Choir of Man, can you tell us a little bit about the show?

It's a night in a pub. Lads having fun, making jokes, singing songs and getting each other through the tough times all with a pint in hand. We smash down the fourth wall and welcome every single person in the audience into our family for 90 minutes.

There are some really important threads in this musical, away from the iconic music numbers from Queen, Adele and Katy Perry which are intertwined into this. Do you think this is important to acknowledge away from the good time atmosphere The Choir of Man has?

It is important. A lot of men are scared to talk about their problems. Sometimes they're so scared that they decide to create a permanent solution to their temporary problems by taking their own life. We're partnered with the charity CALM to try and raise awareness for suicide, and it just so happens that we're a show of lads and statistically, men are more at risk of that. We all have a good time here at The Jungle, but we do want to make a difference to men's mental health and other issues and end the stigma around those subjects.

You are stepping into the role of The Romantic, what is their influence/part in this story?

He falls in love quick, usually with the wrong guys, gets emotionally broken into pieces by them and needs the other lads in the Jungle to put him back together again. My lead number, Adele's "Hello" is actually a moment where everyone in the pub is watching a football game, but in a lovely juxtaposed way, I've entered into my own universe to lament my failed romance.

If you weren’t playing The Romantic, which other character would you like to play?

The Romantic is so up my street that it makes it hard to imagine doing something else, but The Barman gets to have some fun, and I'd possibly quite like to have a crack at The Poet.

I touched on the score of this show, do you have a favourite?

I always enjoy singing Hello. I feel extremely lucky that I get to lose myself in that one. Recently I've been loving "Under The Bridge", and Chandy (Chandelier) will always have a special place in my heart because it's so exposed, haunting and I feel it unites us all perfectly.

The Jungle is the place where The Choir of Man meet but where is your “jungle”?

Honestly? Probably a bit of a different one - I'm at home when I'm playing my video games, either alone or with my friends. I really value that time and strangely, it's sometimes easier to talk through problems with a friend if you're doing it with a distraction like a video game.

Why should people come and see The Choir of Man?

Because it's like nothing else in the West End. The niche we've been able to find is light years away from "classic musical theatre", which is also great, but we aren't painting ourselves green or trying to find our long lost dad on a Greek island. This isn't a "story" as such, but rather a snapshot of our lives and how we move through them. We pride ourselves on being able to transform the theatre into your local pub. Leave your struggles at the door, get a drink, let us take your mind off things for a bit. My goal is for people to leave feeling lighter than they went in. It's a joy to make people happier.

The Choir of Man is currently booking until 18 February 2024. Book your tickets now.