Mark Benton tells Viv Hardwick he'd made up his mind not to tour this year... then landed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical

SONG and dance aren’t two skills you’d necessarily link too closely with Teesside actor Mark Benton, but in 2013 he tackled Strictly and went transgender as Edna Turnblad in the stage show Hairspray and, now he adds the debut tour of West End hit Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Musical to a lively cv.

Benton has even tried out a moustache especially for the role of Andre, the police chief on the wrong side of the law, in the stage adaptation of the 1988 movie starring MichaelCaine and Steve Martin.

“Andre is Lawrence’s kind of sidekick and a kind of henchman who happens to be chief of police. He’s quite a stoic and helps with cons, but one of the ladies who Lawrence is trying to swindle develops into a ‘will-they-or-won’t-then’ romance for Andre,” says Benton.

“It’s actually quite a nice part of the story because they have a song-and-dance together. So, I’m maintaining my song and dance credentials,” he jokes.

The name of the game is enjoyment, says the Guisborough-born performer who has an impressive track record of acting from Howard in comedy Northern Lights to Waterloo Road maths teacher Daniel Chalk.

“I remember when I had nowt and now I'm in a privileged position to get great parts and do good jobs. Actually, you know a lot of the time when you face problems you think, ‘It’s not that bad is it?’. I love dancing and I love singing and acting, so Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a bit of everything,” says Benton, who finds his singing voice alongside Michael Praed as Lawrence, Noel Sullivan as Freddy and Carley Stenson as Christine.

“This is a big bright comedy with a plot that is very clever because you think it’s going one way and then it goes another because Lawrence and Freddy keep trying to double-cross each other,” he explains.

Benton is aware of the film’s reputation and feels that the show, which tours to Sunderland Empire on June 9 to 20, builds on that with well-written songs.

He confesses that he’d decided that 2015 was going to be the year he didn’t do any touring or any theatre. “But, I never take the promises I make to myself too seriously. The producers were talking to me about doing it when the show went into the West End, but I couldn’t do it because I was doing the Strictly tour. Then, it’s come round again and it’s a new show that’s never toured before. I did Hairspray, but that had toured around the country before. It’s really nice to be on the first tour and we don’t know what to expect and this show has so many twists and turns it will be nice to see the reaction of everybody,” says Benton, who recalls starting out in Hair and Grease with Middlesbrough Youth Theatre.

“I was only a kid then and Gordon Steel has always been a brilliant director and playwright, but my reputation for early musicals always looks good in print,” says Benton. He’s hoping that family and friends will make the trip up the A19 to see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

“Sunderland is the closest to Middlesbrough that I get on the tour and it’s just a pity that Middlesbrough, Stockton and possibly Billingham don’t have enough seats in the auditorium. I’d love to play in something in Teesside because the bigger shows tend to head for Sunderland, Newcastle and Leeds,” he says.

Benton still doesn’t always believe that he’s a trusted star of stage and screen. “I’ve never taken things for granted and sometimes when I find myself in my darker moments I remember what I’ve done in my career and where I am. I’ve had a brilliant time so far. When I was young just doing any drama I could, my ambition was to be an actor and I’ve fulfilled that ambition. These days I see myself as more of a dancer,” he jokes about partnering world dancing champion Iveta Lukosiute for ten weeks.

His next role is in film and Benton has been cast in the role of baddie with the job of trying to clip the Olympic wings of Eddie the Eagle. It’s the story of Eddie Edwards, Britain’s first sky jumper to enter the Winter Olympics. It stars Taron Egerton, who starred in the recent movie Kingsman: The Secret Service, plus Hugh Jackman and Christopher Walken.

“That’s another reason I’ve got the moustache. I’ve been rehearsing for Scoundrels and fitting in Eddie. I think if this film is as much fun to watch as we had making it then it will be great,” says Benton who flew out to Bavaria for the snow scenes. “We filmed in Garmisch, but winter sports are my idea of hell. When we were there we went up on the cable car and I could see the appeal of skiing, but it’s not for me and not my idea of a holiday,” says Benton, who plays an Olympic official called Richmond.

“As it happened in real life, the Olympic committee didn’t want him to ski-jump because they thought Eddie would be an embarrassment to all the other events. Eddie had a fight with them and got the qualifying distance and hats off to him for doing it. Eddie has been out to see the film being made and I think he approves of it. I’ve played a few baddies in my time, but for an Olympic version I’d probably turn to Vincent Price, Boris Karloff of Christopher Lee. Only the best... or should I say only the worst,” he says.

“Taron plays Eddie and he’s brilliant with Hugh Jackman playing his trainer. Hugh is the loveliest man you could meet.”

Benton’s latest TV venture is presenting in quiz show The Edge as contestants end up bowling for cash prizes.

“We’re keeping our fingers crossed that there will be another series. I was petrified at first and really glad that we shot a pilot because I got used to improvising with people while watching the autocue and having the producer talking in your ear. I’d be rubbish as a competitor. I was rubbish and I wasn’t even under pressure.”

* Sunderland Empire: Tuesday, June 9 to Saturday, June 20. Box Office: atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire or 0844-871-3022