Tom Parker talks to Viv Hardwick about going from unwanted in The Wanted to being wanted in Grease

ARE the first two questions that Tom Parker is being asked: Grease is the word and tell me more?

“That’s exactly it,” he laughs. “This is my first time in a theatre role and it’s come as a little bit of a surprise to me. It wasn’t something that I’d really considered.

“Coming from a pop band, I’ve lived in that world for five years. So, it was never on my radar. When the opportunity came and I was asked to audition I did say last year that I wanted to try something new, but I didn’t think about this part. It’s been a weird ride to get this far to be honest with you, ” says former The Wanted singer Parker. He’s now so serious about playing Danny Zuko that the 28-year-old has postponed his wedding to fiancee Kelsey Hardwick.

"We want to make sure we plan it right and I don't want to take two weeks off, get married, do a week on honeymoon, then go back on tour," he says.

The offer to look at the role of Danny came after the musical’s production company contacted Parker’s agent and wondered it he’d like to play the cameo of Teen Angel – a role that has now gone to veteran performer Darren Day.

“I knew that involved in just coming on to do the one song and a few weeks later I got a call from the casting company saying that the director wanted to see me about playing Danny. So, I went back and it was quite a big jump from considering one song to being the lead,” he says.

Now, he’s on course to don the black leather jacket, quiff and swivel hips of Danny for ten months, taking on Sunderland Empire in May.

“I think It’s going to a long old time on tour, but, you know what, even though it’s really different to what I’ve done before, I’m used to being in front of a crowd, so in that sense it won’t be a problem,” says Parker about controlling his nerves on stage.

“The difference is knowing and remembering my lines and making sure that I don’t mess things up. That will be the thing I’m most concerned about, to be honest,” he adds and admits to a few slick-haired butterflies about the “quick turnaround” of the three weeks rehearsals leading to the recent opening night in Manchester.

“Then it’s, ‘Get on stage and don’t mess it up’,” he says.

Having spent some time in the US, including a controversial period the band spent with Justin Beiber, the one thing that Parker must be sure of is finding his American accent for the tour.

“That definitely helped, we lived over there for nearly a year and that was kind of good. When I went for the audition I’d done little bits of acting when I was younger, but nothing to the full theatre extent. All I could do was approach the whole thing with an open mind about whether I got the role or not. But the producers were really happy with my accent and my attitude... so I was pretty happy about myself.”

One thing that was noticeable of the early publicity pictures is that Parker has quite an un-Danny-like short haircut. “It’s got quite long now, but I’ve always been used to having quite short hair and when we started I was told, ‘You really need to grow your hair’. I’ve been growing it for the past three months, so I’m really getting into the part now. One thing I’m looking forward to is learning how to do a traditional 1950s quiff. That will be interesting.”

Parker confesses he got hold of the original John Travolta and Olivia Newton John1972 film and even watched a live version of Grease which was broadcast a couple of years ago. “I wanted to remind myself of how John Travolta created such an iconic part and then I watched other people playing the role just to see how they did. I didn’t just want to copy Travolta because I knew I needed to put my own spin on this. I certainly think I might be the first Danny from Bolton, “ he jokes.

Parker feels that he’ll be into finger-clicking form with the first two weeks and success is all about not letting the intensity slip. “It would be quite easy to get out there, if you think you now know the role, not to give 100 per cent. I always put 100 per cent into everything I do. People are paying good money to see you, so you want to put on a good show. Everybody knows the show, so we want to give them a good time. There will be some guys dragged along saying, ‘Do I really have to go along and watch Grease’, but everyone enjoys this show.”

Alongside Parker will be Over The Rainbow winner Danielle Hope as Sandy and Strictly and EastEnders star Danielle Hope as Rizzo.

The route from The Wanted, who split up in 2014, to wanted in Grease has been bizarre, Parker says.

“We are still really good friends and talk to each other in varying amounts. I probably speak to a couple of the guys more than the rest, but I think that’s natural when you come out of a band because everyone is trying to find their own style and route. A couple of things happened at the end that were unnecessary and there were a couple of interviews and people did things behind each other’s backs. I think it got irritating about the way things were handled, but we spent five years together and we still love each other as people.

“A reunion will happen at some point. In about two or three years when I’ve done Grease. Jay McGuinness is doing the musical version of Big and the others are doing solo projects. I think by 2020, which will be our tenth anniversary of us getting to No 1, it will seem like a fitting time. But who knows? We will have to sit down in a room, flesh out our differences and it the chance came to sit down in a studio and write more songs then I would love to,” says Parker.

Has he learned his lesson from putting every part of band life at the end of a camera lens?

“I wouldn’t like to make a TV show about the big reunion. It doesn’t seem fitting for a band like The Wanted. Listen, when Take That came back, there was only four of them and they made a documentary even though Robbie didn’t turn up and look at what happened to them. Suddenly Take That were one of the coolest bands of my life-time. So who knows? Hopefully, I’ll be the coolest guy in the room after Grease... I certainly hope the reviewers say so.”

  • Grease, Sunderland Empire, May 1 to May 6. Box office: 0844-871-3022 or atgtickets.com/sunderland