Inspired by the true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips, brought together icons Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley, Million Dollar Quartet is on its way to Newcastle

MILLION Dollar Quartet, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical and West End hit, is on its way to Newcastle and has announced Jason Donovan as the starring name for the rock ‘n’ roll extravaganza.

Donovan is cast as legendary record producer Sam Phillips – the man who brought the four recording stars, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins together to create music history. Donovan has an impressive musical theatre background, including leading roles in The Rocky Horror Show, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Sweeney Todd and most famously, Priscilla Queen of the Desert. A household name, he found fame appearing as Scott in the hit Australian soap opera Neighbours. His hugely successful pop career has seen Donovan sell millions of albums and top the charts worldwide. He is currently visiting venues around the UK with his Ten Good Reasons and Greatest Hits tour and presents a show every Sunday on Heart FM.

What's On came up with seven questions for the performer:

What are you most looking forward to about being in Million Dollar Quartet?

I’m looking to the music. I’m looking forward to the character, playing Sam Phillips. It’s quite dialogue-heavy and story-driven, so it’s quite a challenge for my memory. But I’m looking forward to telling a story and playing something different than what I’ve done in the past.

What’s your favourite thing about performing on stage?

The audience, always the audience. And the fact that you never quite know how a performance is going to go and each performance is different – it’s the chemistry between the actors. It’s exciting. It gets your adrenaline going.

What do you think the biggest challenge will be?

Well definitely being on top of the words and the dialogue and the character each night, because it’s meaty in its dialogue and I’m really the driving force of the story. That requires a lot of concentration.

What have you/will you be doing to get into character?

Spending many hours on my own, wandering around the streets of London, learning lines. And, you know, looking up clips of Sam Phillips and just getting a sense of the person, working on the American accent, and just finding within the dialogue the character.

What three words would you use to describe Sam Phillips?

Smart, passionate, and he’s someone who’s willing to accept and look at the bigger picture

The show is all about four rock n roll icons – what’s your favourite song in the show?

I Walk The Line – Johnny Cash’s classic.

What else can audiences look forward to about the show?

I just think it’s going to be a great piece of entertainment. I think for those people who don’t know that era in music, it’s very uplifting. The 50’s were a massive change in America and throughout the world, and I think I’m just looking forward to the interaction with the songs and the story.

Ashley Carruthers play Jerry Lee Lewis. He started playing piano at the age of five and has quickly risen to become one of the most talented pianists performing in the world. Carruthers has worked as a performer, musician and teacher with numerous ballet companies, performing arts colleges and as a soloist on the world’s top cruise lines. Most recently he has been touring internationally with his own rock and roll piano show. He has been involved in music theatre previously in his native Australia but Million Dollar Quartet marks his UK musical theatre debut.

Robbie Durham performs as Johnny Cash. His stage credits include first cover Tony in Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace); Hoods (Arts Theatre); Sunny Afternoon (Harold Pinter Theatre); Dreamboats and Petticoats (West End & UK tour); Kiss Me, Kate (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); The Confession Room (Landor Theatre); Olivier Awards 2011 (Drury Lane Theatre); Cinderella (Pavilion Theatre Rhyl); Broadway to West End (Drury Lane Theatre).

Ross William Wild joins the cast as Elvis Presley. Recent roles include Norman in Dreamboats and Miniskirts (UK Tour), Michael in The Witches of Eastwick (The Watermill Theatre), Jason in the European Premiere of BARE (Union Theatre and Greenwich Theatre in London) and Kenickie in Grease (National tour).

Matt Wycliffe is Carl Perkins with stage credits including Outspan Foster in The Commitments (Palace Theatre), Bob Guadio in Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre, WhatsOnStage Award nomination), Buddy in The Buddy Holly Story (Duchess Theatre).

Katie Ray is Dyanne with previous shows including Beauty in Beauty and the Beast (Central Theatre, Chatham), Wendy in Peter Pan (Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin and Mayflower Theatre, Southampton), Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour) and Liesl in The Sound of Music (Royal Palladium).

Million Dollar Quartet includes more than 20 legendary rock ‘n’ roll hits, including Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, I Walk The Line and Great Balls of Fire. The show is written by Tony Award nominees Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux and produced by Simon Friend, Mark Goucher, Tom O’Connell, Laurence Myers and Gavin Kalin. Olivier nominated Ian Talbot OBE, artistic and managing director at The Open Air Theatre, in Regent’s Park, directs.

Million Dollar Quartet runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday, March 6 to Saturday, March 11.Tickets from £16.50. Box Office: 08448-112121 or theatreroyal.co.uk