The stage musical version of hit rom-com movie The Wedding Singer is already part way through its UK tour and is proving to be a soaring success, receiving widespread praise and countless standing ovations.
Set in 1985, when greed is rife throughout the ranks of wannabe big-shot bankers on Wall Street, a young man named Robbie Hart gets jilted at the altar. Unfortunately for Robbie, he’s a wedding singer, and faced with watching couple after couple happily tie the knot, he manages to make every wedding he attends as big a car crash as his own.
Robbie thinks his luck has changed when he falls for kind-hearted Julia. There’s just one problem, though - he’s booked to sing at her wedding to bad boy Wall Street banker Glen.
Playing the role of Glen in this awkward love triangle is Ray Quinn, who’s perhaps best known for finishing runner-up in the 2006 series of The X Factor. Quinn quickly became a national favourite on the back of his success in the show, with debut album Doing It My Way (2007) storming to number one in the UK charts. All in all, it sold over 330,000 copies and went platinum within a week, making Quinn the youngest British male solo artist to have a number one album before even releasing a single. 
Not that the young man from Merseyside was new to fame. Prior to The X Factor and from the tender age of 12, he’d starred as Anthony Murray in long-running Channel Four soap opera Brookside. His storyline, revolving around bullying and murder, had been met with critical acclaim.
It’s hardly surprising, then, that Quinn returned to acting when his music career ground to a halt in the years after The X Factor. He puts his break from the industry down to his inexperience. It was eight years before he returned to the recording studio.
“I was very young at the time and even younger in terms of the music business - I didn’t understand it. For anyone out there trying to become an artist in their own right, rather than just a singer, you have to understand the industry a bit more than I did. The team around you has to believe in the artist you portray yourself as. It’s a very cutthroat business. You have to have a clear-cut plan of what you want to do, and I think I’ve learnt this slowly. So eight years after my first album, I was doing a bit more music and writing again because I’d finally found myself as the artist I wanted to be.”
Quinn focused almost entirely on musical theatre for the eight years he was away from the recording studio. He’s returned to the genre in the two years since the release of second album Dare To Dream.
“All along I knew I had something I could fall back on, and that was starring in musicals. I’d been trained in musical theatre all my life, so going into musicals wasn’t even a fallback in that sense - it was a natural progression. For me, it was something huge that I could sink my teeth into. Getting West End productions under my belt and going forward with that career was always a dream of mine.”
The Wedding Singer is proving to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for Quinn, especially since he’s a huge fan of the ’80s music that features so heavily in the show.
“You could say it’s my guilty pleasure! There’s a huge band of brass, guitars, drums, pianos; you name it and we’ve got it - even a triangle! There are references to the era throughout the show, some original scores, and references to strong characters we remember from the decade, which is really key. Nick Winston, our creative director, knew exactly what he was doing; he’s pulled together a marvellous team and a fantastic production. 

It’s different to the Broadway show - it stands alone. I’m so proud of it and definitely a keen ’80s fan!”
Despite clearly loving the role he’s playing, and the musical as a whole, Quinn doesn’t relate to the antics of his character, Glen, as much as he does the ’80s vibe.
“Glen is ‘the wolf of Wall Street’. He’s the greedy, cocky rat, so playing that role is fun for me because he’s the bad boy, which is not necessarily the road I chose for myself. It’s a very different role for me to play, and one that I’m really enjoying. Glen knows what he wants, and he intends to get it, no matter who he hurts in the process. That’s typical of 1980s’ city greed - that need to make money and have a great lifestyle no matter what.”
Although hoping to continue with his musical theatre career, Quinn also has more music releases in the pipeline.
“I’ve done straight plays and they’re not really for me. I would consider it, depending on the role, but I like musicals. I like being physical, dancing, moving, sweating. I like to feel like I’m earning my money! The future for me is definitely more musicals and more music. I’m working on some at the moment, so trying to get that out there is another priority of mine.”
For the time being, though, nothing will distract him from the job in hand.
“I’d draw parallels between The Wedding Singer and the likes of Dirty Dancing and Grease; it’s just the best night out when you come down to see the show! There’s fun, colour, ’80s references, great music, a great cast - you name it! There’s nothing much that’s missing as far as musicals go. There are so many classic musicals out there that pretty much everyone’s either seen or knows very well. So why not take the chance to see something where you can be more open minded, and perhaps not entirely sure what you’re going to see? We’re really proud of the show and the cast, so it’s bound to be a great time. Plus, I’m in it, so why wouldn’t you come and see it?”

The Wedding Songer shows at Theatre Severn 12 - 16 September. Info & tickets HERE