Mike Noble
Mike, 32, is from Plymouth, Devon. He is an operations manager for FirstAssist Group and says of his job, 'It's very stressful and has certainly been a challenge trying to juggle the Musicality commitments and work.'
Why did you enter Musicality?
'I have been involved in amateur musical theatre all my life, and perform regularly in Plymouth. Friends of mine saw the advertisement for the programme and persuaded me to apply. I have always regretted not going to drama school so this was an opportunity to get a taster of how it would have been.'
Was it your first audition? Can you describe your feelings during the auditions?
'It was my first audition on this scale, and I knew that it would involve dancing, which I had managed to avoid so far, so I was very nervous. The first few audition rounds were intense and the standard of the other contestants was very high, which was good because it made me try that bit harder and made me more focused.'
Have you ever appeared on stage before? If so, when?
'I regularly perform in amateur circles in Plymouth, and have also been fortunate enough to perform solo numbers at The Music of the Night open-air community productions in Plymouth in front of an audience of 5,000.'
What has been the best part about being involved in Musicality?
'The best part of Musicality has been to experience what it would be like to work as a professional, and it's really hard! The acting sessions were excellent; Clive makes you feel very relaxed, which enhances your performance, and he gives clear feedback that you can understand and interpret. I feel the acting is my release from the stresses of the singing technique and dance workshops.'
And the worst?
'Some members of the panel tend to contradict each other in their feedback, which has been confusing all the way through. You are never really sure who you are supposed to impress, and it has been difficult to understand what they are looking for overall.'
Do you always sing at parties?
'I sing everywhere – at home, at work and certainly every time I have a drink in my hand!'
What has been the hardest thing to master – singing, dancing or acting?
'The hardest and certainly my weakest point has been my dancing. I have never claimed to be a dancer in any way and just don't enjoy it.'
What have you learnt from the experts?
'I did enjoy working with Stacey and Stephen, they realised (very quickly!) that I was not a natural [at dancing] and worked with that as best they could.'
Do you hope to carry on with performing?
'I will always carry on performing, whatever happens. It is a huge part of my life and most of my social circle is made up of friends with the same passion for acting, singing and dance. I want to focus mainly on the acting rather than the singing – and certainly not the dance.'
