West End Raymond’s thoughts on Wendell Pierce and Westlife

Lisburn actor and singer Raymond Walsh has most recently been seen playing the role of Grantaire in the Les Miserables All Star Concert in London’s West End, and subsequent movie, alongside performers such as Michael Ball, Matt Lucas and Alfie Boe.
Raymond Walsh (right) with Les Miserables characters Marius and EnjolrasRaymond Walsh (right) with Les Miserables characters Marius and Enjolras
Raymond Walsh (right) with Les Miserables characters Marius and Enjolras

Alongside his acting career he performs around the world with his band, the Shamrock Tenors, who have just recently released their debut single, Grace, on iTunes and Spotify.

A former pupil of Friends’ School in Lisburn, Raymond always loved to sing, and even admits to being part of a Westlife tribute act in school, but it was in his late teens that he discovered the joy of musical theatre.

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“My sister did youth drama and my father asked me to come down and operate the spotlight for them,” explained Raymond. “I remember being astounded by the art form so I thought I would give it a go and I started to take it a bit more seriously.”

Raymond WalshRaymond Walsh
Raymond Walsh

Raymond joined the company and starred as Inspector Javert in one of their productions of Les Miserables when he was 18 but he still thought it was just a hobby and went to the University of Ulster to study advertising, communications and marketing.

“The West End seems like a far off dream for people in Northern Ireland,” admitted Raymond. “But when I was 19 my singing teacher entered me into a competition to find the best young musical theatre performer and I ended up going to London and winning.”

Realising that a career in the theatre could be on the cards for him, Raymond went to the Guildford School of Acting and completed a BA in Musical Theatre.

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He admits that it isn’t the easiest career in which to make your mark but he was determined.

He was overwhelmed to land a role in the latest production of Les Miserables in the West End, where he played ‘Master of the House’ Thenardier, and he even became the first person to ever play the iconic role with a Northern Irish accent.

“I have worked about 14 part time jobs in my time, ” revealed Raymond. “No matter how successful you are, you are always going to find dry patches when you have to dig deep.

“Les Mis has always been my dream show and I auditioned for it for years. I always thought I would be going in as one of the students but they chose me as the first cover for Thenardier.

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“Unfortunately, our Thenardier took very ill and I ended up playing the role for about 90 shows. It was an amazing experience and even Cameron Macintosh said how much he enjoyed my performance.”

Here Raymond answers our questions:

Q. What is your favourite song/album?

A. Favourite song would have to be Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears and my favourite album would be Coast to Coast by Westlife. The less I say here the better!

Q. What is your favourite film?

A. The original Jurassic Park or Ghostbusters movie.

Q. What is your favourite piece of classical music?

A. I love the song “The Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion.

Q. Who is your favourite artist?

A. Again it would have to be Westlife. I was in a tribute group in school and have gone to see them six times in concert so I’m not sure I’d be a singer had it not been for their influence.

Q. What is your favourite play?

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A. Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. I went to see an incredible production of it in London this year starring Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke and it was genuinely one of the most incredible things I have ever watched live.

Q. What is your favourite musical?

A. Aside from Les Misérables, it would have to be West Side Story. It’s definitely the next one on the bucket list.

Q. What is your most special moment in the arts?

A. Having my mum and dad come watch me in Les Mis in London. It was something I had dreamt of from the age of 16 and it would never have happened had it not been for their love and support so to share the experience with them is something I will never forget.

Q. What ‘classic’ just doesn’t do it for you?

A. Does Grease count as a classic? I did a production of it a number of years ago and loved performing the show but I just can’t ever bring myself to sit through the movie. I think the songs were too familiar to me so when it came to the movie it was too predictable.

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Q. What have you been reading/watching/listening to/revisiting during the Coronavirus period?

A. I’ve been listening to a lot of The 1975 during lockdown. I’m a huge fan of 80’s music so they’re the closest I have to it in modern music. In terms of watching TV, I think I have watched every Netflix documentary under the sun and I’m currently in the process of making my way through Ozark and Succession, which are both brilliant!