Katherine MacAlister gets one of Britain’s busiest personalities to sit still for a minute and tell her about the role he is bringing to Oxford

Joe Pasquale is a grafter. Despite his celebrity status and high profile shows, it’s all just a day in the office for this old school entertainer.

So while delighted to have landed a lead in Spamalot, coming to the New Theatre on Monday, it’s still just a job, albeit one he loves.

Which is enormously refreshing, because despite winning shows like I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here or taking part in ITV’s Dancing on Ice, Joe is remarkably unstarry and remains unaffected by his success and fame.

“I’m still ambitious but I have come to realise that showbusiness isn’t everything. I am basically self-employed, so it’s always about the next job, the same as anyone else, but one that I love.

“I’m just happy to be in something the general public want to see so I’m very lucky to be in this position.”

Joe’s son, Joe Tracini, is also in showbiz, and currently playing Dennis Savage in Hollyoaks, so it didn’t put him off. “No,” his dad laughs, “but I have taught him well, he’s been told – he knows he has to pay his tax bill in January.”

Even so the 53-year-old is as hard at work off stage as he is on, taking up flying, marathon running, an Open University degree in geology, volcano climbing in South America, parachute jumping... Anyone would think his time was running out? “Well none of us come out of this life alive. And while I have no regrets I don’t look back, I just look forward and that’s my motto for life in general. So while there is nothing like the live theatre experience, now there are lots of other things in my life which are as important.”

Having started off life as a holiday camp entertainer, Joe has come up through the ranks, securing himself a reputation as a man of the people on the way. “I’ve been touring for 30 years now so my family are all used to it. That’s what I do.”

Even so, landing a part in Spamalot in the West End at the behest of leading lady Bonnie Langford was still a massive coup. “I grew up with Monty Python and there are so may people who love it, it has such a huge fan base. And Spamalot is still very successful, even though it’s been running for so many years. It’s irreverent and it makes you laugh and the tour has got a whole new energy because of the new cast, which keeps it fresh.”

Musical theatre is just one of the feathers in Joe’s cap. So does he purposefully refuse to put all his eggs in one basket? “I never had a plan. I was taken to the theatre aged five and it had a profound effect on me. But I like doing all sorts of stuff: voice-overs, quizzes, musicals, stand-up. I have never got stuck in a rut, but if I can get up there and make people laugh for a few hours I’m doing my job.”

As for the future, Joe is already planning his next job after the Spamalot tour finishes – his next stand-up tour. “I like to keep my hand in,” he concedes.” I never do anything for too long. That’s the secret for me.”

SEE IT
Joe Pasquale appears in Spamalot at the New Theatre, with Todd Carty and Sarah Earnshaw, Monday to Saturday next week. Call 0844 8713020 or see atgtickets.com/oxford

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