Joseph star Craig Chalmers is moving on, personally and professionally, writes Katherine MacAlister.

Craig Chalmers, aka Joseph, is back home in Scotland on his parents’ farm when we speak. “The show is 12 miles from our house in Edinburgh,” he says “so I’m staying here this week. And as it’s a farm with lots of out-buildings, we’ve got most of the cast staying here too. They keep popping up in all sorts of places,” he says.

“The sky is blue and it’s beautiful up here at the moment. The cast can’t believe it, after everything they’ve heard about Scotland, so we better make the most of it.” He pauses for a moment before adding: “It’s a long time since I’ve been home.”

Yes Craig Chalmers has been working his little socks off since landing the famous lead in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat after being spotted on the BBC’s Any Dream Will Do back in 2007. But three years and 10 shows a week later, he’s decided to put his hat back in the ring and take a breather.

“I’m on the last leg and then I’m done. I’ve only got nine weeks to go,” he admits, Oxford’s New Theatre being one of the final locations. Done means done with Joseph. He’s going to take the summer off, get married and then see where his future takes him.

“It’s perfect timing really. You only get married once and I want to do it properly. I’ve sacrificed three years of my life to Joseph and three years is a long time. I started when I was 25 and I’ve just had my 29th birthday so it’s been a big chunk of my life.

After the wedding to Jennifer, he has already got a panto booked in. “It will tide me over to next year once the stag, wedding and honeymoon are over,” Craig says.

Of course Craig’s legion of female fans are all dying to know who Jennifer is, and as soon as Craig starts talking about her, you can tell he’s absolutely smitten. Craig then mentions that he’s got a kilt fitting the next day. Technicolour, is it? “Oh no,” he laughs. “I wore a technicolour kilt on Hogmanay, but if I wore it on my wedding day I think Jenny would have a heart attack. We are having haggis, neeps and tatties at the wedding though as well as fish and chips.”

And with a honeymoon already planned, at least Craig should get time for a breather. “Well I hear in the business that you tend to spend the first week asleep when you leave a show and your body collapses,” he grins. “But then I’ve got loads of mates to catch up with, football to play and time to spend with my fiancee.”

So there’s nothing to worry about then. “It’s only natural really to worry about what’s around the corner,” Craig says, ”but I try not to think about it, because I’m a bit older now, I’ve had the whole Joseph experience and I’m happy with where I am. Life is too short for that sort of thing.

“But leaving will be bittersweet because after three years I still love the show. It’s been my entire life and I can’t imagine how emotional the last night is going to be, even after all this time.”

Joseph opens on Monday at the New Theatre. Box office on 0844 8471588.