Beastly fun

MATTHEW Camelle is quite used to playing a bit of a beast in major musicals, his last two roles have been behind the mask of the Phantom Of The Opera and as the horn-headed Beast in Beauty And The Beast.

"My wife's laughing at me because previously I was playing Phantom in the Phantom Of The Opera and says it's clear that these days they only employ me for jobs where they cover my face up... thanks very much," he jokes.

Did he have any concerns about the impact on his singing ability from having The Beast's features added on top of his own?

"I'm quite used to it really, the design's pretty clever really and, to be honest, when you've got all the stuff on you don't really notice it's there. The prosthetics feel like an extension of your face and because I've done Phantom before, which is only half of your face showing, I'm a little bit used to it," Camelle replies.

He jests that his skin is as tough as old leather and adds: "My wife thinks it's hilarious because I have to have this glue and stuff on all the time so I get a facial every fortnight. While she's just given birth to our second child..."

There are still a few concerns for him after agreeing to take on a massive tour of the Disney production which includes the unusual destination of Athens in November.

"It's a lot of palaver and great fun but I'm in the theatre a good half-hour before everyone else to start getting into the stuff and I'm waiting for high summer at the moment. Apparently we're having the highest summer on record again this year and I think I might be losing a little bit of weight... I'll be drinking beer to keep my weight up."

Heat won't be a problem, he thinks, in Athens and is really looking forward to three weeks there because he's taking his wife and two small children along.

"I think that a few shows are just starting to go out there, to the Badminton Theatre because it was the place that was built for badminton at the Olympic Games in 2004. They've transformed it into this hi-tec theatre space," Camelle says.

IJOKE to him about Brits doing well in the stadium - Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms took a silver medal in the mixed doubles - with Ashley Oliver playing Belle (Beauty) to his Beast (Prince) in this theatrical mixed doubles.

The performer reveals that he nearly ran into trouble after winning the role of The Beast with the birth of his daughter, Martha, due during rehearsals and a trip to Ireland on the horizon.

"Luckily she arrived on her due date and if she'd been late I actually would have been in Ireland and that could have been very difficult. She came on a Friday and I was able to have the weekend with her," explains Camelle who was commuting between London and his home in Cambridgeshire.

"This is quite a good business for being a father because generally you have the days to yourself and can spend them with your kids unlike the nine-to-five father," he adds.

He and wife Heidi have been discussing whether oldest child Joe is ready to enjoy a visit to see daddy in the Disney musical.

"I think he might be a little young. It's not terrifying but, for a little one, the Beast running about and roaring can be a bit scary and I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't scare them a little. So I don't want to scare my son too much. We're thinking of letting him watch me getting in the whole stuff and then at least he might understand that it's daddy underneath it all. He's two-and-a-half and seems to understand. I've brought a brochure home with all the nice glossy pictures of me as the Beast and said 'that's your daddy' and when his friends come over he's quite proud and tells them 'Daddy's the beast'," Camelle explains.

He's not sure he'll want a further year-long contract despite the popularity of the show. "It's a lovely role and great fun, and my wife told me I've gotta do it, but we will have to see," he says. His biggest challenge is the incredible transformation scene from Beast to Prince which is probably one of the best special effects seen by the audience. "It's magic," he says.

Camelle also enjoys both touring and starring in West End shows with the tours "bringing an opening night every couple of weeks and keeps the show alive while the joy of the West End is that you're living at home".

His only previous memory of Newcastle is many years ago when he was a chorus member of The Rocky Horror Show and decided to drive down to London after the show on a Saturday night.

"The car wasn't working so we ended up in the back of an AA truck in a journey which lasted 14 hours," Camelle says about a time when his main interest was looking good in fishnets.

And his next role? "I hear they're doing workshops for Shrek The Musical and it's the obvious place for me to go."

* Beauty And The Beast runs at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday until Saturday. Box Office: 0870-905-5060

* Grand Opera House York, June 19- 30. Box Office: 0870-606-3595.