Entertainer Jonathan Wilkes, star of the musical Tommy, may be a wizard on the football pitch, but as he tells Viv Hardwick, he's a bit flipping useless on a pinball machine.

SO it's official, Newcastle footballing legend and musical star Jonathan Wilkes isn't a pinball wizard after all. He humbly admits that he can't achieve record scores anywhere except on stage as the "deaf, dumb and blind kid" called Tommy in The Who's touring show.

Tommy reaches Newcastle's Theatre Royal next week and 26-year-old Wilkes is still basking in the glory of the goal he scored at the city's St James' Park when Sky TV arranged a televised challenge called The Match between celebrities and ex-pro footballers.

But when asked what he's like in front of the musical's legendary pinball machine, he says: "I don't have much of a go. Don't tell anybody this, please, but our machine on stage hasn't got a ball in it. It looks like I'm playing it, but I'm not. On stage I'm a pinball wizard, off-stage I'm a pinball duffer... but I don't think those lyrics work so well."

Wilkes is a legend on Tyneside for that long-range goal which so nearly snatched a draw for the celebs. "I'm still dining out on that goal," he says. "Funnily enough I spoke to Kenny Shepherd (United chairman Freddie's son) this week and I said 'I think my goal was the only joy you had on Tyneside this season', which didn't go down too well. But I love the fans and it's such a special area that I'm really looking forward to going up there again."

There's a follow-up match due in October and Wilkes will be returning to St James' as captain. "I think so many want to play in the next one. It was such a great show," he says. "The ex-pros completely underestimated us."

Wilkes expects to be lining up again besides celebrities like Ben Shepherd, Ralf Little, Darren Campbell, Alec Stewart and Simon Webb from Blue with at least another 44 stars seeking the 12 remaining spots in the 20-strong squad.

He's also doing the Celebrity Ryder Cup Golf show with his good mates Ant and Dec, but first there is the small matter of twin roles as narrator and Tommy to perform on Tyneside.

He says: "I say I took a risk but it was more that I wanted to do something different. I've never done a serious role before and I wanted to challenge myself. It's an incredible role to be taking on and it's been a pleasure to play the part to be honest. We've only got a few weeks left and Newcastle is our last venue and, hopefully, we're going to go out on a bang."

Asked about some criticism of him while touring in Scotland, he replies:

"Isn't it funny, you get rave reviews everywhere you go at 19 different venues and you get one bad review and that's the one that people remember. You're not going please them all, but that's life."

In Tommy, Wilkes is the narrator in the first half and becomes Tommy in the second. "It's kind of like a Blood Brothers role at the start where I wander on like a ghost and nobody sees me and I'm telling the story of this young kid. Then I become Tommy and you can look at the narrator two ways: he's either Tommy in the future knowing what's going to happen or he's Tommy before he's grown up. You take this how you want to take it and the whole show is like that because I don't think this is an absolutely set story. I think people can take what they want from it."

The Sixties-based rock opera seems to have lasting appeal. "I still put on albums by The Who now and listen to things like Substitute or My Generation," says Wilkes. "What has been interesting is knowing who you market this show for. There are The Who fans and fans of rock music but those who like musicals might be a bit put off and I'm trying to say to people is that it's a great musical with a great story and you'll have a great time."

At Christmas Wilkes is launching a new company called First Family Entertainment, which is Ambassadors, ATG and Clear Channel, putting on good old-fashioned pantomimes. Wilkes takes on his home town of Stoke-on-Trent and aims to contribute to the script and do a bit of directing.

"I'm 26 and I'm going into that side of the business as well. I've got a few good ideas and I've been around for ten or 11 years and I want to throw a few of my own ideas at this.

"I'll be playing Billy in Mother Goose - although coming from Stoke, we call it Mother Duck!"

* Tommy, Newcastle Theatre Royal, June 13-18, Box Office: 0870 905 5060

* Jonathan Wilkes will be making a personal appearance at the Eldon Square branch of Topshop on Tuesday at 4pm. Before that, people can enter a competition in-store to win tickets to the opening night of Tommy where they will meet Jonathan after the show. Winners will also receive a £250 Topshop shopping spree with a style advisor.

Published: 09/06/2005