In our profile series, Tell Us In 10, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions.
This week we hear from Matthew White, who currently plays Mr Paravicini in The Mousetrap, which, much like the Queen’s reign, is now in it’s 70th year!
Find out more about Matthew in our Tell Us In 10…
1) My route into theatre was…
The Piccadilly Line.
2) My West End idol is…
Dame Judi Dench, of course. But also Kristin Scott Thomas and, most recently, Jonathan Bailey.
3) My colleagues would describe me as..
Mmm… that’s tricky. Hopefully jolly and sociable. Maybe a bit forgetful. Vocal (always singing backstage).
4) My favourite show (that isn’t one I star in/work on) is…
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (I saw it with my wife, Lindsey, and children, Lydia and Xanthe, and we loved it and wept buckets). Also, retrospectively, Guys and Dolls at the National Theatre. It was the first musical I ever saw, and I left the theatre walking on air.
5) The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Receiving the Olivier Award in 2013 for Best New Musical for Top Hat on the stage at the Royal Opera House, and doing an acceptance speech which referenced my mum (sadly no longer with us). With my acting work, my proudest moment would probably be when I was standing on Table Mountain in Cape Town and I got a call from my agent to say that I’d been nominated for an Olivier Award for my performance in Ragtime at the Piccadilly. I didn’t win the award, but I felt incredibly honoured to have been nominated.
6) The hardest part about my job/role is…
Keeping it fresh every night and always remembering that, however quiet, every audience deserves the best show possible.
7) If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
An artist (which is unlikely, as I can’t paint), a therapist, or a piano teacher.
8) Something people don’t know about me is…
I’m learning Japanese.
9) The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
“Man you’ve gotta accentuate the positive” (lyrics by Willie Nelson).
10) The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Just be yourself.
