Thomas on track to Cardiff

May 9 2008 by Gavin Allen, South Wales Echo

SOMETIMES it’s hard to tell who is having more fun at Thomas And Friends Live, the cast or the audience.

The live stage show of the famous books and cartoons comes complete with giant-sized trains that need to be driven around the stage by the actors who were lucky enough to get the parts.

One man who doesn’t get to drive the trains is the Fat Controller and, in keeping with his character, he isn’t very happy about it.

“I was gutted I didn’t get to drive one on stage,” says Dean Nolan, who plays the station boss of Sodor Island.

“There are two drivers, one for Thomas and one for Percy, and the engines are fantastic. They blow stream, the faces move just like on the cartoon and they properly drive around the stage on tracks.

“They weigh a ton each and you can only get three or four engines on stage at once; lots of the theatres we wanted to book into for this couldn’t take the show because the stage wasn’t strong enough.”

Nolan, 25, might seem a little young to be filling the top hat and tails of the Fat Controller but he assures us he has all the credentials.

“I’m a large man and I like to think I can control the naughty engines,” he laughs, utterly unoffended by his role as The Fat Controller.

“But playing The Fat Controller is a bit of a balance between being an authority character, who likes people to be on time and trains to be in the right place, but equally he is a very fair man and wants to make sure everyone else is happy.

“The Fat Controller really gets to show his lighter side in this show and have some fun. Some people see him as a grumpy old man but just because he has to keep his eye on the tracks and trains doesn’t mean he doesn’t like a boogie and a singalong.

“It’s been said to me many times in this production that my Fat Controller really likes to get down.”

Despite his grand title, Dean knows he isn’t the star of the show because he too used to be big fan of the TV series as a boy growing up in Cornwall.

“I had all the bed sheets and pyjamas and all the rest of it,” he recalls happily.

“And I loved the Fat Controller so to be playing him is a bit strange, but obviously great fun.” The show sees Sodor Island hosting a magic lantern festival and when things go wrong in the build-up, Thomas has to steam in to save the day.

The live action story has been a worldwide hit. “I didn’t realise that Thomas was such a worldwide phenomenon,” said Dean of the show which has already been to the US, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand and is soon making tracks for Asia. “I thought it was just a story I liked as a kid and had sadly died out but I’m happy to report it is alive and well.

“The show itself is a whole other experience for me as an actor, it’s nuts.

“The reaction of the children is insane and it’s great to be a part of it.”

Thomas And Friends Live is at Cardiff International Arena at 5pm next Friday, May 16, and at 11am, 2pm and 5pm on Saturday, March 17. Tickets cost £11.50-£13.50 for children or £17.50-£19.50 for adults. Family tickets cost £14-£16 each. Call 029 2022 4488 to book.