When we found out a One Direction-inspired West End musical was happening, we were pretty sceptical. Will it be like an awkward tribute act with a Mama Mia-esque storyline shoehorned in around the songs? Are they going to dance? Most important, is fake Harry Styles fitter than the real deal?
But once we met the boys – Jamie Searls, who plays Zayn Malik, Matt Brinkler (Niall Horan), Henry Allan as Liam Payne, Matt Ryan (Louis Tomlinson) and Matt Maguire (Harry Styles) – we had even more questions. Like, HOW DO WE GET A PART IN YOUR PLAY, PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
Anyway. We sat down (and stood up, and did some cringe dance moves) with Fake One Direction (aka Fun Direction) to find out.
So what is actually the deal here – is this a musical of the boys’ lives?
Matt B: “It’s like a nostalgic timeline of 1D. Basically, it’s their story but it’s all sung through, we’ve gone from the very start in 2010 right through to now. So we’re kind of appealing to all audiences – the new fans and the old.”
The ‘old’ 1D fans? Yeah, they’re so old…
Matt R: [Laughs] “We have a bit of banter on stage too, and that’s fun because it means every show is different, and it’s a bit more exciting for the audience. It makes it more of a concert, a live experience.”
Talk us through the dancing then. The boys aren’t really known for their coordination…
Jamie: “Yeah, they only have one main bit of choreography [for Best Song Ever], and I don’t even think you see the whole thing in their video. So…”
Your fake-Zayn is Irish. What’s that about?
Jamie: “We had to have some Irish in there somewhere because of Niall! All of us try to bring our own personalities into our roles, so Zayn is a bit more cool, calm and collected, Harry’s quite alternative, and Niall? Niall’s just happy to be there.”
What about the Larry Stylinson stuff – you tempted to play that up on stage?
Matt M: “Directioners are obsessed! They’re absolutely convinced it’s real – and who knows? I don’t think we really get the opportunity to bring that to stage, but maybe that’s a different kind of show.”
What’s going to happen to Zayn?
Jamie: “Most of their songs are as a five-piece anyway, so we do the whole thing as a five-piece. And with their new songs – Drag Me Down and Infinity – our writers have arranged them for five voices. They sound pretty awesome now.”
The One Direction Story is playing London’s Lyric Theatre between Monday 26th and Wednesday 28th October. Get your mitts on tickets from £20 via www.onedirectionstory.com.