Geoffrey Stevens was in the London cast of Starlight Express for two years, 1985-87, playing Dustin for the second. He then went on to play Dustin in the Japanese/Australian tour of 1987. He emailed me in mid 2001 and was kind enough to let me ask him a few questions about his time with the show, as well as send me a few photos, so thank you Geoffrey!

PD: Did you think StEx would last this long when it started?
GS: Starlight Express was the hit show in London in 1984 and I joined the second year and it was all very exciting, we always had lots of stars come see the show, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Lisa Minelli to name a few. We always met them afterwards. Jennifer Holiday from DREAMGIRLS was my favourite, she was waiting outside the stage door and I brought her back to meet Ray Shell. It was one of the first mega loud bright light shows and of course the first on roller skates, I still cant believe it is running today, I've always heard rumors that it was going to close but here it is in the year 2001. Some of my friends are still in it or now in charge of directing.

PD: What were your favourite moments in London/on the tour?
GS: My fave part of the London show, I had a couple, the opening Rolling Stock was always exciting, when I was Dustin I always had a very quick change after that number to get ready for Freight and get into that heavy fat suit, I was always sweaty and revved up after that loud opening. The Rap was great as we all could say hello to the audience, interact, slap hands etc., say hi to the fans, who stood at the back every week. No Comeback too was cool like a manic disco. Also listening to Ray Shell and Lon Satton singing that great Starlight song and I would crawl into the little coal bunker to come out after the number to sing "ello Rusty excuse my cough."

PD: Which production did you prefer?
GS: The Japan tour was crazy - the set was huge and the stadiums full with about 10,000 people. That show was OK but we had to mime which lost a lot, we had lots of shows back to back so also we were always tied or injured. It was great working with an American and Japan and Australian cast, we partied like crazy. In Australia the show was in a tent, it was huge, but the rain would always get on the track and we would have to cancel the shows, it happened a lot in Sydney. So the London show was my fave as it was live theatre.

Geoffrey as Dustin with Anthony Marciona, Japanese tour 1987

PD: How did you get into the show?
GS: When I was at drama school, the Guildford School of Acting, I would work at night at the Apollo Victoria as an usher, it was the first year of Starlight and it was the hit show to see, I used to watch the show all the time and think, wow, I'd love to be in it. A few months down the line they where holding auditions for the replacement cast, I went along and after audition after audition I got in. I had 2 terms left of drama school but they let me leave to join the hit West End show. I was Dustin understudy and all the engines, I played the French train a lot and the first night of the new cast Drue Williams fell and hurt his back, so I had to go on! It was cool because Mr. Webber, and Trevor Nunn the director, and Arlene Phillips all saw me and patted me on the back for going on at the last minute.

PD: Any other special memories?
GS: I played Dustin the next year, I was the understudy for Electra, also it was my last week in the 2nd year, I was rehearsing West Side Story up in Cheltenham and rushing back for the show at night. They called me and said I was to be going on for Electra, I set off back to London with hours to spare then, the train broke down! So I was stuck on it and there was no one else to play Electra, I finally pulled into the train station at the time the show was meant to start, the company manager was waiting with a taxi and rushed me there, they held the show for 30 minutes, all those people waiting, the whole cast clapped when I arrived. The pressure was hell! It was in the paper the next day that a train held up the train musical - I'll never forget that time!

Geoffrey Stevens as Electra