Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2009 | Page 34

life

INTERVIEW

Bringing a touch of the
West End to the Island

PHOTO: Earl Carpenter

Recognised by London’s Evening Standard as “extraordinary”, Earl Carpenter has
played principal and title roles in a number of prolific West End and UK touring
productions. He is the current ‘Javert’ in Les Misérables; a role that he will play on
the forthcoming 25th anniversary international tour that opens on December 22nd at
the Wales Millennium Centre for Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Earl tells Island Life why he relocated here, and his plans to bring a
‘Touch Of The West End’ to your door.

“I spent many of my early years living

group in Southampton – and I performed

for a get-away break. These days my

on the south coast; I was born in

in my first musical, Bugsy Malone, at the

work means I’m either in London or on

Southampton and even though I was

Mountbatten Theatre. Great times!

the road, but having been away from

So why move to the Isle of Wight?

the South for many years… it kind of

taken all over the place with my parents
we still have family there, so there was

I used to make regular trips to the Island

proved too much - not being near the

always a reason to return. I studied

as a boy with my family, visiting my

sea. And so w hen an opportunity came

at college in Bournemouth, alongside

mum’s relatives, who ran a bakery in

up at the beginning of the year to take up

Amanda Holden - in fact, we both ended

Freshwater and a convenience store in

residence in a gorgeous beachside flat in

up joining the same amateur dramatics

Totland. It’s always been my first choice

Ryde, I jumped at it.

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