In The Spotlight - Tom Kuzniar
How long have you been performing in showsEver since I was... 5 I think? It all started with being asked to perform in school plays a few years earlier than I should have! Then I got scouted by a ballet instructor and I guess things grew from then on.
What got you interested in music / theatre
At first, I just enjoyed the fun of being on stage, loving the combination of acting, singing and dancing. I later realised that it was such a fantstic way to express myself.
What was your first show
I can't rememeber what my first show was! It's all been quite a blur, but it may have been either Oliver or Annie.
My first show with Greasepaint was Fame. Couldn't get enough of it.
What has been your favourite show and/or character and why
I've probably enjoyed being Jafar in Aladdin the most, I had so much fun with that role, and being a bad guy is always more exciting! I've also enjoyed playing Dame roles, since there's just so much that can be done with them. Probably my favourite show was when I was in a musical festival with Stagecoach at the NIA a few years back. The ambience was what did it for me.
What has been your most embarassing or funniest moment in a show
Probably the funniest thing I've ever had to do was extremely quick complete changes in a college show. Having to go from 80s glam to drag, then gangster suits and ending in 70's hippie clothes. Especially when I got parts of the costumes tangled together in a rush and ended up nearly leaping on stage as a drag-queen gangster! Those kind of moments can't ever be forgotten...
Describe the best and worst costumes you have had to wear
The 'worst' is probably the funniest I've ever had to wear. As part of a panto, I had to wear a pimped up cowboy hat with tinsel, netting and christmas lights with a furry rainbow-striped waiscoat. Haunting..
This may sound a tad morbid, but probably my favourite full costume was a full suit that I wore in Parade and was made by our very own Gillian Leeson! It had the look of an undertaker's outfit, but with its tails and fitting shape, I couldn't have been a happier undertaker!
What has been your proudest moment
I've had some moments that have made me feel very proud, but I think one of my tops would be recently being asked to perform in 'Games Time', a massively colourful festival show that will be in Loughborough next year and will tour all the way to London just before the Olympics.
If you could choose any show to perform in, what would it be and why
I've always wanted to be in a Disney show. One in particular would be The Lion King, leaping for a living would be perfect!. I'd also love to be in La Cage aux Folles and The Producers for simply how fantastic they are. But I think if I could have only one choice, I'd choose Rocky Horror. It's such a brilliant and ground-breaking show!
Do you have any plans to pursue theatre as a career
After one more year at college, I'm hoping to go to a theatre school in London to do musical theatre. But getting into one won't be a walk in the park!