From a quarter of boyband Blue to dressing up in drag – Duncan James is now starring as Tick in the musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert. And he’s loving every single night.

I jumped straight from Priscilla to panto season so I really needed a holiday...

I was just exhausted and took five weeks off to go on holiday. I went to a load of places including Miami and Las Vegas. It was amazing and I needed it.

It is so full-on, the energy you have to put into it...

Once the show starts for me and the other characters, we don’t stop. It is crazy. I even have costume changes on stage in the show – I have 13. You don’t have time to think. At the end of the night you sit back in your dressing room and take a breath.

For one of my costume changes I have three dressers on me to get into the clothes....

The clothes are amazing. Going backstage on this show is like a show in itself!

I think it is one of the best shows I have ever done...

It is so much fun. The script is fabulous, the songs are incredible and the storyline is so beautiful. It is so refreshing to be able to play a part that gets all those points in the show. We get a standing ovation every single night. I don’t think we’ve had one night where we haven’t.

I finish work on such a buzz every single day...

My job is dressing up as an Australian drag queen in ridiculous costumes and having the time of my life.

My daughter has been to see the show...

She is quite grown up (even though she is 10) and I did say to her it’s quite an adult show. She just giggled. Afterwards she said to me “Daddy! Those dresses and that lipstick!”

I started out wanting to be a red coat...

I loved watching Hi-de-Hi. After I did that I was in a boy band, then a boy/girl band with Rita Simons (Roxy from EastEnders) and then I auditioned for Blue, which then took off and became huge and successful. I left my acting roots behind and concentrated on music and singing but my passion was always still musical theatre.

I quite like having that strict schedule in my life now...

I know what time I have to rehearse and be at the theatre. As a 37-year-old man it is quite nice to have some structure in my life after going through the craziness of being in a band like Blue.

I still see all the boys from Blue...

I spoke to Lee Ryan the other day. We are like brothers and we speak to each other all the time.

DETAILS

Priscilla Queen of the Desert will be at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, until Saturday, April 30. For tickets visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.