The Phantom of the Opera, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, played its West End opening night on 9 October 1986, making it the third longest-running West End show behind The Mousetrap and Les Misérables.
In honour of the 40th anniversary, Peter revealed his own personal history with The Phantom of the Opera, which is itself a love story fit for the stage.
Buy The Phantom of the Opera tickets from £29 at LOVEtheatreBuy The Phantom of the Opera tickets from £30 at SeatPlan"Still, to this day, if I hear the score, I might be more likely to go back to what I imagined it looked like than to what it actually does look like on the London stage."
While Peter may not have found romantic love during his first few trips to see The Phantom of the Opera, he did find something else irreplaceable: community. It's no secret that musical theatre breeds obsessive fan bases, which allow passionate people to connect with others over their shared interests.
"It creates an eclectic group, so it’s not people who are necessarily my age, my gender, my religion, my viewpoint. They’re all different, but Phantom brings them together.’ The community gives people somewhere they can express their enthusiasm."
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While forming close bonds with his new "Phamily", Peter also found himself falling in deeper in love with the musical itself, specifically with the London production at His Majesty's Theatre. He says, "The London production embraces the Victorian stagecraft of that particular theatre. So trap doors and special effects and magic mirrors and pyrotechnics. I think the London production- you can't really better that. That is its home."
While many of us have had obsessions with a piece of art, be that a musical, film or book, some may struggle to understand how the same musical can still feel fresh and exciting after seeing it 160 times. However, according to Peter "every performance feels different. A new actor, reaction or delivery can transform a familiar scene. I know exactly where the story is heading, but the best performances can still make me briefly forget everything I know."
This was especially true for Tim Howar's performance, who Peter described as the one actor that made him doubt the ending of the musical, despite having seen it hundreds of times. "His Phantom was so ‘dangerous’ that I briefly believed the story might end differently. ‘For one moment, I really believed that the story would be changed. That’s a phenomenal thing for an actor to do. His performance made such an impression on me that I flew to Athens to see him again."
"It is very much a blessing to have found something in life that you really like. I'm very aware of how blessed I am, that I found something that I like and I can go and enjoy it again and again."
When it comes to seating at The Phantom of the Opera, Peter gives the following advice: "My personal favourite is the front row of the stalls, for every acting detail, but first-timers should choose the Royal Circle for the full spectacle."
Peter's advice for first-time Phantom viewers? "Allow yourself to become completely absorbed in it. It’s just an extraordinary experience in London that you’ll simply never forget.
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For more things Phantom, check out our list of 40 facts about The Phantom of the Opera.
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