“I don’t think I’ll ever get over the reality of this being my job,” says Dom Simpson with a bright smile. The West End star, who is the youngest son of Carlisle United’s manager Paul, is in the middle of a run as Christian in Moulin Rouge!: his latest role in a burgeoning musical theatre career.
Simpson grew up in a footballing family but, in his teens, diverted to the stage. He has already experienced the lights of Broadway whilst, in London, starred as Elder Price in Book of Mormon before taking his latest leading part.
He is an established star at 28, and talks with great depth about his life in the spotlight, but also with an innocent enthusiasm which a hectic period of performing has not eroded. “I remember when I was 15 or 16, and first considering theatre being a possibility, that I couldn’t believe people got paid to do this,” he says.
“I’d performed at school, and my local drama school, for fun, but I never gave it a serious thought that it could be my job.”
Simpson’s talent and work ethic – something he firmly ascribes to his upbringing – has enabled him to take strides since those formative days. His professional debut came as the standby for Elder Price in the original production of Mormon in New York, then he took the same lead part in London. In April, he successfully auditioned for Moulin Rouge! and in October his latest performing journey began.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting stuck into it, flexing the acting muscles in terms of learning something new,” he says. “It’s hard work – I’ll never shy away from that. It’s a difficult role, but I’m having a lot of fun doing it.”
At the Piccadilly Theatre, Simpson as Christian goes on that character’s innocent and tortured journey which was famously captured by Ewan McGregor in the 2001 movie. “The musical production is slightly different from the film, in terms of the chronology and the songs,” he says. “But you still have that playful naivete he starts with, the bumbling energy of falling in love for the first time, being hit with the sensory overload of the club and Paris, and then Act 2 where you start to see his world falling apart.
“You get to dig into the depths of the emotions of heartbreak and hurt and betrayal…to go through that journey in two-and-a-half hours every night keeps me a) on my toes, but b) so fulfilled. Once I take my bow, and step off stage, I’ve left everything out there. I come away feeling ready for bed, but with a feeling of fulfilment.”
Simpson says the role requires lots of “mental and physical energy” and he relies on a range of tools for this. “It might seem overdramatic, but I see what I do in a similar way to how an athlete would prepare,” he says. “In my case the muscles I really have to focus on are my voice. That’s something I have had to study and learn, and I still have regular vocal coaching to keep on top of that, just as I would if it was a personal trainer.
“I grew up in sport and I’ve always had a good understanding of physical fitness. In my case it’s a balancing act – I can’t go all out in the gym because I have to have enough in my tank to perform. If I did nothing, I’d be flat. I’ve always got bottles of water and electrolytes by my side, and we’re very fortunate to have an in-house physio.
“It’s like a daily check-in – working smart as well as working hard.”
It is not difficult to hear the well-known diligence of Paul Simpson in his son’s words. Dom says his work ethic was instilled in him by his father as well as mum Jacqui, and his grandparents. Is there a history of performing on stage, as opposed to a football pitch, in the Simpson lineage?
“I’ve been told that when my mum was studying to be a teacher, one of her specialist subjects was drama,” he says. “She’s always had an interest in theatre.
“So has my dad. He might not talk about it much but he’s really musical. He’ll sing along in the car and he’s actually got a decent voice. My eldest brother Joe’s got a good voice too, but I won’t give Jake any credit – he can’t sing…
“My grandad on my mum’s side was in a band, played the drums. But that’s the only sign I know of theatre and music in my family.
“It’s maybe because I like to be centre of attention – I was never described as shy as a child – and realised from an early age I wasn’t the best footballer in the family, so I had to find something else to steal the limelight…”
Dom was, initially, an aspiring footballer and played in the academies of Carlisle, Blackburn Rovers and Preston North End. He says this came without any pressure from his dad or family and when, at 16, he was turned down for an academy contract at Stockport County, “there was no bad blood – I simply wasn’t good enough.”
It was at this point that his other passion flourished. “I won’t pretend I was a child prodigy, but I loved performing and I knew I could sing.” At Sixth Form college in Stockport he auditioned for the school production of Little Shop of Horrors and was surprised to be cast in the lead role of Seymour.
He was studying performance studies as well as maths, PE and psychology but his singing teacher, the tenor Brian Smith Walters, told Dom he had the talent to make a future in theatre. Walters became a mentor, who helped him enter the Arts Educational School in west London and upon graduating, his career quickly blossomed.
West End roles are subject to intense competition but Dom says the risk of rejection “never put me off. I’d grown up in football, and seen how your success can be judged on someone else’s opinion of you. I’ve seen people win awards one season then get dropped – it’s just how it is.
“I trust my own ability, but it could have gone differently. Book of Mormon could have picked someone else, Moulin Rouge! the same. You’ve got to stay grounded. I just think you have to keep doing the right things, keep working professionally, keep trying to improve, not take yourself too seriously and use rejections to help you, rather than assume you’re not good at your job.
“My CV is successful so far, but it doesn’t show you the ‘No’s I’ve had, which I’ve had to learn from.”
Simpson learned about the values of patience and preparation when understudy to Nick Rouleau in Mormon on Broadway – something his father, Paul, this season linked to the need for United’s reserve footballers to demonstrate the right attitude when waiting for a first-team opportunity.
Dom says he was grateful of his preparation when, after a couple of months, his opportunity came. “That’s a discipline you aren’t taught at school. That’s something dad and my family instilled in me. You’re not always going to be spoonfed. For a couple of months before I went on stage, I was regularly singing through the show, doing the choreography in the dressing room. Thankfully, when my chance came, I survived it.”
Paul Simpson skipped a United reserve game in October in order to travel to the Piccadilly Theatre to watch Dom’s opening night as Christian: a proud spectator among several. “My parents had to sacrifice a lot and supported me in whatever I did. To have them part of opening night, and celebrate the journey we’ve been on, was special. I had Nana and Pop in a few weeks ago as well, which was a real treat.”
As well as being Dom Simpson the performer, his journey has also involved being the son of Paul: a high-level footballer and then a manager whose career has taken in some extraordinary highs, with Carlisle and England Under-20s, as well as some of the biting lows that all coaches suffer – along with the great respect, and in some ways reverence, that he now receives in his home city.
As a child and then a young man, Dom has shared in them all. “The other day I was thinking back about the time when he got sacked at Preston [in 2007]. That was the most public losing of his job that he’d had in his career, and I had to be taken out of school that day, because the news was going to be released. Not for any hostility – just to protect me.
“I think back to another time we were leaving a football ground and having pies chucked at the car because the result had gone badly. I’m probably eight or nine years old, thinking, ‘What’s going on?!’
“That period, and others, reminds me of the unity of our family, and how we’ve always stuck together. We had to learn how to put the hard hat on at times – and being together was so important.
"Mum and dad always kept us together when it would have been easy to live apart, when dad moved clubs. That has been a safety net.”
This was emphasised even at last season’s League Two play-off final: a dramatic victory for Carlisle but defeat for Stockport County where Jake Simpson was on their backroom staff. “We all saw him afterwards, gave him a hug,” says Dom. “We went through the ups and downs together, as we always have.”
Dom says childhood was often an exciting whirlwind of football experiences, “but I’ve always been most grateful for the connection I have with [Paul] as a dad rather than the person who’s known as a footballer and football manager. I consider him one of my best friends.”
How proud, though, is son of dad when he experiences successes such as last season’s, when Simpson senior’s turnaround of United came to such a thrilling climax.
“Massively proud,” he says. “And I think it’s the sort of success someone like dad deserves. He does things properly and he’s a good person at heart. That’s more important than how good a footballer he was or how good a manager he is, and I try to emulate that in how I do my best and try to look myself in the mirror knowing I’ve given things my all.
“I’m glad of the respect he has in Carlisle. I’m glad people see the good in him that can get missed in the football world, when things become so result-oriented. The day may come where he’s not revered in that way…we’ve got to just enjoy it and hope there’s more success to come as well.
“Carlisle has always felt like home for us Simpsons,” he adds. “I live in London now but it’s funny how Cumbrians keep popping up. Every now and then I have people at the stage door saying, ‘By the way, I’m a Carlisle fan’. That just fills me with joy. Long may it continue.”
Supporters of United see much of Simpson, but only his family witness the man in full. “I admire my dad when he gives interviews – the clarity, the way he gets his point across,” says Dom.
“There’s no falsity and he’s not one to hide his emotions. He’s an emotional person, it’s part of his character. There’s no secret to how he is behind closed doors.
“He’s always been a positive person, supportive, and also entertaining. As a kid he was always making me laugh. Yes, there’d be a stern word when I needed it, but he was filled with love, as the whole family unit was.
“And there’s his singing voice, which probably doesn’t come out much in his press conferences. He’s always been a fan of Les Miserables – we used to have the CD in the car. Andrew Bocelli and a bit of classical music. I remember belting Neil Diamond out with him on the way to school.”
Any chance of a Simpson duet, then? Dom laughs. “I remember when Carlisle got promoted first time around [2006], we were on holiday and got up for a karaoke, and we both butchered Don’t Stop Me Now. You only realise how high that song is when it’s too late…”
While Simpson senior continues at United, where Jake is now head of performance, Joe pursues a refereeing career alongside his position with JD Sports whilst Dom considers further goals in his performing life. “I’d love to work on Broadway again,” he says. “Maybe there’s a bit of unfinished business there. I’d also love to try and dip my toe into the TV and film world.
“Mainly I want to feel a growth in my career. One of my big life goals is to create a role, and be part of a new show where I can put my stamp on how it’s created.”
West End performing is time-consuming and risks being all-consuming. “I enjoy golf, getting to the gym, staying active, watching football – I’m conscious of not allowing the show to be the most important thing in my life,” Dom says. “If you pin everything on your job, it can become burnout – I definitely suffered with that in previous years.
“Like in football, injuries happen and when I’ve had to take time off shows for that reason, I’ve realised that the show will carry on without me. You have to have a sense of self away from the world of the stage. I love it, but it’s important not to let it define me as a person.”
It is time for Dom to prepare for the evening’s journey as the tormented Christian in the lurid and spellbinding Moulin Rouge: a Cumbrian success story on the big stage. Should I say break a leg, I ask? “I’d rather you didn’t, because I’ve torn my cartilage once on stage,” he smiles. “So we’d better stick to ‘good luck’…”
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