Scarborough-born musical theatre star Daniel Parrott is 'living the dream' in West End show Wicked

“I have performed my first show at Wicked, a moment I’ve literally dreamt of for as long as I can remember,” he told his Facebook followers.

“It’s been one hell of a journey to get here but today marked the ultimate dream coming true, now let’s do it all again.”

Daniel first auditioned for Wicked – loosely based on the Wizard of Oz – five years ago without success.

"This year was my year,” he said on landing the role of Swing.

He was in rehearsals for the show for five weeks before his opening night earlier this month and will be in the show for at least a year.

Daniel grew up in Falsgrave in Scarborough and went to Gladstone Road and Graham schools.

"I was always a singer,” he said “singing into a hairbrush in my bedroom.”

He went to Lisa Smith’s dance studio in Falsgrave and Lisa first put him on the stage.

From the age of 15 he went to the Hatton School of Performing Arts in Scarborough and studied with Julie Hatton for two years, getting his first professional job aged 17.

"Going to Hatton’s gave me everything,” he said. “It made me the performer I am today.”

Daniel and his partner Elliott Brady, also a musical theatre performer, live in London. Daniel visits his family, mum Tracy Smith, a receptionist at Springhead School, and dad Steve Parrott, who worked at McCain for 20 years before retiring, a couple of times a year.

Daniel is no stranger to theatre success. He was in the international tour of in Matilda The Musical, in the ensemble and understudy for Britney and Galileo’in We Will Rock You for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line andin the ensemble and Convention Singer in Loserville at the Union Theatre, Southwark.

Other work includes being vocal captain and company manager for Potters Resorts Five Lakes; lead singer for AJ (AJPritchard) Live, dancer for Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises and P&O Australia and assistant choreographer and dance captain for Scarborough-based Qdos Pantomimes.

Wicked, which is on at the Apollo Victoria Theatre, is, though, his first West End show. “When I was a teenager, it was my favourite show. Everything I have ever done has led to this show,” said Daniel. "It was my ultimate dream to be in the West End. I was speechless when I got a phone call telling me I had landed the role.”

He is now sharing the stage with Alex Khadime as Elphaba, Lucy St Louis as Glinda and Mark Curry as the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the score of Wicked includes the Wizard and I, No Good Dead, Dancing Through Life and I’m Not That Girl.

The most well-known songs are, arguably, Popular and Defying Gravity.

"Being in Wicked was my dream. I could say ‘after this I have done everything I wanted to do’ but I might find a new dream.” he said.