Hailed as “the closest thing to Take That” by Nigel Martin-Smith, Take That’s original manager, The Take That Experience is more than just a tribute to one of Britain’s best-loved boy bands.
As the real Take That celebrate more than 30 years at the top of the charts, The Take That Experience painstakingly replicates the vocals, costumes and electrifying dance routines that made Gary, Howard, Mark, Jason and of course Robbie household names.
Nik Parsons, who prior to this used to be a Robbie Williams tribute act, plays Mark Owen in the show, and has done so since the project launched 16 years ago.
“There was an ad in The Stage newspaper by our management in 2008, so I applied for that,” he recalls.
“They came to watch one of my solo gigs; I got the job and then we started doing auditions for the other band members.”
These days, Nik notes that there are “two originals left in the band – myself and Danny Hall, who plays the Jason Orange role”.
“We’re the two originals from the first line-up,” he says, “and then the other guys have come in at different points throughout the lifetime of the band.”
The Take That Experience perform all the classic songs, from the ’90s through to the present day, including hits such as Pray, Relight My Fire, Patience, Shine and These Days.
The show also features a solo set from ‘Robbie Williams’ (Marc Dillon) who delivers fan favourites including Angels, Rock DJ and Let Me Entertain You.
Which are Nik’s favourite songs to sing on stage? “One of my favourite songs that I sing is a track called Everlasting, that’s a great track,” he replies, “but I think my favourite stuff to perform in the band is the old stuff – from the ’90s.
“They’re the most fun to perform because of the dance routines and the nostalgia of it.”
He adds: “The whole show’s done with a pinch of salt, it’s all slightly tongue-in-cheek. We take it very, very seriously but we have fun with it. We try to do what the name says and give everybody a Take That experience.”
Nik observes that it’s an “exciting time” to be doing this show as Take That – now consisting of Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald – are back on tour themselves.
“So there’s lots of things that we can look at to refresh our show,” he explains, “because our show’s dictated by them, of course.
“They’re obviously a three-piece now and our show’s quite different – we open on the three-piece and then there’s a little Robbie solo section.
“But in the second half of the show it’s like the ’90s reunion, with all five members.”
Nik believes that The Take That Experience appeals to more than just fans of Take That, old and new.
“It’s a great, fun show,” he concludes, “it’s great for Take That fans, it’s great for anybody who loves a good, fun night out – and it’s a really fun show to be part of.”
The Take That Experience will be calling in at the Haverhill Arts Centre on Friday, 5 July. For tickets, priced £26, visit haverhillartscentre.co.uk. For more on the band, go to facebook.com/takethatexperience/?locale=en_GB.
