Paul Nicholas (born Paul Oscar Beuselinck; 3 December 1944) is an English actor and singer best known for starring as Vince Pinner in the

BBC television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

sitcom '' Just Good Friends'' (1983—86). The show won a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

and Nicholas was nominated for best comedy performance. Nicholas started out with a pop career, but soon changed to musical theatre, playing the lead role in ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'' at the West End’s Palace Theatre in 1972. After ''Just Good Friends'' ended, he returned to musical theatre and various other entertainment roles, including producing and directing. He is also known for his more recent television role in ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

'' as Gavin Sullivan and appearing in '' The Real Marigold Hotel''.

Early life

Paul Nicholas was born Paul Oscar Beuselinck on 3 December 1944 in

Peterborough Peterborough ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in the City of Peterborough district in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Cambridgeshire, England. The city is north of London, on the River Nene. A ...

. His father was an entertainment lawyer, Oscar Beuselinck, whose clients included

Sean Connery Sir Thomas Sean Connery (25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to Portrayal of James Bond in film, portray the fictional British secret agent James Bond (literary character), James Bond in motion pic ...

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

, ''Private Eye'' and MGM. His paternal grandfather also called Oscar Beuselinck, was Belgian and had been a chef in the merchant navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, before becoming head chef on the Union-Castle Line ships between the United Kingdom and South Africa. His maternal grandfather was a London docker. The family spent holidays at his maternal grandparents' home on the

Isle of Sheppey The Isle of Sheppey is an island off the northern coast of Kent, England, neighbouring the Thames Estuary, centred from central London. It has an area of . The island forms part of the districts of England, local government district of Borough ...

, until Nicholas was 10. After his parents divorced when he was 12, his father's family home was at Letchmore Heath, Hertfordshire, opposite the Bhaktivedanta Manor. His paternal grandparents, Winnie and Oscar, lived in a small cottage on the grounds.

Career

Nicholas began his pop career as early as 1960. Adopting the stage name Paul Dean, he formed Paul Dean and the Dreamers who were booked to support the Savages, the backing band for the British rocker Screaming Lord Sutch. It was here that Sutch first noticed the young Nicholas, who was soon to become vocalist and pianist with the Savages. Still using the name Paul Dean, he released two solo singles in 1965–66. After taking a new stage name, Oscar, he began a long association with the Australian-born entrepreneur,

Robert Stigwood Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer, and impresario, best known for managing musicians such as Cream, Andy Gibb, and the Bee Gees; theatrical produc ...

. In 1966, Nicholas signed with Stigwood's

Reaction Records Reaction Records was an independent British record label, run by music executive Robert Stigwood in 1966 and 1967. Although Reaction released only three albums, one EP and eighteen singles in its brief existence, its roster included two of th ...

label and his first single under his new name, "Club of Lights", scraped into the lower reaches of the Radio London Fab Forty chart. The second Oscar single was a version of a

Pete Townshend Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (; born 19 May 1945) is an English musician. He is the co-founder, guitarist, keyboardist, second lead vocalist, principal songwriter and leader of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s an ...

song "Join My Gang", which

the Who The Who are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup (1964–1978) consisted of lead vocalist Roger Daltrey, guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. Considered one of th ...

never recorded. His third single, a novelty song called "Over the Wall We Go" (1967) is notable for being written and produced by a young

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

(Nicholas at this time was managing the band

the Sweet Sweet (known as the Sweet until the early 1970s) are a British glam rock band who rose to prominence in the 1970s. Their best-known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Brian Connolly, bassist Steve Priest, guitarist Andy Scott and drummer ...

and recommended them to record producer Phil Wainman whom he worked with at Mellin Music Publishing). After settling on the stage name Paul Nicholas, he found success in the UK in musicals, beginning with the leading role of Claude in ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'' (which Stigwood produced) before winning the

title role The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

in the original London production of ''

''. The part of Danny to

Elaine Paige Dame Elaine Jill Paige (born Elaine Jill Bickerstaff, 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Chipping Barnet, Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, m ...

's Sandy made them the first British couple to play the leads in '' Grease''. Paul Nicholas Allan Warren

Nicholas joined The Young Vic under Frank Dunlop and played Claudio in ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

'' and appeared in ''Crete and Sgt. Pepper'' by John Antrobus. He appeared as the Bully of the Boulevard in Richard O’Brien’s ''T-Zee'' at London's

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a West End theatre#London's non-commercial theatres, non-commercial theatre in Sloane Square, London, England, opene ...

. He performed in Prospect Theatre Company's Carl Davies musical ''Pilgrim''. While touring with O'Brien in ''Hair'' in 1970 he first heard and recorded two songs with Richard O’Brien from the yet to be produced ''

Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

.'' Nicholas's film career began in 1970 in ''

Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

''. He followed this with '' See No Evil'' (1971) and '' What Became of Jack and Jill?'' (1972). He then appeared in '' Stardust'' (1974), and '' Three for All'' (1975). In 1975, he played "Cousin Kevin", Tommy's vicious cousin, in '' Tommy'', and portrayed

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

in ''

Lisztomania Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote o ...

'' (1975). In 1976, Nicholas embarked on a short-lived but high-profile pop career, with three Top 20 hits in the UK singles chart "Reggae Like It Used To Be", "Dancing with the Captain", and "Grandma's Party", the last two of which reached the Top 10. He released the single " Heaven On The 7th Floor" in 1977. This only just reached the UK Top 40, but reached number No. 1 in New Zealand. In the US, the song peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 5 in Cashbox listings, giving Nicholas a gold record. He followed this with "On The Strip" which entered the Billboard Hot 100 No. 67 but failed to enter the UK chart. In the mid-1970s he hosted his own children's television pop show, ''Paul''. In 1978, Nicholas appeared in ''

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (often referred to simply as ''Sgt. Pepper'') is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept ...

'' as Dougie Shears. Further films followed including '' The World Is Full of Married Men'' (1979), '' Yesterday's Hero'' (1979), the loutish

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

singer in ''

The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American part-talkie musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland and produced by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music and lip-synchronous ...

'' (1980), the romantic lead in ''Invitation to the Wedding'' (1983), and '' Nutcracker'' (1983). In 1979, he starred in '' Two Up, Two Down'', a short-lived sitcom co-starring

Su Pollard Susan Georgina "Su" Pollard (born 7 November 1949) is a British actress, singer, songwriter and author whose career has spanned over 50 years. Pollard is most known for her role in the sitcom '' Hi-de-Hi!'' She also appeared in the sitcoms '' Y ...

. Having participated in a workshop with

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

, Nicholas returned to

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...

in 1981 to create the role of Rum Tum Tugger in Lloyd Webber's musical ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

''. He then originated the title role in '' Blondel'' by

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ''Jesus C ...

and Stephen Oliver. In 1983, he got his first high-profile television role as Vince Pinner in John Sullivan's

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

sitcom '' Just Good Friends''. The show was a success, running for three series and ending at Christmas 1986, with Nicholas also singing the theme song. The show won a

and Nicholas was nominated for best comedy performance. He followed this by starring in two series of the comedy-drama series '' Bust'' for

London Weekend Television London Weekend Television (LWT; now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV (TV network), ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00&nbs ...

. Nicholas continued to play numerous roles on screen in both movie and television projects. In 1986, Nicholas starred in musicals including ''Jekyll and Hyde'', ''Fiddler On The Roof’' and ''42nd Street’' which was directed by the shows author Mark Bramble. He starred as The Pirate King in

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. Papp is a pioneering figure in American theater, known for creating Shakespeare in the Park, which aimed to make classi ...

's version of ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'' at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

and the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring Theatre (structure), theatre that plays host to touring Musical theatre, musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed buil ...

, touring again in the same role in the late 1990s. He starred in '' Barnum'' in the first national tour and followed this with a highly successful season at The Dominion Theatre in the West End. At the end of 1991, while touring with ''Barnum'', Nicholas was the subject of '' This Is Your Life.'' For his services to show business and charity, Nicholas was awarded a Silver Heart from the Variety Club of Great Britain and a Gold Badge Award from BASCA for his services to the music industry. Nicholas then starred in the national tour of ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

'', which was directed by

Tommy Steele Sir Thomas Hicks (born 17 December 1936), known professionally as Tommy Steele, is an English entertainer, regarded as Britain's first teen idol and rock and roll star. After being discovered at the 2i's Coffee Bar in Soho, London, Steele recor ...

. In June 1996, Nicholas played the role of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

in the Covent Garden Festival's production of ''

Camelot Camelot is a legendary castle and Royal court, court associated with King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described ...

''. He repeated his role of King Arthur in a

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

production of ''Camelot''. Other radio work included Bert in

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's ''Gracie''. He hosted two series of BBC Radio 2's ''Mad About Musical, as well as his own hour-long TV special, ''Paul and Friends'', for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

. Nicholas fronted the Radio 4 children's series ''Cat's Whiskers'' during the 1980s. In 1997, Nicholas starred as the anti-hero of

Karoline Leach Karoline Leach (born 20 July 1967) is a British playwright and author, best known for her book ''In the Shadow of the Dreamchild'' (), which re-examines the life of Lewis Carroll (pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), the author of ''Alice's ...

's ''The Mysterious Mr. Love'' at the Comedy Theatre in London's West End. He continued to appear as the lead in numerous straight roles thereafter:

Simon Gray Simon James Holliday Gray (21 October 1936 – 7 August 2008) was an English playwright and memoirist who also had a career as a Academia, university lecturer in English literature at Queen Mary, University of London, for 20 years. While teach ...

's ''Stagestruck'', a national tour of Michael Cooney's ''The Dark Side'', ''Catch Me if You Can'', and two plays by

Eric Chappell Eric George Chappell (25 September 1933 – 21 April 2022) was an English television comedy writer and playwright who wrote or co-wrote some of the UK's biggest sitcom hits over a more than quarter-century career, first gaining significant noti ...

: ''Mixed Feelings'', in which he played a

transsexual A transsexual person is someone who experiences a gender identity that is inconsistent with their assigned sex, and desires to permanently transition to the sex or gender with which they identify, usually seeking medical assistance (incl ...

, and ''Snakes and Ladders''. He starred as John Smith in the original production of ''Caught in the Net''. In 1998, he co-produced, with Bill Kenwright, a new musical based on

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

' novel ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'', starring as Sidney Carton. The musical played Windsor with a Christmas season in Birmingham. In 2000, Nicholas appeared in the BBC television comedy drama ''

Sunburn Sunburn is a form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, usually from the Sun. Common symptoms in humans and other animals include red or reddish skin tha ...

'', playing David Janus, owner of the self-titled holiday company around which the series was created. He then played Ronnie Buchan in the new police drama series ''Burnside''. Further television work included parts in ''The Bill'' and ''Holby City''. Paul Nicholas Masaryk

Nicholas then played the title role in the national tour of '' Doctor Dolittle'' and followed this with the role of Tevye in UK Productions' national tour of ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

''. In the summer of 2006, he was a celebrity showjumper in the BBC's

Sport Relief ''Sport Relief'' was a wikt:biennial, biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, established in 2002. It was the idea of Kevin Cahill, CBE, who had joined Comic Relief in 1991 to establish a new department as Dire ...

event '' Only Fools on Horses'', as well as appearing in ''Doctors'', ''Heartbeat'' and ''Holby City''. That autumn, Nicholas was attached to star in the British film ''Cash and Curry'', and that year he co-produced and starred in '' Jekyll & Hyde'' in a UK national tour. In 2008, Nicholas played Alan Boon in BBC Four's ''Consuming Passion: 100 Years of Mills & Boon''. He also directed and produced ''

'' at Upstairs at the Gatehouse. In 2009, Nicholas played Jack Point in '' The Yeomen of the Guard'' for the Carl Rosa Opera Company at the Tower of London Festival. In November 2010, Nicholas opened in ''The Haunting''. He also directed the musical version of '' Tale of Two Cities'' at Charing Cross Theatre in April–May 2012. In 2014, Nicholas produced and starred in ''Blockbuster'', a musical. In 2015, he appeared as Judge Wargrave in ''

And Then There Were None ''And Then There Were None'' is a mystery fiction, mystery novel by the English writer Agatha Christie, who described it as the most difficult of her books to write. It was first published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club on 6 N ...

''. In the summer of 2015 he directed a new production of ''Tommy'' at Blackpool's Opera House. In June 2015 while touring in ''And Then There Were None'', Nicholas was cast as Gavin Sullivan on ''

''. He then starred as Ebeneezer Scrooge in the Alan Menken musical, ''

A Christmas Carol ''A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas'', commonly known as ''A Christmas Carol'', is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. It recounts the ...

''. In 2016, he was cast as Neville Chamberlain in the film '' Masaryk''. He appeared as himself in ''The Real Marigold Hotel'' shown on BBC One in March 2017. In 2018, Nicholas toured the UK. He also played Arvide Abernathy in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

'' at the

Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...

. In 2021, Nicholas published 'Musicals Marigolds & Me' and his 3 CD Boxset 'Paul Nicholas Gold'. In 2023, Nicholas resumed a UK tour of 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' prior to a West End run. He also released an audio book of his biography 'Musicals Marigolds & Me'. In 2024/25 Nicholas appeared as the Major at the Apollo Theatre in London in John Cleese’s '' Fawlty Towers: The Play''.

Business

In 1990, while starring with David Ian in ''

'' at the London Palladium, Nicholas offered Ian a partnership in co-producing and starring in a touring production of the New York Shakespeare Festival version of the popular

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

opera. Paul Nicholas & David Ian Associates Ltd was formed to produce the 20th anniversary production of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' on a UK-wide tour, which sold out. They then produced a nightly fully staged version of ''The Pirates of Penzance'' in which Nicholas starred and again they sold out.Info re Nicholas itinerary
''Greasethemusical.co.uk''; accessed 21 February 2016. The company has since produced numerous shows, including: *''

'' – concert version *''

Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'' – UK tour *'' Grease'' – West End and Broadway –

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination for Best Revival 2008 *''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

'' – director *'' Ain't Misbehavin''' – West End *''

'' – UK tour *'' Evita'' – UK tour *''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

'' – UK tour *''

Happy Days ''Happy Days'' is an American television sitcom that aired first-run on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network from January 15, 1974, to July 19, 1984, with a total of 255 half-hour episodes spanning 11 seasons. Created by Garry Marsha ...

'' – UK tour *''

Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...

'' – London Palladium and NYC

Minskoff Theatre The Minskoff Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the One Astor Plaza office building in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1973, it is operated by the Nederlander Organizatio ...

, co-adapter and producer *''

'' – UK tour; co-produced with Bill Kenwright *'' Jekyll & Hyde'' – UK tour, co-produced with UK Productions *'' Keeler'' – 2007, producer and director *''A Tale of Two Cities'' – Upstairs at The Gatehouse 2008, producer and director *'' Grease'' – West End 2007 and US tour 2008–09, co-producer *''Jest End'' (musical parody) – London Players and Jermyn Theatres 2009, producer *''Grease'' – South Africa and Far East tour 2010, US and UK tours 2010/11, co-producer *''Keeler'' – UK tour September–November 2011, producer and director *''A Tale of Two Cities: The Musical'' – Charing Cross Theatre April–May 2012, director *'' Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' – UK tour September 2013, producer *''Wag'' – Charing Cross Theatre July 2013, co-producer *''Keeler'' – October 2013 producer and director *''Blockbuster'' – UK tour September 2014 producer and director *''

'' – 2015 associate producer *''Grease'' – UK tour 2017, co-producer *''Tommy'' – Blackpool Opera House, 2018 Director

Paul Nicholas School of Acting & Performing Arts

In 2006, Nicholas set up a franchise operation, the Paul Nicholas School of Acting & Performing Arts, aimed at teaching acting to school-age children. The company went into liquidation in 2012. In January 2008, Nicholas launched Paul Nicholas Community Arts, a project designed to engage disenfranchised children in the arts. The pilot scheme was funded for fourteen weeks by Wyre Borough Council. A twelve-week scheme began on 28 May 2008 in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

Filmography

Personal life

Nicholas was 18 when he had a child with girlfriend Patricia Brecknell. His then-former girlfriend, Lyn Last, gave birth to his second child in 1967, only a few months after his 1966 marriage to Susan Gee. Nicholas and Gee had two children together. After their divorce, Gee died in 1977 aged 38, in a car accident. She was survived by their two young children. Nicholas married Linzi Jennings in 1984 and they have two children together.

Discography

Albums

Appearances: * ''Hair'' (Original London Cast Recording) (1968,

Polydor Records Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...

) *''Fresh Hair'' (Original London Cast Recording) (1970, Polydor) * ''Cats'' (Original London Cast Recording) (1981, Polydor) * ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' (soundtrack) (1978,

RSO Records RSO Records was a record label formed by rock and roll and musical theatre impresario Robert Stigwood and record executive Al Coury in 1973. The letters "RSO" stood for the Robert Stigwood Organisation. RSO managed the careers of several ma ...

) Solo: *''Paul Nicholas'' (1977, RSO LP) 12 songs; 10 in the US and Canada. In the Netherlands, it was retitled ''On the Strip'' (1978, RSO LP) and added two single A-sides while dropping two others. *''Just Good Friends'' (1986,

K-Tel K-tel International Ltd is a Canadian company which formerly specialized in selling consumer products through infomercials and live demonstration. Its products include compilation music albums, including ''The Super Hits'' series, ''The Dynamic ...

LP and CD) 13 songs, 12 of which are

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s *''That's Entertainment'' (1993, Karussell CD) 14-song compilation; RSO/Polydor material from 1976 to 1980 *''Colours of My Life'' (1994, First Night Records CD) 16-song compilation; 12 from

cast albums and 4 new recordings Paul Nicholas Gold (2022 Demon Records) 3 CD set CD1 Pop Hits - CD2 Show Songs - CD3 Romantic Songs

Singles

Literature

*Paul Nicholas (with Douglas Thompson) "Musicals, Marigolds & Me" autobiography, 235 pages. Published in October 2021 by Fantom Publishing. An Audio Book version published in 2023 narrated by Nicholas. *Paul Nicholas (with Douglas Thompson): ''Behind the Smile'' autobiography, hardcover, 218 pages published in October 1999 by

André Deutsch André Deutsch (15 November 1917 – 11 April 2000) was a Hungarian-born British publisher who founded an eponymous publishing company in 1951. Biography Deutsch was born on 15 November 1917 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of a Jewish dentist ...

Ltd;

References

External links

Paul Nicholas
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* *
Paul Nicholas
at Theatricalia * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nicholas, Paul 1944 births English male singers British male soap opera actors English male stage actors English male voice actors British people of Belgian descent Living people Musicians from Peterborough Male actors from Peterborough RSO Records artists Screaming Lord Sutch and the Savages members