Keith Jack (born 2 March 1988) is a British actor and singer. He was the runner-up on the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

reality talent show '' Any Dream Will Do'', which offered the chance to be the next West End Joseph for the hit musical ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice ...

'' by

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 ...

and

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 ...

. He lost out to Lee Mead in the final on 9 June 2007.

Early life

Before his appearances on ''Any Dream Will Do'', Jack was studying performance skills in

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

and a HNC in Musical Theatre at Telford College, also in

. Since winning the 2006 ''Chicago Rock Café Rock Idol'' contest, held in the English West Midlands, he has been a student of celebrity vocal coach Carrie Grant. Jack attended St. David's High School in

Dalkeith Dalkeith ( ; , ) is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River Esk. It was granted a burgh of barony in 1401 and a burgh of regality in 1541. The settlement of Dalkeith grew southwestwards from its 12th-century castle (now Dalkeith Pala ...

, where he performed in various Christmas concerts and other events.

''Any Dream Will Do''

Since the start of ''Any Dream Will Do'', Jack was noted as a strong contender; his vocals in particular were praised very highly. The main criticisms directed at him were his diction and his physical appearance: some judges thought he looked 'too young' to play Joseph. However, by the end of the series, Jack was widely regarded as the strongest singer on the programme.

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...

and vocal coach

Zoe Tyler Zoe or variants may refer to: People * Zoe (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** Zoë (British singer) (Zoë Pollock, born 1969) ** Zoë (Austrian singer) (Zoë Straub, born 1996) Arts and entertainment F ...

in particular were full of praise. Barrowman said: "That was brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, son! You have a voice of gold." Tyler commented: "When I hear you sing now, you knock me for six." Denise van Outen described Keith as a "Young John Barrowman", while

Bill Kenwright William Kenwright (4 September 1945 – 23 October 2023) was an English theatre and film producer. He was also the chairman of Everton Football Club for nearly two decades, from 2004 until his death in 2023. Early life Kenwright was born in ...

called Keith's talents "frightening". The panel was particularly impressed with his performances of "

Love Is All Around "Love Is All Around" is a song recorded by English rock band the Troggs. Released as a single in October 1967, it was a top-ten hit in both the UK and US. "Love Is All Around" has been covered by numerous artists, including R.E.M., with w ...

", "

Always on My Mind "Always on My Mind" is a Sentimental ballad, ballad written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James (songwriter), Mark James, first recorded by Brenda Lee and first released by Gwen McCrae (as "You Were Always on My Mind") in Mar ...

," "

Could It Be Magic "Could It Be Magic" is a song written by Adrienne Anderson and composed by American singer-songwriter Barry Manilow, inspired by Frédéric Chopin's Prelude in C minor, Opus 28, Number 20. The song was initially released in 1971 by Featherbe ...

" and "

For Once in My Life "For Once in My Life" is a song written by Ron Miller and Orlando Murden for Motown Records' Stein & Van Stock publishing company, and first recorded in 1965. It was written and first recorded as a slow ballad, in 1965 by Connie Haines, but the ...

Performances on ''Any Dream Will Do''

* Show One – "

Crazy Little Thing Called Love "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track is included on their 1980 album '' The Game'', and also appears on the band's compilation album '' Greatest Hits'' in 198 ...

" by

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

* Show Two – "

Who Am I Who Am I? or Who Am I may refer to: Film * ''Who Am I?'' (1921 film). a silent drama directed by Henry Kolker * ''Who Am I?'' (1998 film), a Hong Kong film starring Jackie Chan * ''Who Am I?'' (2009 film), a Cambodian film * ''Who Am I'' (2 ...

" by

Will Young William Robert Young (born 20 January 1979) is an English singer, songwriter and actor. He came to prominence after winning the 2002 inaugural series of the ITV talent contest '' Pop Idol'', making him the first winner of the worldwide '' Ido ...

* Show Three – "

Crocodile Rock "Crocodile Rock" is a song written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, and recorded in summer 1972 at the Château d'Hérouville studio in France (it was listed as "Strawberry Studios" in the album's credits), where John and his team had previousl ...

" by

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

* Show Four – "

" by

Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet Wet are a Scottish soft rock band formed in 1982. They scored a number of hits on the UK charts and around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. They are best known for their 1994 cover of the Troggs' 1960s hit " Love Is All Around", which ...

* Show Five – "

" by

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...

* Show Six – "

Brown Eyed Girl "Brown Eyed Girl" is a song by Northern Irish singer and songwriter Van Morrison. Written by Morrison and recorded in March 1967, it was released as a single in June of the same year on the Bang label, peaking at No. 10 on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...

" by

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

as well as " That's Life" by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

(group number; performed with Ben Ellis and Lewis Bradley) * Show Seven – " Let Me Entertain You" by

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

* Semi-final – "

" by

Barry Manilow Barry Manilow ( ; born Barry Alan Pincus on June 17, 1943) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer with a career that spans over sixty years. His hit recordings include "Could It Be Magic", "Looks Like We Made It", "Brandy (Scott ...

and " Only You" from the musical ''

Starlight Express '' Starlight Express'' is a 1984 musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. It tells the story of a young but obsolete steam engine, Rusty, who races in a championship against modern locomotives of diesel and el ...

'' (duet; performed with Ben Ellis) * Final – "

" by

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...

, "

Moondance ''Moondance'' is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 January 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album '' Astral Weeks'' (1968), Morr ...

" by Van Morrison and "

" (encore).

Later career

Jack performed at the ''Picnic in the Parliament'' concert outside the

Scottish Parliament The Scottish Parliament ( ; ) is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Scotland. It is located in the Holyrood, Edinburgh, Holyrood area of Edinburgh, and is frequently referred to by the metonym 'Holyrood'. ...

on 30 June 2007. "As my first performance since the final, I am proud it will be not only in Scotland but on a day celebrating Scottish talent," he said. On 28 June 2007, ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'' reported that Jack was into entering a record deal with

Louis Walsh Michael Louis Vincent Walsh (born 5 August 1952) is an Irish music manager and television personality. He has managed Johnny Logan (singer), Johnny Logan, Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, four of Ireland's most successful pop acts in the 1990s an ...

, the fruition of which was to be an album of pop, classical and theatrical music. This did not materialise, and Jack asked Adam Quest, his mentor and vocal coach, to try to broker a new recording deal on his behalf. Within a week, Jack was signed to John Mclaughlin's record label X-Phonics in Glasgow. From October 2007, Keith was in

's national touring production of ''Joseph'', starring as the Narrator, alongside fellow ''Any Dream Will Do'' contestants Craig Chalmers (as Joseph) and Chris Barton (as Benjamin). A second tour followed in late summer 2009. When Mead's contract expired, Jack was asked if he wanted to take over. He rejected the offer, and continued to tour with Chalmers and Barton. Jack recorded his debut album early in 2008. A charity single, " When a Child is Born" was released via download on 10 December 2007. "If an Angel falls from Heaven" was available to download from 8 December 2008. In August 2008, Jack performed in the premiere of the musical '' Only the Brave'' at the Edinburgh Festival. In June 2008, he performed in the ''Choices for Life'' tour, for children in Primary 7 across Scotland. The same month, Jack performed at Bo'ness Children's Fair Day. His debut album was released on 22 September that year, entitled ''This Time''. Jack toured England and Scotland in September and October 2008 to promote the album. He also sang "

Uptown Girl "Uptown Girl" is a song written and performed by American musician Billy Joel from his ninth studio album, '' An Innocent Man'' (1983), released in September 1983 as the album's second single. The lyrics describe a working-class "downtown man" ...

" with

Daniel Boys Daniel Boys (born 26 March 1979) is an English actor. He starred in the West End productions of the musicals ''Rent'' and ''Grease'' before being a 2007 contestant on the BBC talent series '' Any Dream Will Do''. Boys went on to star in many ...

and Ben James-Ellis on

's album ''

Music Music Music ''Music Music Music'' is a 2008 album by John Barrowman preceded by the digital-only single "What About Us?", written by Gary Barlow and Chris Braide. The album consists mostly of cover versions and was produced by Simon Franglen (who has worke ...

''. December 2008 through to January 2009 saw Jack in pantomime, playing the title role in ''Peter Pan'', alongside Alan Fletcher (aka Dr. Karl Kennedy from ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...

'') at His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen. On 31 December 2008, Jack performed at the Aberdeen Hogmanay Street Party, alongside

Sandi Thom Alexandria Thom () (born 11 August 1981) is a Scottish singer-songwriter who became widely known in 2006 for her debut single, " I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair)". The single finished the year as the best selling single in ...

and

Amy Macdonald Amy Elizabeth Macdonald (born 25 August 1987) is a Scottish singer-songwriter. In 2007, she released her debut studio album, ''This Is the Life (Amy Macdonald album), This Is the Life'', which produced the singles "Mr. Rock & Roll" and "This ...

. Jack performed as part of '' Showstopppers!'' at Musical Theatre @ George Square as part of the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

on 17 August 2009. That year, appeared in pantomime at the Kings Theatre, Glasgow as

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; , , ATU 561, 'Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with '' One Thousand and One Nights'' (often known in English as ''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part of the original ...

. In Croydon, on 17 July 2010, Jack took over the coloured coat from Chalmers and began his debut performance as Joseph. From 2 December 2010 to 8 January 2011, Jack played the Prince in the Glasgow Kings Theatre production of ''Sleeping Beauty''. In 2012, Jack played Joseph in the UK tour, opposite Jennifer Potts as the narrator. From 18 December 2012 to 6 January 2013, Jack played Prince Charming in ''Cinderella'' at the

Whitley Bay Playhouse The Playhouse, Whitley Bay is a state of the art, 630 seater auditorium in the coastal resort of Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear. Having undergone a major and completed refurbishment by North Tyneside Council in 2009, the contemporary theatre has a g ...

. Jack finished in ''Joseph'' in May 2013, after six years in the musical (on and off), passing the role on to

Ian "H" Watkins Ian Watkins (born 8 May 1976), known by his stage name H, is a Welsh singer and actor. He is a member of the British pop group Steps. In 2020 he competed in the twelfth series of the British television series ''Dancing on Ice''. Career St ...

(of Steps). The following month, it was announced that Jack would be returning to the stage as the lead in a brand new musical, ''Sincerely, Mr Toad'' (about the life of author

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in ...

), with

Sell A Door Theatre Company Selladoor Worldwide is a UK Theatre producing company based in Greenwich, London. Selladoor Worldwide produce musical theatre, plays and family theatre for UK and international touring and the West End. Selladoor Worldwide also operate and m ...

. Jack played The Prince at Ipswich Regent's pantomime production of ''Sleeping Beauty'', which ran from 17 December 2016 until 2 January 2017. He joined Magic Beans in their 2017/18 production of ''

Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' at the Stag Theatre in

Sevenoaks Sevenoaks is a town in Kent with a population of 29,506, situated south-east of London, England. Also classified as a civil parishes in England, civil parish, Sevenoaks is served by a commuter South Eastern Main Line, main line railway into Lo ...

. He was also a guest vocalist touring with

Joe McElderry Joseph McElderry (; born 16 June 1991) is an English singer and songwriter. He won the The X Factor (British series 6), sixth series of ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor'' in 2009. His first single "The Climb (Joe McElderry song), ...

to promote the latter's album, which also featured Ben James-Ellis and Sam Callahan. In 2022, Jack joined the cast of Dreamcoat Stars, which also features several other actors who have played the role of Joseph. The production is currently touring the UK as of 2023.

Theatre credits

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jack, Keith 1988 births Living people British male stage actors