Dave Willetts (born 24 June 1952) is an English singer and actor known for having leading roles in West End musicals.
His West End credits include leading roles in The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Ragtime, Les Misérables, Sunset Boulevard and Aspects of Love. He also played leading roles in the UK tours of The Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific, and Legally Blonde.
For his performance in Sunset Boulevard, he was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
Early life
Born in Marston Green, Birmingham, in 1952 and then brought up in Acocks Green. He first went to Cottesbrooke Infants primary school and later to Sheldon Heath Comprehensive (now known as King Edward VI Sheldon Heath Academy). His father worked at Rover.<!-- based on a profile first appeared in Birmingham Life magazine--> He has completed a Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme programme. After leaving school at 16, he joined Girling Brakes as an apprentice, He then moved to another Girlings plant in Pontypool, with his then girlfriend Lyn. It was at this time, while Willetts was in his thirties, that he began his meteoric rise to the top, with the support of his wife. on the UK tour to critical acclaim, winning an Evening News Theatre Award.
In 1990, he was given his first opportunity to originate a role when he appeared opposite Petula Clark in Someone Like You, a musical for which she had composed the score.
Since then, Willetts has appeared in the title role in a concert version and studio cast album of Jesus Christ Superstar, taken the lead roles in Leicester Haymarket's acclaimed productions of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Sunday in the Park with George, appeared as Old Deuteronomy in the 20th anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats in London, and as Jean Valjean in the 10th anniversary production of Les Misérables in Sydney, Australia. He took the role of Heathcliff in the studio recording of Bernard J. Taylor musical version of Wuthering Heights.
In 2004, he appeared in the London premiere and West End production of Ragtime as the Father alongside Maria Friedman. In December of the same year he appeared in Aladdin in Bromley. He has played the starring role of 'Adam Pontipee' in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in the West End (2006). and the national tour in 2002.
In 2007, Dave played the role of 'Julian Marsh' in a UK Tour of 42nd Street. He returned to the role in 2012, when the show again toured the UK. He played Max in a scaled-down production of Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre (now The Harold Pinter), directed by Craig Revel Horwood in September 2008,
for which he was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
In July 2011, he originated the role of Professor Callahan in the UK tour of Legally Blonde. In October 2014, he appeared as Father God in 'Love Beyond' at SSE Wembley Arena. In 2017, he appeared as the White Rabbit in Wonderland, a new musical by Frank Wildhorn also starring Wendi Peters and Kerry Ellis.
In 2023, Dave played the role of Sir George Dillingham in a West End revival of Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre.
Discography
Willetts has recorded several albums, mostly collections of songs from musicals.
Personal life
He has a wife Lyn (originally from Warwickshire, They live in Baginton, near Coventry.