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00:00You just finished off the performance on the stage. How do you think it went? What was your thoughts on it?
00:05I hope it went well. I was trying to really take in the moment and my intention for the performance was just to express as much gratitude as I could towards the veterans and I hope that came across.
00:19How do you prep for a performance like this?
00:22The arrangement was slightly different to the original so I had to learn it and figure out the best key for me.
00:31Three days ago I rehearsed with the orchestra and the choir and I've never performed with as many people on stage today.
00:42It was getting used to all the different parts. We had the children's choir coming in on the second verse. It was getting used to what's happening on stage.
00:58What was the performance like? It must have been entirely different from anything else you've ever done.
01:03It was. I don't normally play with that many people, especially in a full orchestra. I've never performed with a children's choir before so that was pretty cool.
01:15I just feel very honoured to have been asked to do this. I did the King's Coronation which I suppose had a similar level of importance. I've never performed without the King's.
01:33With the event that just went on, the veterans themselves talked about how important it was that they're framed and the trials and tribulations that they went through are remembered for the rest of their lives.
01:44Do you think the show put forward that?
01:49Yeah, I think so. Even for me as someone who's performing, it was a chance for me to delve a little bit deeper into the events that actually happened.
01:59That was a really big learning opportunity for me as well. I'm really happy I did that because it's made today even more special for me as well.
02:09I was thinking about even more details in the performance as well.
02:14Do you think Portsmouth was the perfect venue for it?
02:17Probably, yeah. It wasn't here that they actually set sail to Northern Heathrow. It was one of the main venues.
02:30What did you think of the performance you just did? I got very emotional.
02:34It really was quite something. I've never done something like this before. In every department, it was a huge undertaking to perform in front of senior members of the royal family, senior politicians.
02:48On a personal level, my wife was out there, my parents were out there.
02:52The letter I read by Captain Jack Lee, who passed away on June 7th, it was a letter to his wife, Olive, back home, and his two children saying goodbye effectively and telling them to live well and be happy.
03:08It was emotional. It was deep and heartfelt.
03:14With performances like this, it must have been extra important you managed to get everything across because it was in front of the royal family, like you said, politicians and veterans who served on D-Day itself.
03:24Yeah. It's an interesting thing as an actor. You usually do the film and TV, which is one thing, or you do theatre. This was a bit of a mix of both, I suppose.
03:32We're doing a live performance, but it was also being immortalised at the same time.
03:36I had to kind of try and not think about millions of people watching it up and down the country, and I just tried to, as an actor, just come out, read it, go off stage.
03:46I tried not to get too in my own head about it, but ultimately as well, it wasn't really about me as an actor. It's about the letter. It's about the words I'm retelling, really.
04:00It's about providing a service to somebody before me, I think, more than myself.
04:05Finally, what do you think of the performance overall? Do you think it was befitting of the 80th anniversary?
04:10I'd say that's an understatement. I thought it was incredible. I thought it was powerful, celebratory, respectful. I thought the performers did such a fantastic job, and it's just an honour to be part of this.
04:25That's brilliant. Thank you so much.