NAVEL GAZING

THE GAL: Did you know Samantha Womack could sing? Me neither.

I didn’t even know she was called Womack, Janus being immortalised forever as ladette Mandy in Game On, tragic Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders and Detective Constable Isobel De Pauli in Liverpool One.

Either way I was totally unaware of her stupendous voice, until now. Because having been struck silent by her awe-inspiring rendition of I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy, take it from me, this girl can warble like a good ‘un.

So why has she been hiding this particular light under a bushel?

A quick flick of her CV and you’ll realise Samantha has in fact been singing throughout her career, most recently in Guys and Dolls alongside Patrick Swayze and then Miami Vice star Don Johnson. “I always sing. It drives my kids and husband crazy,” she laughs. “I sing all the time at home so in the rehearsals it’s just a case of getting the muscles working again, but it’s a bit like riding a bicycle.”

And when Samantha heard South Pacific was coming to town she was determined to nab the lead. “It was a part to die for so I didn’t mind going through a rigorous audition process – I auditioned six or seven times before I got the lead,” she shrugs. “And it came at the perfect time because I was just finishing EastEnders with the going to prison/ stealing the baby scenario.”

So was the switch from soap opera to musical star hard? “I’m much better suited to the theatre, and only come alive at 6pm,” she grins. “And after four years of playing someone repressed, it took me a while to access the freedom in my character Nellie, but she’s getting better and better. It’s all about keeping your image fresh isn’t it?”

South Pacific is set on a tropical island during World War II, depicting two couples who are threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices.

“Old lady that I am I saw the original and this is going to be just as wonderful. Because it’s a return to a time of war which we can all relate to, as well as race issues and riots. But on the other hand it’s a family show as well,” she says.

The mum-of-two even tested it out on her own two sons. “I have a 10 and a six-year-old and they came to see it and loved it, fascinated from beginning to end. So it’s still relevant and a timeless classic musical. And I can promise one thing,” Samantha says: “It’s a fully immersive experience.”

Currently playing in London, by the time South Pacific comes to the New Theatre for Christmas, Samantha will have it fine-tuned. “We are going to shrink it for the New Theatre and are looking forward to the 25-piece orchestra and having 50 people on stage,” she grins with excitement, not in small part due to the hulking Brazilian sitting next to her, her opera-singing co-star Paulo Szot.

“He can sing a nursery rhyme and I’d fall to pieces,” Samantha simpers. “I love everything that man sings. He has such a wonderful deep voice and I’m very lucky to be singing with him.”

Luckily, by the looks of things, he feels the same. New Theatre watch out!

THE GUY: The passionate, devilishly good-looking lion of a man sat in front of me is none other than global opera superstar Paulo Szot.

And he has such a starry aura, such force of personality and such gorgeous eyes, it’s hard to concentrate.

It’s obvious to see why the casting directors picked Paulo to play the part of Emile in South Pacific, and more of a surprise that he accepted. Because common musicals are notoriously looked down on from the lofty heights of the opera world – something that didn’t faze Paulo in the slightest.

“I always loved musicals and as a child saw myself doing that or dancing more than being an opera star,” he admits. “But as the role is written for an opera singer, they wanted someone with an operatic voice.“ ”I really wanted to do something a bit different and this was the perfect opportunity and ironically, because this has given me a sudden spotlight, I’m really in demand as a result. But I had to stand against a few people,” he says diplomatically rephrasing the ‘career suicide’ so many predicted.

It clearly tickles Paulo that he’s created such a stir by taking on the part, and that he’s so good at it, clocking up a Tony in the process, because the phone hasn’t stopped ringing and it’s done his opera career the world of good.

Throwing back his head and laughing in glee, he’s certainly shaken up the business and brought the divides between popular culture and elitism much closer together.

In fact, riding on the waves of his musical success, his work diary has never been busier opera-wise, which is why he can only fit in Oxford’s South Pacific run from December 21-31 this year.

“Being an opera singer is hard to plan. It’s the nature of the job, you know?” he shrugs, ”but this will be one of the great memories of my life because it’s always fun. And this is one of the most rewarding things because I get to see people enjoy themselves. Opera is much more polite but here they are happy and sing and you see the kids’ reactions,” he smiles. “But what I love is that the show is different every night and depends on how you’re feeling because but it’s alive – I love working like that.”

And of course his pairing with the gorgeous Samantha must have helped? “It’s a combination of things – you must have a good relationship, find out where you want to go, what you want to do together and then it’s a meeting of minds, which plays on the connection and finds truth. You have to get to know each other and it takes a while,” Paulo says before adding: “But we are both quite instinctive performers and want to please, that’s the main thing.” One doubts he’ll fail there.

* South Pacific runs at the New Theatre from Tuesday until December 31. Call the box office on 0844 8713020.