As West End audiences continue to flock to his performances, Richard Fleeshman has quietly cemented his status as one of London theater’s most versatile leading men. From early television fame to acclaimed turns in musicals and plays on both sides of the Atlantic, his trajectory charts a rare blend of commercial appeal and critical respect. In this exclusive Q&A, Fleeshman reflects on the disciplines that shaped his craft, the challenges of sustaining a career on stage, and the responsibilities that come with holding the spotlight. These five questions offer a candid glimpse behind the curtain at an artist navigating the shifting landscape of contemporary London theatre.
Exploring Richard Fleeshman career trajectory from television to the West End
Long before he was belting out showstoppers under West End lights, Richard Fleeshman was a familiar face on British television, building a reputation for emotional nuance in front of the camera.That early TV visibility did more than provide a fan base; it sharpened his instincts for character, timing and subtle storytelling.Casting directors soon recognised that his on-screen sensitivity could translate to the stage, and his move into musical theatre felt less like a gamble and more like an evolution. The shift demanded new disciplines – vocal stamina, live performance pressure, the nightly reset of a role – but also offered the one thing television couldn’t: the electric give-and-take between performer and a living, breathing audience.
As his theatre credits grew, so did the complexity of the roles he chose, each project pushing him further from the “TV star turned singer” label into the territory of serious stage actor. Directors increasingly tapped him for parts that required both musical agility and dramatic weight,trusting his ability to carry a narrative without the safety net of an edit suite. Along the way, certain milestones have quietly defined his path:
- Television roots that grounded his screen technique and public profile
- Breakthrough musical roles showcasing vocal power and emotional detail
- Collaborations with leading creatives that refined his craft
- Risk-taking choices in genre and material, from contemporary scores to classic revivals
| Stage | Focus |
|---|---|
| Early TV career | Character building & visibility |
| First major musical | Live vocals & stage presence |
| West End recognition | Lead roles & critical notice |
| Current projects | Balancing screen and stage |
Inside the rehearsal room Richard Fleeshman approach to preparing for demanding roles
Fleeshman treats rehearsals like a laboratory, not a classroom. Before day one, he breaks the script down into what he calls “pressure-points” – the moments where emotion, stamina and technique collide – and builds his schedule around those. He arrives with a notebook already filled: questions for the director, potential backstory beats, and physical choices to test. Once in the room, he favours a relentless cycle of experiment → adjust → repeat, using early runs to deliberately “fail fast” so he can discover what the role truly demands rather than playing it safe. Silence between scenes is rare; he’s usually in a corner running lines at different tempos, testing how breath control and pace will hold up across a full performance week.
His method is anchored by a few non‑negotiable habits designed to keep body and voice aligned with character:
- Vocal conditioning: daily warm‑ups structured around the script’s toughest passages.
- Physical mapping: blocking his character’s “energy pattern” across the stage to avoid burnout.
- Emotional cooldowns: short decompression rituals after intense scenes to prevent carry-over.
- Technical drills: repeating tricky transitions until they’re muscle memory, not guesswork.
| Rehearsal Focus | Fleeshman’s Tactic |
|---|---|
| Big emotional scenes | Rehearses at 70% intensity to protect voice but refine detail |
| High‑energy numbers | Runs them back‑to‑back to simulate two‑show days |
| Line precision | Records scenes, then drills against his own playback |
Balancing vocal performance and acting craft in musical theatre
Fleeshman explains that the greatest misconception about musicals is that the song is a break from the scene. For him, the vocal line is simply dialogue on a different frequency, and the emotional engine has to keep running even when the melody soars. He talks about entering every number through the character’s need rather than the note on the page, shaping breath around intention rather than technique alone. In rehearsal, he’ll deliberately “under-sing” to stress-test the storytelling, then layer in vocal color once he’s sure the emotional spine is solid. It’s a constant calibration: finding the sweet spot where a perfectly placed belt doesn’t upstage a broken heart.
To keep that equilibrium in performance, he leans on a few non‑negotiable habits, especially on vocally demanding runs where fatigue can flatten nuance. Directors, he says, are increasingly building space into the process for actors to protect both their voices and their dramatic choices, recognising that one cannot thrive without the other.
- Warm-ups as character work – vocal scales done on actual lines from the show.
- Dynamic markings as acting notes – crescendos tied to shifts in status or power.
- Scheduled “marking” days – lighter singing in rehearsal to preserve both stamina and subtlety.
- Post‑show debriefs – quick notes on where emotion or tone slipped out of balance.
| Focus | Vocal Priority | Acting Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Big finale | Support, safe power | Clear objective |
| Intimate ballad | Gentle placement | Micro-expression |
| Ensemble number | Blend and timing | Shared storytelling |
Advice from Richard Fleeshman for aspiring performers navigating the London stage
Fleeshman stresses that London rewards resilience more than raw talent. He encourages young performers to treat auditions like rehearsals, not verdicts, and to arrive with a clear point of view rather than a “perfect” version of the scene. He advises carving out small,daily rituals that keep you grounded-vocal warm-ups on the Tube,a ten‑minute script read before bed,or journaling after tough castings. Just as vital, he says, is building a community: the people you meet in fringe venues, cramped rehearsal rooms and understudy calls often become your future collaborators, directors or producers.
- Train like an athlete – protect your voice, body and mindset.
- Say yes to the small rooms – pub theatre today can mean the West End tomorrow.
- Learn the whole show – not just your lines; understand the story’s architecture.
- Know your lane, then stretch it – master what you’re good at, but keep surprising people.
| Stage Reality | Fleeshman’s Advice |
|---|---|
| Long gaps between jobs | Create your own work: readings, concerts, short films. |
| Constant comparison | Measure progress against your last performance, not others. |
| High stakes auditions | Treat each one as a chance to collaborate for 10 minutes. |
in summary
As Fleeshman heads back into rehearsals, what emerges most clearly is an artist still hungry to stretch himself, whether through a new score, a different genre, or an unfamiliar character. His reflections offer a snapshot not just of one performer’s journey, but of a theatre landscape that continues to evolve while holding tight to the values of craft, collaboration and live connection.
In a West End increasingly shaped by celebrity casting and high-tech spectacle, Fleeshman’s grounded perspective is a reminder that, at its core, London theatre remains what it has always been: a space where stories are built one choice, one risk and one performance at a time.
