22 Facts About Dave Willetts

Dave Willetts was born on 24 June 1952 and is an English singer and actor known for having leading roles in West End musicals.

Dave Willetts played leading roles in the UK tours of The Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific, and Legally Blonde.

Dave Willetts first went to Cottesbrooke Infants primary school and later to Sheldon Heath Comprehensive.

Dave Willetts has completed a Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme programme.

Dave Willetts then moved to another Girlings plant in Pontypool, with his then girlfriend Lyn.

Dave Willetts auditioned for the New Venture Players next production, and finally landed a role.

Dave Willetts then worked as a quality manager for British Leyland, an engineering company producing components for the automotive industry in the Midlands.

Dave Willetts then played 'Charlie Gordon' in amateur production of Charles Strouse musical, Flowers for Algernon, at the Priory Theatre in Kenilworth.

Dave Willetts then came to the attention of Bob Hamlyn, artistic director of the Belgrade Theatre, in Coventry who cast him as "third flunky from the left" in another show by Strouse, Annie.

In 1987, when Michael Crawford departed the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera for its Broadway premiere Dave Willetts succeeded him in the title role at Her Majesty's Theatre in the West End.

Dave Willetts subsequently played the role of The Phantom in Manchester, on the UK tour to critical acclaim, winning an Evening News Theatre Award.

Since then, Dave Willetts has appeared in a concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar, taken the lead role in Leicester Haymarket's acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 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 Miserables in Sydney, Australia.

Dave Willetts took the role of Heathcliff in the studio recording of Bernard J Taylor musical version of Wuthering Heights.

Dave Willetts has played the starring role of 'Adam Pontipee' in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in the West End.

Dave Willetts then played the role of 'Emile de Becque' in a UK touring production of Rogers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, which toured the UK until July 2008.

In 2007, Dave Willetts played the role of 'Julian Marsh' in a UK Tour of 42nd Street.

Dave Willetts returned to the role in 2012, when the show again toured the UK.

Dave Willetts played Max in a scaled-down production of Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre, 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 2023, Dave Willetts played the role of Sir George Dillingham in a West End revival of Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre.

Dave Willetts has recorded several albums, mostly collections of songs from musicals.

Dave Willetts has performed on albums alongside Lesley Garrett, Clive Rowe and Claire Moore amongst others.

Dave Willetts has a wife Lyn a former nursery nurse and teacher.