The bright lights of the West End are calling for a University of Chichester graduate after he landed his first West End role in the smash hit musical Hamilton, a success he described as “a dream come true.”
John Browning studied Music and Musical Theatre at the university from 2014-2017, a time he says had a great influence on him: “The three years I spent at Chichester was really important for me, I gained knowledge of the industry itself, vocal health and techniques and a strong education in dancing. I also did a Swing project and audition preparation. All of this training still influences me today.”
John has enjoyed a successful career since graduating with contracts on a number of cruise lines including Silversea, MSC and Royal Caribbean Cruises and most recently a contract on Miss Saigon in Gothenburg, Sweden.
He is now in rehearsals to make his West End debut in the multi-award-winning musical Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London. Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now – a revolutionary tale of passion, unstoppable ambition and the dawn of a new nation. It has won numerous Tony, Olivier and Grammy awards since its Broadway debut in 2016.
John described the gruelling audition process he had to go through before successfully landing the role as a standby covering the lead roles of King George III, George Washington, Aaron Burr, Hercules Mulligan and James Madison. It included physical audition rounds plus a movement round. John said: “Each round becomes harder as they try to fine tune what they are looking for, slowly decreasing the amount of actors auditioning for the role.”
Asked how he feels about landing the role, John added: “It is an absolute dream come true. My dream musical and West End Debut all in one go.”
With this year’s group of musical theatre students set to graduate this summer, John had some advice to share with them. He said: “It’s smart to have a thick skin, the auditions will be half based on what you look like before they hear you. It’s not a judgment on how you look, it’s just if you fit the idea of the whole cast.
“It’s going to be tough going from gig to gig so be prepared for moments where you have no job, look to improve your skills and refine your talents. And never shy away from a cruise ship contract, they are a great way to perform, see the world and get paid at the same time!”
Andrew Wright, Programme Leader for Musical Theatre Performance said: “Huge congratulations to John for landing a starring role in the West End. It’s a testament to the quality of training we offer here at University of Chichester and we can’t wait to see him in action.”