Josh Boyd-Rochford (JBR) is a Musical Theatre Agent for Simon & How. He started his performing career aged 11 at English National Opera, where he remained for seven years, playing most of the principal boy roles in the operatic repertoire.
He studied Drama at Bristol and holds a PGCE in English, Media & Drama as well as a Masters in performance. As a performer he worked in all areas of the industry, but musical theatre has always been his primary passion.
After leaving acting, JBR worked in TV production and West End casting before joining the team at Simon & How working with a strong list of actors who work across the board, but with a particular interest and focus on musical theatre.
With thirty years in the industry already under his belt, JBR is excited to be passing on his expertise and passion to his clients at Simon & How.
A song from the first musical you saw/heard
Starlight Express from Starlight Express.
I saw it at the Apollo Victoria back in the 1980’s and it blew me away. I cried, and then cried all the way home to Kilburn on the number 38 bus.
I knew I’d found something, but at that age I didn’t know what.
A song from your latest musical obsession
I’m a little bit obsessed with Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at the moment. Charming is sexy and sassy, I love it.
A song demonstrating how underrated you think a musical is
I think Zanna Don’t gets overlooked a lot for being fluffily camp, but Do You Know What It’s Like is so beautiful, vocally, lyrically.
It’s a really gorgeous quartet that gives a moment of beauty and peace.
A song which can make you cry
50 Percent from Ballroom.
It’s about so much – starting again, settling, knowing yourself. I can’t listen to it without sobbing.
A song which makes you laugh
Baptize Me from Book of Mormon
The musical you’d kill to be in
Sunday in the Park With George
A song sung by your favourite female character in a musical
My Body Wasn’t Why from The Glorious Ones
A song sung by your favourite male character in a musical
Stars from Les Miserables
A song from the musical you know all – or nearly all – the lines to
There Are Worse Things I Could Do from Grease.
I worked at the Dominion in the 1990’s and had the pleasure of hearing Sally Ann Triplett and Linzi Hately sing it for years.
Your guilty pleasure musical
Bring It On.
I saw it on Broadway – it has so much energy and is just so uplifting. You have to love a show where the biggest audience cheer is reserved for the teenage drag queen character, La Cienega.
The musical which made the most impact on you
Merrily We Roll Along.
I discovered it when I was doing my GSCE’s – for a young, bullied teenager, Sondheim was my escape. I would plug in my Walkman (yeah, I’m THAT old!) and just sail away on his melodies and lyrics.
A song you could listen to all day.
Defying Gravity from Wicked. There comes a time with everyone when they just say ‘enough. I can only be me.
You might have to give up something, but being true to yourself, to your own ideals – that’s what makes you strong.
A song by your favourite musical composer
Has to be Children Will Listen from Into The Woods
The character you’d kill to play
George in Sunday in the Park
The character you’d kill to play – if you were the opposite sex
Sally Bowles
A song which inspires you
Move On from Sunday in the Park.
I quote that song A LOT – ‘I chose and my world was shaken, so what? The choice may have been mistaken, the choosing was not’ The only power we have is to be present in the moment. If we live in fear about our choices we’ll never move.
If you want to change something – you have to change something.
The musical you’ve seen over and over
Well, I worked at the Dominion so I’ve seen Grease, Beauty & the Beast, Scrooge quite a few times.
But other than that I’ve probably seen Wicked most.
The character in a musical you can most relate to
Emcee in Cabaret – there’s a darkness there.
I’ve played the role before and it intrigues me – there’s so much going on in that show. It’s extraordinary.
A song from your favourite musical
My favourite musical (at the moment!) is Once.
I saw it on Broadway and I’ve seen the London production several times. The lyrics to Falling Slowly are breathtaking.
Your favourite song NOT from a musical
I’ll never be able to get enough of Justin Bond singing In The End from Shortbus.
Big thanks to Josh for taking the Actor Hub Musical Theatre Challenge.
Connect with JBR on twitter at @JBoydRochford or/and @SimonHowMusical
If you want to take the Actor Hub Musical Theatre Challenge please get in touch
