He\u2019s the Aussie hearthrob who\u2019s ageing like fine wine… from a starring role in sunny soaps to a pop career and a list of theatrical performances in some of the world\u2019s most popular musicals, Jason Donovan is doin\u2019 fine, as you can see for yourself this month<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jason Donovan is a performer whose career has unfolded in chapters, each one distinct yet clearly connected. For many, his name still evokes the pop anthems and television moments that defined a generation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For others, it brings to mind a long and respected career in musical theatre, built on discipline, adaptability and a genuine love of live performance. As he returns to the stage with the Doin\u2019 Fine Encore tour, Jason is reflective, grounded and very much focused on the present rather than the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now permanently based in Britain, Jason has lived here for more than three decades. \u201cI\u2019ve been based in Britain for many, many years now,\u201d he says. \u201cProbably since around 1990 or 1991. It was mostly work-orientated. I had a wonderful, burgeoning career that was really enticing me to this part of the world.\u201d With an English father and deep professional roots in the UK, the move felt natural. \u201cIt\u2019s been a good country to me. The people have been good. My children are educated here, my wife\u2019s from the UK, so it\u2019s home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in Melbourne in 1968 into a family already immersed in performance, Jason\u2019s path into entertainment began early. He was acting professionally by the age of nine, learning his craft long before fame arrived. That grounding would later prove invaluable when his career accelerated at extraordinary speed following his casting as Scott Robinson in Neighbours. The show\u2019s arrival on British television turned Jason into an international star almost overnight, with his on-screen partnership with Kylie Minogue becoming one of the most iconic storylines in soap history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Music followed swiftly. Signed by Stock Aitken Waterman, Jason\u2019s debut album Ten Good Reasons became the biggest-selling album in the UK in 1989, producing a string of hit singles and cementing his place in pop history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet he has always been candid about that period. \u201cI didn\u2019t get into this business to be famous,\u201d he says. \u201cFame was a by-product of what I did.\u201d It was an intense time, but also one of immense opportunity, leading directly to his first live tour in 1990, the moment that inspired the title of his current show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDoin\u2019 Fine was the title of my first ever live tour,\u201d he explains. \u201cAt that time I went from being in a TV show to having hits all around the world, and suddenly I was touring big venues. Doin\u2019 Fine felt positive then, and it still does now.\u201d The Doin\u2019 Fine Encore tour marks 35 years since that transition. \u201cThis tour is really about celebrating 35 years of live work,\u201d he says, a milestone that reflects both longevity and evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As musical trends shifted in the early 1990s, Jason made a decisive move away from pop stardom and back towards acting and theatre. His casting in the title role of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium became a turning point. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The production ran for 18 months, earned him an Olivier Award nomination and redefined his public image. Theatre, rather than chart success, became the foundation of his working life. Over the years, Jason has built an impressive stage career, appearing in productions including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Annie Get Your Gun, The Sound of Music, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Chicago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More recently, his portrayal of Dr Frank\u2018n\u2019Furter in The Rocky Horror Show has allowed him to surprise audiences once again. \u201cFrank is the complete antithesis of what people think I am,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s acting. I get to reinvent myself, and sometimes people say they didn\u2019t even realise it was me on stage.\u201d The role, he admits, holds a special appeal. \u201cI get to be a rock star every night. It\u2019s a wonderful role to play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite his success across multiple disciplines, Jason remains refreshingly pragmatic about work. \u201cI\u2019ve kept busy,\u201d he says. \u201cI think I\u2019ve got a good work ethic, and I genuinely like what I do.\u201d That sense of enjoyment is crucial. \u201cIt\u2019s a wonderful thing in life to build on something you enjoy and to keep being challenged.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now approaching his late fifties, he shows no desire to slow down completely. \u201cYou might think I\u2019d be taking things a little slower,\u201d he says, \u201cbut it\u2019s all about work-life balance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Family life is central to that balance. Jason speaks with pride about his children and their emerging careers, but is careful not to impose expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe educate our kids to make their own choices,\u201d he says. \u201cAs long as they\u2019re passionate, that\u2019s the most important thing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
His own experience has shaped that philosophy. \u201cIt\u2019s a competitive, up-and-down industry, but if you keep your eye on the craft and you care about what you\u2019re doing, then why not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Doin\u2019 Fine Encore tour reflects that same ethos. The show is music-driven rather than conversational, designed to flow naturally rather than follow a strict chronology. \u201cIt\u2019s a biographical celebration of 35 years of live work,\u201d Jason explains. \u201cIt just evolves. We work out what songs segue the best, and I might punctuate moments with the odd story or anecdote, but it\u2019s always about the music.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Audiences can expect a blend of chart hits and musical theatre favourites, from Too Many Broken Hearts and Especially For You to songs from Joseph and Rocky Horror. While nostalgia plays its part, Jason is keen not to dwell solely on the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI respect the foundations,\u201d he says. \u201cNeighbours, Joseph, those things are important. But I like to look forward.\u201d Life, he insists, is not just about work. \u201cI\u2019ve got a family. I enjoy mowing my lawn, painting my house, doing normal things. That matters to me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jason is realistic about his audience, acknowledging that many fans have followed him for decades. \u201cMost of my core audience is probably 40-plus,\u201d he says. \u201cBut I don\u2019t really concentrate on that. I just get out there and do it.\u201d What matters most is authenticity. \u201cI enjoy the process, and hopefully people see that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Live performance, he admits, remains demanding. \u201cIt\u2019s exhausting,\u201d he says. \u201cI still get anxious, which probably means I still care.\u201d Singing, travelling and being away from home takes its toll, but the rewards are undeniable. \u201cMost artists have to get on the road and sell what they do. That\u2019s what I\u2019ve been doing for a long time now. I love it, but I also love being at home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the Doin\u2019 Fine Encore tour reaches venues across the UK, including dates close to home for readers in Lincolnshire, Rutland and Stamford, it offers a chance to see a performer who has navigated fame with honesty and resilience. Jason Donovan\u2019s career is not defined by a single role or era, but by a willingness to adapt and keep moving forward. \u201cI still believe there\u2019s creative fuel left in the tank,\u201d he says. For audiences, that confidence is unmistakable, and it is exactly what makes this latest chapter such a compelling one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jason will appear in our area as part of his Doin\u2019 Fine Encore tour:<\/em><\/strong> He\u2019s the Aussie hearthrob who\u2019s ageing like fine wine… from a starring role in sunny soaps to a pop career…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[657,658,659,660,661],"class_list":["post-3475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-donovan","tag-jason","tag-kylie","tag-musicals","tag-neighbours"],"acf":false,"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3475"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3477,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3475\/revisions\/3477"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pridemagazines.co.uk\/lincolnshire\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Friday 13th March, New Theatre, Peterborough<\/em><\/strong>
Saturday 14th March, Embassy Centre, Skegness<\/em><\/strong>
Sunday 15th March, Theatre Royal, Nottingham<\/em><\/strong>
Wednesday 18th March, De Montfort Hall, Leicester<\/em><\/strong>
For ticket availability and prices, VIP \u2018meet \u2018n\u2019 greet\u2019 opportunities and other details, see www.jasondonovan.com.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"