Jason Donovan announces new tour including Derbyshire date

The Australian star, who shot to fame in Neighbours before launching a music career, is taking to the road later in the year for an autobiographical show ‘Jason and his Amazing Midlife Crisis’.

The ‘in conversation' style show will be filled with stories, laughter and music spanning Jason’s career.

Tickets for the tour, which includes a date at Buxton Opera House on November 6, will go on sale on Friday March 24 at 10am via www.jasondonovan.com.

Jason said: “In the past I’ve either been too young, too busy or too dazed and confused to be able to make sense my life. But now, on the eve of my fiftieth birthday - and older and wiser, if a little more weathered - I believe that I am finally in a position to put my life into perspective. I’m in a great place, surrounded by good people and don’t feel like I need to prove myself any more”.

The 80s heartthrob, famous for dating Kylie Minogue, scored 16 hit singles and sold over 30 million records as well as appearing in a series of hit West End musicals including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. But at the time, it didn't make him happy…

Pigeon-holed and marginalised as a teen heart throb and family entertainer, Donovan’s desire to shake-off his heart throb image and be cool and credible resulted in him famously collapsing during a cocaine fuelled binge at Johnny Depp and Kate Moss's party and passing out on top of Jack Nicholson.

Meeting his wife and the subsequent birth of his children forced Donovan to re-evaluate his life. He reinvigorated his career on reality TV programmes I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! and Strictly Come Dancing.

Eventually Jason re-found his love of performing with leading roles in Sweeney Todd, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Rocky Horror Show and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds, The Sound of Music, and Annie Get Your Gun. He also toured the UK in the highly acclaimed play The King’s Speech.

Now aged 49 ½ and with a wealth of tantalising tales under his belt, Donovan’s autobiographical show takes the singer's looming 50th birthday as its starting point and zigzags back and forth through a life in which becoming a heart-throb at 18 and falling from grace at 27 plays only a tiny part.

Jason added: “My dad always said to me, the secret to a long and happy life is not to take it all too seriously. I’ve been on the edge, pushed my life to the extreme and come back from it which has actually made me strongerand made me realise what I DON’T want to do with my life. I think perhaps the key to a good life is keeping a balance both physically and mentally and the realisation that success is not the key to happiness, happiness is the key to success.”

Tour dates

October

07 / 10 - Newark Palace Theatre

08 / 10 - Birmingham Town Hall

09 / 10 - Bury St Edmunds The Apex

11 / 10 - Stockport The Plaza

12 / 10 - Durham Gala Theatre

17 / 10 - Horsham The Capitol

18 / 10 - Shanklin Shanklin Theatre

19 / 10 - Harpenden Public Halls

20 / 10 - Redhill Harlequin Theatre

21 / 10 - East Grinstead Chequer Mead Theatre

23 / 10 - Harlow Playhouse

24 / 10 - Lancaster Grand Theatre

25 / 10 - New Brighton Floral Pavilion

26 / 10 - Wakefield Theatre Royal

27 / 10 - Winchester Theatre Royal

30 / 10 - Telford Oakengates Theatre

31 / 10 - Swindon Wyvern Theatre

November

01 / 11 - Milton Keynes The Stables

02 / 11 - Harrogate Harrogate Theatre

03 / 11 - Kings Lynn Corn Exchange

06 / 11 - Buxton Opera House

07 / 11 - Wimborne Tivoli Theatre

08 / 11 - Weston Super Mare The Playhouse

09 / 11 - Porthcawl Grand Pavilion

14 / 11 - Gateshead The Sage

15 / 11 - Livingston Howden Park Centre

16 / 11 - Stirling The Albert Hall

20 / 11 - Epsom The Playhouse

23 / 11 - Margate -Theatre Royal

27 / 11 - Exeter Corn Exchange

28 / 11 - Taunton Brewhouse Theatre

29 / 11 - Camberley Camberley Theatre

December

01 / 12 - Lowestoft Marina Theatre