Remember the songs you sang in assembly? Of course you do! It’s part of the reason James B Partridge’s Primary School Bangers became a viral sensation. What started as a sing-song with his own pupils in class has now led the primary teacher to touring a nationwide smash-hit show packed with nostalgia, comedy and full-audience singalongs. Stephen Dunstan (with a bit of help from his wife) chats to him ahead of his show at the Winter Gardens later this month.
James, is this your first time performing in Blackpool, and if it is, have you ever visited before?
I’ve been to Blackpool once before, also to the Winter Gardens. I was involved in a choir of young singers assembled by Gareth Malone and it was part of the tour. We travelled up by coach and I still remember my excitement at seeing the Tower. I can’t wait to come back.
As someone who has performed at the Royal Variety Performance are you looking forward to playing the Winter Gardens which has hosted that event several times?
Absolutely. Blackpool is an iconic town for cabaret, variety and comedy. Primary School Bangers has a lot of the things that Blackpool is renowned for – singalong audience participation, a rich tradition and even comedy as I work humour in between songs.
How do you feel about the massive public appreciation for Primary School Bangers?
It’s an amazing feeling for it to be appreciated as much as it has been. It felt niche when I started but clearly it resonates with a lot of people at a fairly deep level. It’s a bit surreal because it was originally devised as a one night event and now it’s an extensive national tour. It’s really heartening to see what it’s become.
Why do you think it’s been such a great success?
I think it’s partly about escapism in what have often been dark times recently. It’s an opportunity to connect with friends, and the wider community. Unless you actively seek out a choir there aren’t many opportunities to sing communally these days. Even at musicals where you might feel like singing along to the numbers this is often discouraged unless it’s a designated sing along event.
We also try and keep it tight and rolling smoothly through the evening, with hopefully the right balance of singing, comedy and nostalgia.
Do you think that in 10 or 20 years you’d be doing different songs, or do you think the canon of great school assembly songs is rather timeless?
I think a lot of the songs that I include will continue to be performed for many years to come. They are still being passed down from generation to generation. They are often very memorable, if you look at All Things Bright and Beautiful for example it’s a church hymn but it was written to be remembered and sung by children as well as adults.
You performed at Glastonbury this year and you’ve said you were nervous beforehand, how was the experience?
Well I was nervous for two reasons. I was ill the day before and concerned about getting through the performance, though on the day I was well enough to get through it. The other reason was that it was being filmed for television, and the person who had been responsible for introducing the Theatre Fields to Glastonbury was watching by the stage.
The number of people who came to the Theatre Fields specifically to see Primary School Bangers was so great that they had to stop admitting people to keep crowd numbers safe. That added to the pressure but when I got on stage muscle memory kicked in and I really enjoyed it. It also helped that the crowd were clearly having a great time.
My wife’s a big fan and she wanted me to ask how it felt to be mentioned on Coronation Street?
Well you know you’ve made it when you get mentioned on Coronation Street. I hadn’t been informed beforehand it was going to be included, so the first I knew of it was when a friend sent me a recording. I’m not specifically mentioned by name but it was a moment when it was clear that I’d ‘made it’. Primary School Bangers has also featured on other iconic TV programmes including Loose Women and it’s great to be part of the wider national conversation.
She’s also asked if you’ll be doing ‘She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain’ in your Blackpool setlist.
I can’t say too much about the setlist before the event. I’m happy to tell you though that it will feature as part of a mash-up with a number of other classics.
You did the big Christmas Assembly tour in November and December last year. Was it any different for you and the audience to the normal primary school bangers atmosphere?
It was a bit different but equally enjoyable. Anticipation of Christmas seems to get earlier every year, and we were touring the show from November but it still felt suitably festive. Christmas is a time of tradition, get together and carol singing so it works well. We had appropriate mood music on arrival and it was a distinctive but successful variation. We are doing it again this year starting a little closer to Christmas.
I saw on your website that you’ve sung on Go Compare adverts. Are you surprised at the longevity of Gio Compario as an opera singer selling insurance?
Yes I got involved as part of a scratch choir after I met Wynne Evans (AKA Gio Compario) who suggested it. I think the best advertising jingles are as catchy and memorable as great songs, so they get stuck in your head. I think it was a master stroke by someone in the advertising agency to sell car insurance with a comedy opera singer. Wynne didn’t want to do it at first, but he was won around and the rest is history.
Finally there’s a handful of tickets left for April 20th. How would you sell it to the uninitiated in one or two sentences?
It’s a night of sheer escapism with a lot of laughs. It’s a great opportunity for a singalong, and it doesn’t matter at all if you are not the best singer. Strap in and you’ll have lots of fun. Most songs will put a smile on your face, and if there’s one you don’t know, another you will remember will come up quickly after.
Primary School Bangers is at the Winter Gardens on 20th April. Tickets here.
