Mat Fraser, actor, and writer of Thalidomide!! A Musical

Mat Fraser
Mat Fraser says his new musical makes Jerry Springer look tame

Why did you write this musical?

Whenever I'd talked about the idea in the pub, people would laugh into their pint, so I knew I was on to something. I wanted to write songs and I wanted to address serious issues about disability in a refreshingly non politically correct way. People deal with adversity through comedy, so it's the best way to get across a message.

Didn't a councillor in Wolverhampton call it "sick" and "exploitative"?

Yes. I'd like to thank him for doubling our bookings. That must have really annoyed him. It is sick and offensive, but very funny. Apart from one disabled person in the audience who'd been bullied at school, it has been very well received on its national tour. A good third of the tour was sold out.

How autobiographical is it?

I was called Flid at school and I had a schoolgirl sweetheart, but I didn't burst into song.

Have there been comparisons with Jerry Springer - The Opera?

Yes. It makes Jerry Springer look tame.

Are you hoping for a West End transfer?

Where would I get 25 short-armed dancers for the chorus? There are only 400 people with Thalidomide, and I'm the only actor, so that's an awful lot of people with their hands stuffed in their sleeves. But I am going to try to do a radio adaptation. Although there are a lot of visual gags about length of arms, I think it would work well.

Are you labelled a "disabled" actor'?

Yes. It's what I am, but I'd like to play a variety of roles; the father; the neighbour; the lawyer. Not to always have disability dictate the part.

What is your dream part?

Nathan Detroit in Guys & Dolls.

What's your next project?

A kung fu film, and I'm writing a play about a bunch of losers at an Elvis convention.

Nominate a president for Britain?

Zac Goldsmith [editor of the Ecologist].

What book are you reading?

A Midsummer Night's Dream, because I may be playing Puck.

· Thalidomide!! A Musical is at BAC, London, SW11 from January 31 until February 13. Tickets available on 020 7223 2223.