Jason Donovan has even more good reason to come to Edinburgh

Jason Donovan is looking forward to finally getting back to the Capital.
Jason Donovan in EdinburghJason Donovan in Edinburgh
Jason Donovan in Edinburgh

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The original idea was to mark the 30th anniversary of his debut album Ten Good Reasons, with a mammoth 52-date tour, stopping off at the Usher Hall in September, last year. Of course, that never happened, Covid forcing the tour to be pushed back.

The Neighbours' star and 80s heart-throb is now due back in the city this November (Sunday 14, 8pm, at the Usher Hall, to be precise) touring a show with a title that, after a more than a year in lockdown, in now more apt than anyone could have imagined, Even More Good Reasons.

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Returning to the world of pop after years touring the country in stage productions such as The Rocky Horror Show, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, War of the Worlds, The King's Speech, Million Dollar Quartet as well as making a triumphant return to Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in London, Jason reckoned the time was right to get back to basics and revisit his classic back catalogue.

That return may have been delayed but when we caught up earlier this week, he has no doubt that signs the enforced hiatus may finally be coming to an end is yet another good reason to get back to doing what he loves and what audiences have been craving for the past 18 months.

When I caught up him earlier this week, talk quickly turned to his forthcoming visit to Edinburgh, a city he says he knows backwards, even more so since his son came here to study.

“I'm very excited about this show, because it has even more meaning now because of what we've been through,” he agrees.

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"There are a lot of shows in this tour and that can be quite difficult because for me because I am it. I'm not in a band, I can't share the responsibility. When you’re in a big show you are part of a team, your name is under the banner of Joseph or whatever. When your name is above the title, there is no stand in. Sometimes I feel the weight of that responsibility but this year I can't wait to get back to Edinburgh.”

Fans of the pop star will know exactly what to expect, sing-a-long hits like When You Come Back to Me and Everyday (I Love You More).

“My shows are all about nostalgia,” he says, “ and I plan to revisit all the songs that people want to hear. Now is not the time to reinvent the wheel, now is the time to give audiences what they want because we haven’t had the chance to celebrate for more than a year and that’s what were going to do.”

One person who won’t be at the Usher Hall on November 14, however, is his son.

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He reveals, “My kids came and saw one of my shows a few years back and brought a bunch of the their friends. They were about 10 rows deep into the stalls and all I could see was them laughing... the whole way through,” he laughs himself, adding, “I’m sure deep down they think dad is... I don’t know if cool is the word, I may have gone beyond being a cool dad.”

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