The Jersey Boys work their way back New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

The hit musical has won 57 major awards, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and will be on from tomorrow until January 6.

Jersey Boys tells the true life story of four boys from the wrong side of the tracks who wrote their own songs, invented their own unique sound, and sold 100 million records worldwide as Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons..

Featuring hit after legendary hit including Beggin’, December 1963 (Oh What A Night), Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don’t Cry and many more, Jersey Boys is a story full of heart, humour and sheer musical razzmatazz.

The show features a starry cast of West End actors, including Simon Bailey who stars as Tommy DeVito.

Simon has carved out an impressive career after starring in Bat Boy, Marry Me A Little, I Can’t Sing! The X-Factor Musical, Phantom of the Opera, Parade, Passion, Les Miserables and Joseph.

He was present when Jersey Boys began its nine-year run in London and went to the first night. “I didn’t know about the music at first. But I went to the first night and within four minutes I knew I had to do it. I’ve bided my time until the part became available.

“To be honest with you, the show is so well written and so slick. The story is fast-paced and intelligently written. Essentially, you get the same story – the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – told by four different people. Seeing everyone’s individual take on what happened is great because everyone gets to tell their side of the story. The way that the music comes in is brilliant. It’s so fast-paced. You kind of forget you’re watching something. It’s seamless and faultless.”

Simon loves shows that give fans the maximum value for money.

“You are fully entertained for two-and-a-half hours. You just want to watch it again and again and again.

“I saw it 8 or 10 times and I became a fan of the show before I got to be in it.”

The present tour features Michael Watson as Frankie Valli, Simon as Tommy De Vito, Declan Egan as Bob Gaudio and Lewis Griffiths as Nick Massi. All four have previously performed their roles in Jersey Boys to great acclaim: Michael and Simon in the West End, Declan in the West End and Australia, and Lewis in the first UK and Ireland tour.

Simon was delighted to be cast as De Vito. “Tommy is great. The thing I loved about it is that you need to find something you can identify with. I always identified with his desire to succeed. While I may not agree with him methods – but they make him fun to play – I respect and admire his desire to succeed.

“If you are growing up where they grew up, you either went into the army and die, go into the mob and die or be a star and don’t die. Being in a band got him out of the wrong place. He did what he had to do. He discovered Frankie and it all came together. Tommy was the catalyst.”

Simon spends most of his time in London’s West End but was thrilled to be given a chance to get back on the road.

“This is my third tour. I did the Phantom of the Opera 25th anniversary back in 2012 and I did something at the start of my career. I’ve always enjoyed travel, internationally and nationally, so being on the road is great. Leaving London for a while is no bad thing, it refreshes you. I love the energy the audiences bring. We are in for a couple of weeks at a time and the audiences want to enjoy it.”

Simon says the days of getting great shows in the West End and second tier shows in the provinces are long gone. These days, there’s no difference in quality. Fans at Birmingham can look forward to a first class show.

“You get the great shows in the provinces these days. That dividing line between the West End and the rest of the UK is obsolete.

“I grew up going to the West End. I was very, very lucky. My parents were very much into the theatre. I was one of the lucky ones who went to see West End theatre from a very early age. One of the first things I ever saw was Joseph at the palladium with Jason Donovan. I will never forget the feeling of being in the theatre and it was so big and wonderful and magical.

“I was watching this whole brand new life and story on stage. It kind of blew my mind. I did a show at the Palladium a couple of years ago called I Can’t Sing. I remember walking out on stage and seeing the seat I was sat in all those years before. It made me feel like a very lucky human being.

“Now I have the ability to transport other people and that’s a real privilege.”