EastEnders star John Partridge talks ahead of appearance in La Cage aux Folles at the Wolverhampton Grand

Eastenders star John Partridge had a great time when he visited Birmingham recently, as the show featured in the city’s Gay Village. Because the lavish new production about a drag artiste in a vibrant St Tropez nightclub is a tale of inclusivity.

John says: “The message is that you can be whoever you want to be, no matter what race, religion or sexuality you are. We all have to learn to accept, celebrate, acknowledge and respect each other’s differences. We need to realise that we’re all individuals living together, so we have to get along.”

Bill Kenwright’s La Cage aux Folles is a glitzy, high-kicking, feather-trimmed joy starring John and Adrian Zmed. It will feature at Wolverhampton’s Grand until July 1.

George and the dazzling drag artiste Albin, otherwise known as Za Za and the star of La Cage aux Folles, live an idyllic existence in the heart of St Tropez. But behind the curtains of this sparkling extravaganza, all may be about to change.

Georges’ son Jean-Michel announces his engagement to the daughter of a notorious right-wing politician determined to close down the local colourful night-life. Drama and hilarity ensue when a meeting of the parents forces them to cover up their vibrant lifestyle. Will Albin be able to play the role of his life to ensure that Jean-Michel can marry his love?

The production stars West End hero John John, whose extensive theatre credits include the West End productions of A Chorus Line at the London Palladium, Cats, Starlight Express and Chicago. He also played the loveable Christian in BBC’s EastEnders.

Alongside him is Broadway star Adrian Zmed, whose credits include Blood Brothers, Grease and Falsettos. On television he played Officer Vince Romano alongside William Shatner in the long running hit series T.J. Hooker and big screen credits include Johnny in Grease 2.

Joining them is West End icon, Marti Webb. She received huge critical acclaim for Tell Me on a Sunday, a show specifically written for her by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black.

John has spent a lifetime preparing for such roles, having left school for Cats as a teenager. “Leaving school for Cats when I was 16 really wasn’t a big decision. I’d trained for it all my life. I’d been away at boarding school, the Royal Ballet School, since I was nine years old, and by 16 I was ready to go.

“During that first year of touring, my father passed away. I had to deal with a lot personally and I also grew up a lot. Thinking back on it now, it was quite extraordinary, but at the time, when you’re 16, you don’t give it much attention. It doesn’t seem unusual or dangerous or out of the ordinary.”

That production remains dear to John and he has the fondest memories of it: “Cats is dear to me because it’s the only time my father has seen me perform. The show will always have a special place in my heart for that reason, but it was also a place I spent a lot of my youth. Things got very comfortable and very familiar. It never felt like going to work, it felt like going home.”

And yet despite getting such a good start to his career, John had to work hard to make a go of things. While he landed on his feet in Cats, he had to repeat the feat again and again and again, until he was established.

“It’s easy to get your first job, but it’s really about getting your fifth and your sixth and so on. It’s about keeping it going. Being able to take the rejections, the criticisms, the good reviews, the bad reviews... that’s what gets difficult. In many ways, one of the things I’m most proud of is that I’ve stuck it out and endured it.”

La Cage aux Folles is a joyous production. The original 1983 Broadway production received nine nominations for Tony Awards and won six, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. The success of the musical spawned a West End production and several international runs. The 2004 Broadway revival won the Tony Award for Best Revival, and the 2008 London revival garnered the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. The 2010 Broadway revival was nominated for eleven Tony Awards, winning the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

It has toured around the world, with productions in Australia, Germany, Colombia, Mexico, Estonia, Spain, Portugal, Holland, Korea, Denmark, Panama, Puerto Rica, Swede and the Philippines.

John is happy simply to be a part of it: “Thinking about La Cage aux Folles makes me quite emotional. We’ve had a standing ovation every night. I’ve just come off a sell-out tour of Chicago and we very rarely had a standing ovation. This is the kind of show that compels people to get on their feet.”