NATE LANDSKRONER TALKS ABOUT MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL

Interviewer: Pat Hayward 10th July 2026

Moulin Rouge! The Musical – the international sensation is coming to Southampton where it will open at Mayflower Theatre on 24^th September for a five week season. What I consider to be the most spectacular show of the current age – this is a musical that would not be out of place as THE Las Vegas show. This week I had the opportunity to chat with Nate Landskroner, one of the stars of the show and someone we have seen at Mayflower Theatre in several major musicals.

PH: Hi Nate, it’s great to have the chance to chat with you this afternoon about you and your role as Christian in Moulin Rouge! The Musical which is a key role . What can you tell me about Christian, and the type of person he is?

NL: Well, he’s a songwriter that comes to Europe from America in search of everything he longs for. Which is what the show is about – truth, beauty, freedom and love. That is the theme, but that’s what the characters strive for, and that’s what Christian hopes to find in Paris and through his journey he meets Toulouse Lautrec and Santiago, who take him on this whirlwind adventure to propose a show to the star of the Moulin Rouge, which is Satine. And, you know, just like the film, in this show, he falls head over heels in love with her and we realise that his whole reason for being alive is her. Christian is a hopeless romantic, very charismatic, very, very down to earth, very sweet. An absolute joy to play.

PH: Nate, what characteristics do you share with Christian? What traits have you got that are similar?

NL: Well, I hope all of them. I’m not going to sit and call myself terribly charming and charismatic. I’ll hopefully leave that for someone else to decide. But yes, I’m a big romantic really. You know, it’s just that he’s a really good guy. And I’d like to think that I love what I do for a living and so does Christian, I know he doesn’t so much do it for a living but because it’s his passion. But, you know, acting and performing is my passion. That’s why I’ve just stuck with it all along. And yes, there’s a lot of myself in Christian. I’d like to think I’m a little little less naive than Christian, but who knows?

PH: What attracted you to the role in the first place – because it’s very different from what you’ve done before?

NL: Yeah, absolutely. I’ve definitely played some gritty sort of bad guys before, which I’ve been very lucky to do. But with Christian, there’s just something about him, you know, I watched the show before I was even up for it. And I just remember thinking, wow, this is a part I could only sort of dream of playing. So when I got the call for the audition, I was like, right, I’m going to give this everything I’ve got. And first and foremost, the songs that he sings, you know, there’s so many to count. ‘Your Song’ by Elton John, ‘Roxanne’, which is ‘El Tango de Roxanne’, which is a fun adaptation of it. There’s a ‘Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley mixed with ‘Rolling in the Deep’ by Adele. There’s not a single song that you you won’t enjoy. And I was like, wow, I want to do that. But I love singing and it’s a proper show for singers and for dancers really. Because you wait till you see them, you wait till you see how high some of them kick. It is ridiculous. I don’t know how they do it. The athleticism of them all – it’s mental. So it is the part that definitely enticed me and I wanted to go for it. But it’s the whole show, if I’m honest, you know, there’s not a single song I don’t enjoy listening to. So even when I’m backstage sweating and changing quickly, in my exhaustion it’s lovely to get to hear so much amazing stuff happening while you’re not doing it. So it’s just fun. It’s just so much fun.

PH: I last saw you as Clyde Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde, which was very, very different. Out of all the parts you’ve played, and you’ve played a lot, what role do you think prepared you best to step up for the part of Christian?

NL: Oh, that’s a very interesting one. I’d have to say I covered the role of Doctor Pomiter in Waitress, who again, is very, very funny, but sort of awkward, unsure of himself, which is probably the most relatable to Christian that I’ve done. But saying that, it’s a completely new role really. So I’ve sort of taken parts from all of them, you know, because even Clyde has his charm. However, that’s charm with a charm with a gender rather than just a genuine sort of charm, isn’t it?

PH: So going back a few years, like many, how how old were you when you first set out on the journey that putyou on the course to be a performer?

NL: I was about 5, it was when I joined my local stage school and my older sister and my mum were a part of running everything behind the scenes. I did lots of years with them discovering the fun and the joy of it all, you know, and we did some really fun and wonderful shows. That was in Horsham at the Act 2 Arts Academy. I had a real fun time there when I was a kid. Made some great friends, which is what it’s all about really, especially when you’re younger. And then from there I did a couple of school plays and then I joined NYMT which is the National Youth Music Theatre. They provide amazing opportunities for young people to work with the sort of directors, musical directors and choreographers that I’m working with now. And I’ve done some wonderful shows with them.

PH: How did you get involved with them?

NL: When I ws 13 I saw online that they were hosting auditions. And I went right. Well, actually that was my mum. It was my mum. And when “right you go in for this? I went, right, let’s, let’s do it then”, it was one of those. And I’m so glad she did. I did a workshop within the first year and then the second year I did a wonderful show called ‘Brass’, which is sensational. And then my final year with them I played the lead in one of their shows, which was ‘Spring Awakening’, which still to this day probably is my favourite musical of all time. And from there, our wonderful director, Nikolai Foster, asked me a very simple question, which was, do you play guitar? And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah. Which was kind of a lie, kind of truth, kind of a lie. I had a guitar in my bedroom, you know, But you, you always say yes and then worry about that later. And then from there he asked me if I would play Doody in Grease for him at the Leicester Curve, which was, you know, incredible to me at 17, being asked that by a director as prestigious as Nikolai Foster. And I mean, of course I jumped on it. So I got myself ready at 17, never worked before, didn’t train and just went right, let’s give it a go then. Let’s give it the old college try, as they say. Moved away from home for the first time to Leicester, straight away to get some accommodation up there. And I had the most wonderful time. Did a few years doing some different shows. Nikolai very graciously offered me a few other shows and I feel like I sort of in a way got my training there just from learning on the job at the shows at Curve, you know. He’s absolutely fantastic. Very, very grateful to him and to and his theatre in general.

PH: It seems you’ve gone more or less straight into musical theatre. Is that because you see yourself as a theatrical actor or maybe as a singer or a dancer? What what do you think your major skills are that brings you into musical theatre?

NL: I’d love to tell you that I was a dancer, but it’s an absolute lie. So we’ll cross that one off. No, I can move with feeling. But I mean, I’m not going to lie to you I am no dancer. My biggest passion out of the three is probably singing, I used to do some gigs in pubs and clubs and stuff as I love performing. I love performing to an audience. I love playing a character and now as I’m getting older, I’m, lucky enough to, to play these parts and have the time to explore them. It is essential, especially with a role like Christian, which is so deep; where it is just lovely at the start and then gets so intense towards the end. And it’s like the roles get niccer as you get older, but it’s probably because you have experienced more in life. You know, you can train all you want, but life’s experiences I think are probably the best. And I’m saying this and I’ll probably look back in 30 or 40 years and go, oh, wow, what, what did I think I knew back then?

I have to say singing is my main passion. But it’s hard. Like I love moving my body. I love giving it a shot. And, you know, in this show there’s a big dance number and I get flung about in it and I was a little nervous going into it because you should see these dancers. They’re incredible. They’re athletic. It’s a little intimidating, when you go in and you know, you can’t kick your leg past, 20° off the ground, but I love going into it head first and just going for it I’ll give it all a try.

PH: As far as the tour is concerned, most productions that tour, you spend five or six nights in a city and move on to the next one. But Moulin Rouge the musical, you’re typically five weeks in most locations.

NL: It’s absolutely crazy. But I’ve never done a tour like this. Like you say, I’ve only ever done week to week tours. But this one is so lovely because usually when you go to these wonderful cities and towns, like I’ve done Southampton quite a few times, I never get to see them. You know, we’re incredibly busy while we’re there. But it feels like you sort of get there and if you’re lucky, you unpack your suitcase, you’ve got a tech, you’ve got to run. And by the end of it you’re packing up already to move on to the next place. So it’s really nice to spend some in each city. I’m particulalrly looking forward to the time in Southampton and to actually explore the City. But I’m from the South of England anyway, so I’m not terribly far away in the grand scheme of things. So it’s going to be nice having friends come to see the show. This is a show I’m incredibly proud of and proud to put my name on. And I’d love my friends to come and see the wonderful work we have put into this show. Yes, I’m just very excited to be down there, .

PH: And then you’re off to Singapore? Will that be your first visit overseas for you?

NL: I think we go to a couple other places first, but we will be off to Singapore. Yes, which is a very exciting and a complete change of pace. It’s not my first visit. I went to Singapore recently to watch the wonderful production of Les Mis out there. Oh, it was absolutely insane. It was incredible and Singapore is just one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. So since going there for a few days to watch the show, I have been desperate to go back to perform. It’ll be wonderful. I have performed in Dubai with Grease. I’ve performed in Monte Carlo with Legally Blonde a few years ago now, but this is going to be a wonderful time to sort of explore a little further and you know, go to some places I’ve never been. I’m very excited.

PH: Well, Nate, many thanks for your time today I’m looking forward to seeing you and Moulin Rouge! The Musical at Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. Have a great show tonight, meanwhile it’s a nice sunny day enjoy it while you can.