Interview with FED ZANNI of Jersey Boys

Interviewer: Pat Hayward 5th November 2026

Jersey Boys is currently on its 20th Anniversary tour and the show will call at Mayflower Theatre in Southampton from 23rd November. Fred Zanni one of the stars of the show sets aside time to chat with Overture’s Pat Hayward about his role and how his career has brought him to this production.

PH: Let’s start by talking a little about Jersey Boys. I’m particularly interested in your role. Could you tell me about it?

Fed: Absolutely. Gyp DeCarlo was a real person. At the time, he was pretty much the head of the New Jersey Mafia, so he was a dangerous and powerful figure. He was essentially Tommy’s boss. Tommy was involved with the Mafia too, and did some petty jobs for him.

But Gyp meets Frankie and pretty much falls in love with him. He adores him. I think he’s really taken by Frankie’s talent, so he decides to take him under his wing and protect him throughout his life.

On one occasion, two men stage a murder, and Frankie witnesses it. They then blackmail him. Tommy asks Gyp for help, and Gyp makes the men disappear so they won’t bother Frankie anymore. A few years later, they come back, but Gyp is always there, making sure nothing happens.

There’s a funny scene near the beginning of the show where Frankie sings “My Mother’s Eyes” for Gyp. Gyp has recently lost his mother, and the song moves him so much that he promises to protect Frankie and help him if he needs it.

In the second act, Tommy is in trouble because of his gambling addiction and debts, so Frankie asks Gyp for help—this time to save Tommy. Gyp makes sure a deal is reached with the people Tommy owes money to. That’s essentially Gyp’s role in the show.

PH: How do you feel about playing Gyp? What aspects of your own personality do you bring to the role, and how has the role affected you as a person?

Fed: I think one thing we might have in common is that Gyp is older than the other characters, and I’m the oldest in the cast. That’s definitely something we share, and I think it shows on stage.

I try to bring as much gravitas and stillness to the role as possible. He’s an older guy, and that should show in the way he moves. We work with Danny and Dez quite a lot on slowing down the movements. He’s a character who takes his time speaking and moving, and that helps ground the intense energy of The Four Seasons.

That stillness has affected me in real life, too. Maybe without even thinking about it, I now take a little more time before reacting. There’s a lot to deal with on tour. It’s been great so far, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances come up, and you have to handle them. The idea that, when I’m playing Gyp, I’m always in control helps me hold on to the feeling that I’m in control of myself, wherever I am—regardless of the city, the digs, or the different theatres and venues we play.

PH: What drew you to this production of Jersey Boys?

Fed: It was a great chance to work with the original team. Working with Danny Austin, even towards the end of the rehearsal period, was fantastic. I’d always thought Jersey Boys was mainly about The Four Seasons, as if you were almost at a concert. But when the auditions came around and I started learning more about the show, I fell in love with the book. I think it’s brilliant, strong and incredibly clever in the way it’s staged and choreographed. To me, it’s almost a play with music, and stories always come first for me. It’s a compelling story told in a compelling way. That’s probably what interested me.

PH: Before Jersey Boys, what other stage productions had you been in?

Fed: I’ve done a lot of fringe work, but I was also in Mamma Mia! The Party for quite a while. I was part of the original London cast in 2019, and then COVID hit, so we had to close. We reopened at the end of 2021, and I left after a year. Since then, I’ve gone back for a few short contracts, and it’s been brilliant. It’s a fantastic show. I love the company and the people. Many of the performers are still part of the original cast, so it feels almost like going home whenever I return.

Before that, I’d done quite a few new musicals and new writing. I was in Glory Ride in 2023. In 2024, I understudied Dominic West in A View From The Bridge, playing the lead role of Eddie Carbone, which was amazing. I also toured Europe with 12 Tenors.

Before I got this job, I worked on another new piece called Man 33, a musical about the Chilean mining disaster in 2010, when a mine collapsed and 33 miners were trapped inside. All of them survived. It wasn’t quite an R&D, because we had an audience, but it was the piece’s first outing—almost an exploration of the work, which I always love. It was tough and intense because we had nine days to rehearse a full two-hour show.

PH: That’s no time at all, is it?

Fed: It’s amazing how you can get together with the cast and team and pull it off. Of course, there’s a lot of room for improvement, but it was great fun. It’s always an incredible challenge, and it’s great practice as an actor to adapt and pull your weight in those situations.

PH: Fed, where did you grow up, and when did you first think about becoming a performer?

Fed: I was born in Modena, in northern Italy, and grew up there until I was 19. I probably didn’t want to be an actor until I was about 15. One of my high-school teachers randomly said I should be in a production. It was a language school, so we studied English, French, German and Latin. That year, the production was in English. I thought, “Fine, I’ll give it a go,” and I really enjoyed it.

I hadn’t realised until then that acting could be a job. Once I realised people did it for a living, I thought, “I want to do that.” I knew it was a very difficult and uncertain career, but that’s when I decided to move. My girlfriend at the time was Italian, but she was studying in England. She helped me with the application.

PH: How old were you then?

Fed: I was 19. I started thinking about it when I was 18. I applied to a UK drama school and was rejected. It was my very first audition, and the first time I’d travelled abroad on my own. I flew over here, and I had an amazing experience. The audition didn’t go very well, but simply being here and doing it was incredible. My next audition was with ArtsEd. It was the first—and, I think, only—time they came to Italy to hold auditions. They held them in Milan, so I didn’t have to travel to England. I just travelled up to Milan, maybe three hours from Modena. There were three of us, and two of us got in. I moved over in September 2000.

PH: Sounds as though you got into the best place you possibly could.

Fed: Yes, absolutely. I had a fantastic time. I did the acting course, not the musical-theatre course, but it was a dream. I was fortunate and privileged. My parents supported me, and I worked during the summers when I went back. I was able to do it thanks to them.

That’s also why I’ve tried to persevere with this career: to make sure that their investment meant something and led to something in return.

PH: With an eye on the clock, I’ll ask you one more question. You’re coming to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre towards the end of November. Looking at the work you’ve done in the past, this is probably your first major UK tour. How are you finding touring?

Fed: I really enjoy it. Being on the road is hard because my wife is at home, but I try to go back every week. So far, I think I’ve been back every Sunday except once or twice—maybe just once, between Bradford and Llandudno, because it would have been too long a journey.

We’re lucky now because there’s FaceTime, WhatsApp and so many other ways to keep in touch and see each other. That definitely helps. As I said before, sometimes you have to adapt to different situations, but I think I’m quite good at that. I’ve also been really fortunate with the digs and the people. I love having the chance to visit so much of the UK, especially because I was born and raised in Italy. I haven’t had much chance to explore the country, even though I’ve been here for a while. I’ve always been so focused on work and trying to make it in this tough industry.

It’s fantastic to be able to travel with a show and visit all these different places. I’m looking forward to coming to Southampton.

PH: I’m looking forward to seeing you in Southampton too. I’m coming on the 23rd, which I believe is opening night. Hopefully, unlike many productions, you won’t have the night off and your understudy will come on.

Fed: So far, that hasn’t happened, but if it does happen you’ll get a chance to see Scott Concalves and he’s really brilliant.

PH: So my disappointment will be short lived?

Fed: Exactly—fingers crossed. It would be lovely to meet you and say hello after the show should you have time.

PH: That would be great. Brilliant. Fed, thank you very much for your time today. I look forward to seeing you.

Fed: Fantastic. Have a lovely day, man. Thanks very much. Bye now. Take care.