2020 HIGHLIGHTS
JOHN ENDED THE YEAR WITH A festive CAROL CONCERT AT WESTMINSTER ABBEY
JOHN PERFORMED WITH OPERA LEGEND LESLEY GARRET CBE IN A SPECIALLY FILMED CAROL CONCERT THAT WAS BROADCAST TO CARE HOMES AROUND THE COUNTRY
ALONGSIDE SOME BRILLIANT SINGERS AND MUSICIANS WITH MUSICAL DIRECTION BY STUART BARR, JOHN AND LESLIE PERFORMED A SOCIALLY DISTANCED CONCERT IN THE CLOISTERS OF WESTMINSTER ABBEY THAT FEATURED MUCH LOVED FESTIVE CLASSICS.
RECORDED ESPECIALLY FOR CARE HOME RESIDENTS TO ENJOY OVER THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD, THE CONCERT WAS DEVISED BY OUT TO PERFORM, A COMPANY PUT TOGETHER TO CREATE SAFE OUTDOOR PERFORMANCES FOR BRITISH COMMUNITIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND BEYOND
YOU CAN WATCH THE ENTIRE CONCERT
HERE
JOHN RETURNed TO LES MIZ AGAIN IN DECEMBER
John once again joined the cast of “Les Miserables in Concert” when it returned to the West End
AFTER AN ENORMOUSLY SUCCESSFUL RUN AT THE GIELGUD THEATRE IN 2019, LES MISERABLES IN CONCERT WILL RETURN TO SHAFTESBURY AVENUE ONCE MORE - BUT FOR A LIMITED RUN AT THE SONDHEIM THEATRE FROM DECEMBER 5 2020-28 FEBRUARY 2021. JOHN’S FINAL PERFORMANCE IN THIS RUN Was scheduled BE ON SATURDAY 6 FEBRUARY 2021
The show’s return was announced during the Britain’s Got Talent Final (see below) and tickets for the entire run sold out on the day of release. The audience was, of course, socially distanced and John performed on Tuesday evenings, Saturday matinees and was joined by a cast once again featuring Alfie Boe, Matt Lucas, Michael Ball and others.
DUE TO CHANGING GOVeRNMENT REGULATIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC, THE RUN WAS CUT SHORT AND JOHN ONLY PERFORMED TWICE AS Jean Valjean DURING THE SHOW’S ALL TOO BRIEF RETURN
john appeared on the 2020 final of Britain’s Got Talent
John joined the combined companies of “Les Misérables – The Staged Concert”, “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Mary Poppins” in a specially created performance segment for the itv talent competition’s final
After seven months of total shutdown, 60 West End performers came together for the hugely popular talent show to conjure up the dazzling lights of the West End including, not just John, but Michael Ball, Matt Lucas, Carrie Hope Fletcher, Shan Ako, Killian Donnelly, Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp - in a show that was seen by an estimated global audience of 500 million people!
John said: “I was delighted to be asked to be a part of this event as it was my mother’s favourite show. She would have been delighted to have seen her son on the BGT final - and I was delighted too, as I reached the final without having to appear on any of the earlier rounds!!”
JOHN APPEARED ON BBC TV’s SONGS OF PRAISE
In NOvember, John was a special guest on popular long running religious programme Songs of Praise on BBC1
HIS PERFORMANCE OF BRING HIM HOME WAS FILMED IN BRECON CATHEDRAL AND WAS TRANSMITTED AS PART OF A SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY EDITION OF THE SHOW ON NOVEMBER 8TH
JOHN ALSO RECORDED TWO OTHER RELIGIOUS SONGS WHICH WILL BE TRANSMITTED ON SONGS OF PRAISE AT SOME POINT DURING 2021
YOU CAN WATCH THE ENTIRE SHOW ON BBC iPLAYER HERE OR WATCH JOHN’S PERFORMANCE BELOW
JOHN APPEARed on NEW WEB SERIES “THE THEATRE CHANNEL”
IN NOVEMBER, JOHN FEATUREd IN THE THIRD EPISODE OF THE SERIES - “THE ROCK EPISODE” - SINGING “PITY THE CHILD” FROM THE MUSICAL CHESS
ALSO APPEARING IN THE ROCK EPISODE ARE SHAN AKO, ROB HOUCHEN , ALEX GAUMOND, AISHA JAWANDO AND FRANCESCA JACKSON
THE THEATRE CHANNEL IS A BRAND NEW WEB SERIES DEVELOPED BY ADAM BLANSHAY PRODUCTIONS AND THE THEATRE CAFE THAT LETS AUDIENCES ENJOY MUSICAL THEATRE IN A NEW WAY - WITH SPECIALLY CREATED ONE-OFF PERFORMANCES FROM MUSICAL THEATRE STARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NOWHERE ELSE FOR PEOPLE TO STREAM AND ENJOY AT HOME.
THE SHOW is AVAILABLE ONLINE now
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO GET TICKETS FOR THE LIVESTREAM GO HERE
JOHN APPEARed IN A RADIO PLAY IN NOVEMBER FOR BBC RADIO WALES
JOHN RECENTLY made a guest appearance in the first EPISODE OF BRAND NEW RADIO COMEDY “PLEASURE PEOPLE”
THE SHOW, WRITTEN BY CAM DAVIES AND MARTIN CANNON, TELLS THE STORY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORK (AND SHIRK) AT THE FICTIONAL SCANTY BAY PLEASURE PARK AND THE LAUNCH OF THE PARK’S BRAND NEW LOG FLUME…
JOHN APPEARS AS A SPECIAL GUEST ALONGSIDE REGULAR PLEASURE PEOPLE STARS GWYNETH KEYWORTH, OWEN TEALE, MALI ANN REES AND TOMOS VAUGHAN-WILLIAMS
THE SHOW Was BROADCAST ON BBC RADIO WALES ON NOVEMBER 23RD AND YOU CAN LISTEN HERE
john had a “one night stand” with rachel tucker!
JOhn and Rachel performed together for the first time in “One Night Stand” - a live streamed one-off concert in september
ONE NIGHT STAND WAS AN INTIMATE SHOW IN FRONT OF A SOCIALLY DISTANCED AUDIENCE WHERE THE PAIR PERFORMED MUSICAL FAVOURITES AND SONGS YOU’D NEVER HEARD THEM SING BEFORE. THE SHOW TOOK PLACE IN CRAZY COQS IN LONDON’S WEST END, BUT WAS ALSO LIVE-STREAMED WORLDWIDE FOR THOSE WHO WISHED TO WATCH THIS UNIQUE EVENT ONLINE.
Rachel Tucker is a West End and Broadway actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the hit musical Wicked both in London and New York. In London, she first played the role for over 1,000 performances (longer than any other actress in the production’s history) and has also enjoyed critical acclaim for her performances in the original West End cast of Come from Away and the original Broadway cast of Sting’s musical The Last Ship.
THE LIVE SHOW SOLD OUT in two hours!
JOHN APPEARED AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM ON SEPTEMBER 17TH
JOHN CO-HOSTED AND PERFORMED IN “MAGIC WITH THE MUSICALS” - A SPECIAL ONE-OFF RADIO EVENT PRODUCED BY MAGIC FM
THE CONCERT UNITED MANY LEADING FIGURES FROM THE MUSICALS INDUSTRY TO SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THEATRE AT A TIME WHEN ITS VERY EXISTENCE IS UNDER THREAT
THE THREE HOUR SHOW FEATURE INTERVIEWS, DISCUSSION AND (OF COURSE) LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM JOHN AND MANY OTHERS ALONGSIDE A LIVE 23 PIECE ORCHESTRA
THE SHOW WAS BROADCAST ON SEPTEMBER 23RD ON MAGIC RADIO AND MAGIC AT THE MUSICALS
MORE INFO HERE
JOHN PERFORMED OUTDOORS IN SEPTEMBER!
John appearED in “Voices of the West End” - a series of outdoor concerts all over England
HE WAS JOINED ONSTAGE BY FELLOW WEST END PERFORMERS EARL CARPENTER, KERRY ELLIS AND KATIE HALL AND ACCOMPANIED BY BRILLIANT MUSICIANS JENNIFER WHYTE AND YVONNE MARIE PARSONS
THE INNOVATIVE OUTDOOR PRODUCTION ‘VOICES OF THE WEST END’ BROUGHT THE MAGIC OF THE MUSICALS LIVE TO AUDIENCES ONCE AGAIN DURING THE CURRENT PANDEMIC - IN A NEW, SAFE WAY AT 4 WONDERFUL VENUES BROADLANDS IN ROMSEY, HAMPSHIRE; AND BYWELL HALL HOME TO THE NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY SHOW. 3-METRE SQUARE, ROPED OFF PICNIC PITCHES ENSURED LOVERS OF LIVE PERFORMANCE COULD ONCE AGAIN ENJOY FOUR OF THE WEST END’S FINEST VOICES PERFORMING WITH LIVE MUSICIANS IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
JOHN FORCED TO POSTPONE SOLO SHOW IN THE WEST END
JOhn wAS SET TO headline his own show at The Adelphi Theatre on September 20th
THE SHOW WAS A REPLACEMENT DATE FOR HIS POSTPONED SHOW AT THE OTHER PALACE IN MARCH WHICH HAD COMPLETELY SOLD OUT.
DUE TO THE ONOING RESTRICTIONS ON INDOOR PERFORMANCES IN THE UK BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS, THE SHOW’S PRODUCER LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS, ALONG WITH JOHN, HAVE HAD TO MAKE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO POSTPONE THE SHOW SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2020 TO THE SPRING OF 2021.
JOHN SAID - “I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT YET ANOTHER SHOW I WAS WORKING ON FOR 2020 HAS SADLY HAD TO BE RESCHEDULED DUE TO COVID19 - ESPECIALLY A SHOW WHICH I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO SO MUCH - BUT THE SAFETY AND ENJOYMENT OF ALL MY FANS IS OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE TO ME. THEREFORE WE HAVE TAKEN THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO MOVE THE SHOW TO EARLY NEXT YEAR. IT WAS SIMPLY GOING TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT ON THE KIND OF ENTERTAINING SHOW I WANT TO PUT ON WHILST ADHERING TO CURRENT GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES ON INDOOR LIVE PERFORMANCE. WE ARE STILL WORKING OUT AN EXACT DATE FOR THE RESCHEDULED SHOW AND WILL CONFIRM AS SOON AS IT IS POSSIBLE. ONE THING I CAN PROMISE HOWEVER IS THAT NEXT YEAR, NOT ONLY WILL THE SHOW BE AS SAFE AS WE CAN MAKE IT, BUT IT WILL BE BIGGER AND BETTER!!”
PLEASE DIRECT ANY QUERIES REGARDING THIS ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHOW’S PRODUCER LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS HERE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC AFFECTS ALMOST ALL OF JOHN’S SCHEDULED LIVE SHOWS IN 2020
LIKE MANY OTHER PERFORMERS, JOHN HAS HAD TO CANCEL OR POSTPONE LIVE SHOWS THIS YEAR DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
SOME OF THE SHOWS HAD SOLD OUT, SOME HAD YET TO BE ANNOUNCED.
WHERE POSSIBLE, MOST OF THE FOLLOWING SHOWS WILL NOW TAKE PLACE AT SOME POINT DURING 2021.
HOPEFULLY.
SHOWS CANCELLED OR POSTPONED IN 2020
Gala Concert Performance at NCPA, Mumbai, India (February)
Solo concert Favourites at The Other Palace, London (March)
Solo concert for St David's Day Society in Hong Kong (March)
Solo concert tour dates in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan (March)
Voices of the West End concerts in Tokyo, Japan (March)
Magic at the Musicals concert in London (May)
Dinas Powys Festival, Wales (May)
Stardust Charity Gala in London (June)
West End Live in Trafalgar Square, London (June)
Tonbridge Castle: A Night at the Musicals (July)
Last Night of the Ampthill Proms (July)
Voices of the West End concerts in Southampton (July)
Rescheduled Voices of the West End concerts in Tokyo, Japan (August)
John Owen-Jones LIVE AT THE ADELPHI (September)
Stages 2020 - Musical Theatre cruise (September)
JOHN PERFORMED AT “WEST END musical DRIVE IN”
on august 8th, JOHN PERFORMED HIS FIRST “PROPER” LIVE CONCERT SINCE LOCKDOWN BEGAN
IN A CAREER FIRST FOR JOHN, HE ENTERTAINED AN AUDIENCE OF PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS!
A RADICAL NEW CONCERT FORMAT DESIGNED TO COPE WITH THE UNIQUE PROBLEMS FACED BY LIVE THEATRE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WEST END MUSICAL DRIVE-IN IS THE SOCIALLY DISTANCED MUSICAL THEATRE PARTY, AN ENTIRELY CONTACT-FREE CONCERT EXPERIENCE THAT BRINGS AUDIENCES LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM THE BIGGEST WEST END SUPERSTARS, WHILST ADHERING TO GOVERNMENT SOCIAL-DISTANCING GUIDELINES.
LIVE PERFORMANCES ARE PROJECTED FROM THE STAGE ONTO A MASSIVE SCREEN SO EVERYBODY GETS A GREAT VIEW AND SOUND IS PROVIDED VIA A BESPOKE RADIO FREQUENCY STRAIGHT TO EACH CAR’S RADIO!
JOHN HEADLINED THE SHOW, LOCATED AT THE DRIVE IN, TROUBADOUR MERIDIAN WATER, LONDON AND WAS JOINED ONSTAGE BY SOPHIE EVANS, CARL MULLANEY AND OLIVER SAVILE
THE AUDIENCE SHOWED THEIR APPRECIATION FOR THE SHOW NOT BY THE USUAL APPLAUSE AND CHEERING…BUT BY FLASHING THEIR LIGHTS AND HONKING THEIR HORNS!
JOHN PERFORMED IN CHINA FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME
John was part of “Three Phantoms” - a concert which was performed in Beijing and Shanghai in January
The show, first conceived by Ginger Boy Productions in 2009, has enjoyed several very successful tours and performances in the UK and played to packed houses during its brief run in China - at Beijing Tinqiao Performing Arts Center and Shanghai Art Theatre.
The concert celebrates musical theatre and, of course, the various musicals inspired by the original novel by Gaston Leroux. John joined fellow Phantoms Earl Carpenter and Jeremy Secomb and a cast of celebrated British musical theatre performers to entertain well over ten thousand ecstatic audience members for the show’s Chinese premiere.
JOHN PERFORMED AT LONDON’S ADELPHI THEATRE IN February WITH LUCIE JONES
JOHN APPEARED AS ONE OF LUCIE’S SPECIAL GUESTS AND THEY SANG “THE PRAYER”
JOHN AND LUCIE RECORDED “THE PRAYER” FOR JOHN’S 2019 ALBUM “SPOTLIGHT” AND THIS CONCERT MARKED WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY HAD SUNG THE SONG LIVE TOGETHER!
THE SOLD OUT CONCERT ALSO FEATURED A GUEST TURN FROM MARISHA WALLACE AND A 22 PIECE ORCHESTRA CONDUCTED BY FREDDIE TAPNER
THE SHOW WAS RECORDED AND WAS RELEASED AS A LIVE ALBUM ON SEPTEMBER 20, 2020
BUY THE CD HERE
JOHN APPEARED AS a GUEST (AGAIN) ON BBC1’S POINTLESS CELEBRITiES!
After appearing on a musicals themed special version of the show in 2019, John appeared on a Welsh special in march this year for st. david’s day
JOHN APPEARED ALONGSIDE WELSH CELEBRITIES DI BOTCHER, SOPHIE EVANS, RUTH MADOC, SHANE WILLIAMS, COLIN JACKSON, CHARLES DALE AND HIS QUIZ PARTNER WAS…LUCIE JONES!
HOW DID JOHN AND LUCIE DO? WELL…YOU’LL HAVE TO WAIT FOR A REPEAT SHOWING TO FIND OUT!
The 2019 musicals special episode of Pointless Celebrities was repeated on BBC 1 on August 8th 2020
JOHN HEADLINED “VARIETY NIGHT LIVE” CONCERT IN SWANSEA IN JANUARY
THE SOLD OUT SHOW AT THE GRAND THEATRE FEATURED A HOST OF OTHER WELSH PERFORMERS
OTHER ACTS INCLUDED THE FLY BOYS, SOPHIE EVANS AND SOUL ILLUSION
LES MIZ: THE STAGED CONCERT GETS HOME VIDEO RELEASE
THE 2019 CONCERT, FILMED LIVE AT LONDON’S GIELGUD THEATRE, IS NOW AVAILABLE TO OWN ON BLURAY AND DVD
THIS RADICAL CONCERT VERSION OF LES MISÉRABLES RAN FOR 16 WEEKS ONLY AND FEATURED ALFIE BOE/JOHN OWEN-JONES AS JEAN VALJEAN, MICHAEL BALL AS JAVERT, CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER AS FANTINE, MATT LUCAS AS THÉNARDIER AND A CAST AND ORCHESTRA OF OVER SIXTY-FIVE PERFORMERS.
JOHN LED A SPECIAL VERSION OF “BRING HIM HOME” AS PART OF THE SHOW’S FINALE
GET THE BLURAY/DVD HERE
JOHN HAS RECORDED AN AUDIOBOOK OF LES MISERABLES BY VICTOR HUGO
John joined a host of celebrated actors to read the audiobook version of this epic legendary novel.
JOHN READS THE CLOSING SECTION OF THE BOOK: “PART V - JEAN VALJEAN”
THIS CLASSIC NOVEL IS PERFORMED BY AN ENSEMBLE CAST WHICH INCLUDES - AS WELL AS JOHN - BAFTA AWARD-WINNING ACTOR ADEEL AKHTAR (KILLING EVE, THE NIGHT MANAGER, LES MISERABLES), ADRIAN SCARBOROUGH (GAVIN AND STACEY, THE KING'S SPEECH), NATALIE SIMPSON (OUTLANDER, LES MISERABLES) AND EMMA FIELDING (UNFORGOTTEN, LES MISERABLES). THIS DEFINITIVE RECORDING INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTION BY ROBERT TOMBS.
GET AUDIOBOOK HERE
JOHN PERFORMED A SPECIAL VERSION OF “BRING HIM HOME” DURING LOCKDOWN
JOHN JOINED “THE BARRICADE BOYS”, ALFIE BOE, RAMIN KARIMLOO, ALISTAIR BRAMMER AND OTHERS IN A SPECIALLY FILMED VERSION OF THE SONG TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE NHS
THE ACTORS ALL FILMED THEMSELVES SINGING THE SONG IN THEIR HOMES - WHICH WAS THEN EDITED TOGETHER TO CREATE THE VIDEO BELOW.
THE CLIP WENT VIRAL AND WAS FEATURED ON POPULAR ITV SHOW “THIS MORNING”
JOHN ENJOYED A “BAKED POTATO” DURING LOCKDOWN
JOHN JOINED MATT LUCAS FOR A DUET OF HIS HUGELY POPULAR “BAKED POTATO SONG” TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE NHS
JOHN DUETTED ON “THE BAKED POTATO SONG” WITH TV COMEDY LEGEND, LES MIZ CO-STAR (AND THE SONG’S WRITER) MATT LUCAS.
THE VIDEO WAS RECORDED AS PART OF A SERIES OF DUETS MATT MADE WITH VARIOUS ILLUSTRIOUS STARS FROM THE WORLDS OF SPORT, MUSIC, THEATRE AND TV.
OTHER VIDEOS INCLUDE MATT SINGING WITH GARY BARLOW, RONAN KEATING, BRIAN MAY, MICHAEL BALL, ROB BRYDON, RICK ASTLEY, THE CAST OF CORONATION STREET AND SOME LEGENDARY ARSENAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS!
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO AND DONATE TO #FEEDTHENHS HERE
WATCH JOHN AND MATT RAISE THE ROOF WHILST RAISING FUNDS BELOW!
JOHN PERFORMed A LIVE STREAMING GIG - FROM HIS LIVING ROOM!
JOHN STREAMED A 45 MINUTE CONCERT AS PART OF THE “LEAVE A LIGHT ON” SERIES
CONCEIVED BY LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS AND THE THEATRE CAFE, LEAVE A LIGHT ON WAS A SERIES OF CONCERTS STREAMED ONLINE SO ARTISTS COULD STILL PERFORM TO AUDIENCES DURING LOCKDOWN. ARTISTS THAT FEATURED IN THE SERIES ALONG WITH JOHN WERE LUCIE JONES, RACHEL TUCKER, DAVID HUNTER, ALISTAIR BRAMMER AND MANY MORE.
THE PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES FACING MUSICAL THEATRE DUE TO COVID19 HAVE LED TO ARTISTS BEING EVER MORE CREATIVE WITH THE WAY THEY REACH OUT TO AUDIENCES AND THIS EVENT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LIVE MUSICAL THEATRE STREAMING EVENTS IN THE UK DURING LOCKDOWN. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SIGNED UP TO WATCH JOHN PERFORM A GREATEST HITS SET FROM HIS OWN LIVING ROOM - COMPLETE WITH STAGE EFFECTS AND PYROTECHNICS! HOPEFULLY THE SHOW WILL BE REPEATED SOON SO YOU CAN WATCH IT ALL OVER AGAIN - OR INDEED FOR THE FIRST TIME. WATCH THIS SPACE!
