From choir boy to global star, it’s a kind of magic come true for former Kearsney boy Warren Vernon-Driscoll, who is the lead singer and actor in the Queen international stage show. We discover his Freddie-side and hear about this huge step in his musical career.
As I speak to Warren, I flash back to the mid-70s when my cousins and I sat around the stereo listening to A Night at the Opera, my introduction to Queen. I’m not ashamed to admit it’s a rock love affair that continues today, so I was ecstatic to hear that one of our own is performing as the iconic lead singer, Freddie Mercury.
Warren’s acute sense of musicality and voice, so warm and mesmerizing, was once described as ‘annoyingly good’. Taking the biggest step in his career, he now puts his extraordinary voice to epic use, singing some of the hardest vocal parts that he has ever sung for Showtime Australia’s long-running, theatre show, Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic.
Promising over two hours of hits and in original key, it’s a show that justifies all the space, sound, lighting and effects, and all the spectacle and grandeur of a true rock concert, which will only be on our shores for one night. Although he now calls Cape Town home, Warren grew up in KZN. He did his vocal training as Head Chorister at the Drakensberg Boys Choir, before continuing his training at Kearsney College where he matriculated as head of the choir.
Like most aspiring musically gifted youngsters, this 29-year-old spent his youth gathering musical experiences (some of them the kind that most young South Africans can only dream of) before finding his way to the prestigious South African Youth Choir.
“I got to travel the world, touring every corner of the globe from China, Japan and Taiwan to Germany, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Shared stages with greats like Luciano Pavarotti, Joshua Bell and the Soweto String Quartet, and I’ve performed for Bishop Desmond TuTu, Bono -of U2 fame!!!, and Saul Kerzner. It was a brilliant ride!”
Warren’s entire life and livelihood has revolved around music. At university he tried a lot of things –Baroque performances with The Cape Consort and Tinta Barocca – and worked on solo projects and released an EP, to name just a few.
“I had to drop out of university when my father died in 2016. I couldn’t afford to carry on studying classical singing at UCT, where I was specialising in Baroque music as a tenor. I took on a job as a performing waiter, had an Indie rock band called Mobbing Bali for a while and busked and performed at various markets and events to survive.”
Today, things are on the up for Warren. He’s been on tour since May last year with the Queen show and has performed in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Canada. And now the show has finally reached our shores. After a short break, Warren says him and the rest of the cast will return with a hectic 2023 schedule.
“I’m basically on the road every day and in a different city or town every night. My absolute favourite place so far has been Singapore. I absolutely love it. The food is amazing, the city is clean and beautiful and it has an incredibly diverse culture. But it is bloody expensive!”
As a massive fan of Queen and Freddie Mercury, Warren finds the fusion of heavy metal, glam rock, and camp theatrics equally as challenging as singing a Bach Aria! When he got the job as lead singer, he was over the moon and now, on stage, he has tens of thousands-strong crowds join him in spine-tingling sing-offs of Mercury’s mock opera and epic hit Bohemian Rhapsody.
Warren says the best piece of advice he ever got about playing Freddie, which he found in the icon’s own words, was: ‘Life is about excess darling’.
“It applies to everything. The reality is there will only ever be one Freddie Mercury. What I try to do is bring him to life on stage through things I can relate to – the amount of energy I deliver on stage, the way I sing the music and the way I use his gestures and movements. Queen really is about the music and energy more than the acting, which is what I love so much about this show. Having said that, I always sit in silence for about 10 minutes before hitting the stage, because that time-out is so valuable.”
While the show and tour are certainly demanding, the main challenge for Warren is fitness. “I spent moths learning the piano parts and perfecting the singing of the songs, while pushing cardio limits LOL!”
As a Type One diabetic, he needs to be mindful to the amount of exercise and activity to ensure good blood sugar levels, and tries to run about 15km a week while on tour, doubles that when he’s home.
“Usually, I sneak in a quick 5km before every show and just after the sound check. I then take a shower, warm up my voice for about 45 to 60 minutes and then get ready for the show.”
Warren says he is excited about bringing the show to South Africa, and in particular, Durban. “It’s a chance to show local audiences, including old friends and teachers, what we’re doing and to build a following at home. While travelling, I’ve been craving my home turf and would love nothing more than to make South Africa proud of me.”
When he’s not performing Warren loves unleashing his mischievous side over a glass of wine or whiskey (he’s a collector) with his girlfriend of five years, Nadine Suliaman, who he says is his greatest support system.
“We love good food, eating out and wine tasting, often. We love enjoying beautiful spaces and places together. After days, weeks, months on tour, or even just after burning energy as well as the midnight oil on a single show, I can also just as easily enjoy a bit of silence and the chance to sit in bed and do nothing.”
Details: Queen: It’s a Kinda Magic is on for one show only on September 3. 8pm at The Globe at Suncoast, Durban. Tickets from TicketPros.co.za
Follow Warren on IG: @mr_driscoll
