My Top 5 Showtunes: Dougal Irvine

Dougal Irvine is a writer, composer and lyricist with theatre credits including The Witches, Teddy and Departure Lounge.

His new musical The Buskers Opera is currently playing at the Park Theatre until 4 June.

We caught up with Dougal and asked him: "If you were stranded on a desert island which five showtunes could you not live without?"

1. "Chrysanthemum tea" from Pacific Overtures

I got the chance to play Manjiro in this show at Leicester Haymarket in 2006. This song is a stroke of dark genius – Sondheim at his lyrical best.

2. "Will I" from Rent

Another show I was lucky enough to be a part of – I played Mark at the Prince of Wales in 2003. Although the show has dated a little, this song still moves me to tears and captures painfully the honest fear of confronting death.

3. "Pity the Child" from Chess

The show that got me into musicals. I'd not seen a musical I'd connected with until at university I got to watch Chess and finally realised that rock and pop music could blend with storytelling to produce something current.

4. "The Room Where it Happens" from Hamilton

I would have liked to have picked every song in Hamilton as I think it's the greatest show written since, like, ever. It's the show that's made musicals cool again. I particularly love the Banjo in the orchestration. Inspired choice.

5. "I'd Give My Life For You" from Miss Saigon

I almost picked something from Wicked but my first acting job was Miss Saigon and I got to hear Joanna Ampill sing this over 350 times waiting in the wings to come on for Act 1 finale. It's etched in my brain, a masterclass both in songwriting and in her performance.