My Top 5 Showtunes: Joseph Alessi

Joseph's theatre credits include James Graham's Monster Raving Loony and Brief Encounter with Kneehigh.

He is currently starring in Adding Machine at the Finborough Theatre until 22 October.

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

1. "Sunday" from Sunday in the Park with George

I first heard this when I was training to be an astronaut at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia; sadly I had to drop out in the first week when I realised I suffered from rather severe vertigo.

One of my fellow Russian trainees was a huge musical theatre fan and I told him about when I first heard Sweeney and he gave me a CD of Sunday in the Park with George, I still remember how in his faulting English he used to pronounce 'Jenna Russell', very funny. I think the poor thing was rather smitten with her and who can blame him?

2. "Sit Down, You're Rocking The Boat" from Guys & Dolls

This brings back happy memories of when I participated in the Round the World Yacht Race, it was great fun but unfortunately I wasn't much use as I spent most of the race hanging over the edge of the boat with terrible sea sickness.

Clive Rowe, who joined the team for research purposes, was no help, he just wouldn't shut up! It all got very meta when I had to tell him to sit down, because he was actually rocking the boat.

3. "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher" from Billy Elliot

In my other life, before I became an actor, I was a coal miner for a short while. I discovered after the first week that I was rather claustrophobic but luckily it was during the strikes, so I wasn't down there very long.

I convinced my good friend at the time, Arthur Scargill that he could sing, having heard him singing "Bring Him Home" in the toilets. I called my dear friend Annette McLaughlin and asked if she'd come down and give him a few lessons and bless her heart, after she got over the initial shock of his comb over, she threw in some dance lessons for good measure (I had to warn her that Bob Fosse wasn't going to work with Arthur) It was a long weekend of tears, laughter, leg warmers and throat steamers but I'd never seen Arthur so content.

4. "Pretty Women" from Sweeney Todd

I know this song pretty much off by heart! I was sat in my local barber shop, when who should walk in but, Judge Rinder. He sat next to me and started humming this tune, I leaned over and told him that Sweeney Todd was probably my all time favourite musical. He said he was currently rehearsing it for his local amateur dramatic company but felt he hadn't had enough rehearsal, so I suggested, as I knew the song so well, that we sing it right there and then, I asked the young boy working at the barber's to run out and buy some pies. It was then Rinder told me he was actually playing Mrs Lovett.

5. "I'd Rather Watch You" from Adding Machine

This is the show I'm currently involved in and this song is just utterly beautiful, sung in our production by the lovely, delightful and hugely talented Jo Kirkland. It's a song inspired by those beautiful jazz ballads of the 1920s. It's a beacon of light in an otherwise dark and Kafkaesque piece.