A Take That tribute act is coming to Cumbria, promising a night of fun for all fans of the legendary pop band.
Described as ‘the leading tribute show to Take That’, The Take That Experience is gearing up for a return to the Carnegie Theatre in Workington on February 1, 2025.
Nik Parsons, one of the members, portrays Mark Owen in the group, and sat down with the News and Star to tell us all about the show and what to expect.
“It covers every era of the band, each show starts as the current era (Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen), performing newer releases.
“We then have a solo Robbie set and in the second half it’s the full five-piece reunion.
“It’s full of a real feel-good factor and gets people dancing,” Mr Parsons explained.
He said the tribute act has been running for roughly 16 years and was the idea of management to capitalise on a resurgence in popularity for the band after the release of their album Circus in 2008.
Over the years the lineup has changed occasionally, but what has never changed was the spirit of Take That fuelling each performance.
When Take That emerged in the early 90’s, Mr Parsons was in secondary school and the band weren’t exactly his cup of tea, but it was their later work that truly resonated with him artistically.
However, while he prefers their later work, it’s their early work that he’s excited to perform each time, mainly because of the ecstatic response it gets from the crowd.
First time attendees of a The Take That Experience show may find themselves confused at the relatively tall stature of Mr Parsons compared to the real Mark Owen, who is, respectfully, known perhaps for his smaller stature.
“We make a joke out of this during the act, ‘the tallest Mark Owen tribute act in the UK’,” he said.
Each member puts in the effort to maintain a physical appearance that resembles Take That’s members.
Mr Parsons explained that he frequently gets his hair cut and styled like Mark Owens, whether that’s a style he actually likes for himself irrelevant as his dedication to the act overrides personal preference.
It’s clearly paid off, as the band has gone from strength to strength since their foundation.
“We’ve played outdoor festivals, racecourses, and we did work on a Caribbean cruise but at this point it’s all about doing the theatres.
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“That’s the ultimate – it’s taken a lot of hard work to get to that point but for me it’s the pinnacle.”
This is far from his first time at the Carnegie, he’s been here several times and enjoyed the crowd each time.
“It’s always a great night out, it’s a very warm and welcoming atmosphere, and Workington always delivers a great crowd.”
Tickets are not yet on sale, but when they are, check the venue’s website for pricing information.
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