He’s one of our most successful theatre stars, playing some of the West End’s biggest stages and roles, but Ben Forster says he still loves nothing more than a walk along Roker and Seaburn.

The former Thornhill School pupil from Millfield fell in love with theatre watching panto at Sunderland Empire, a craft he went on to study and master becoming known for powerhouse West End performances in Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera and Elf The Musical.

Ben Forster is releasing an album of theatre greats | Submitted

placeholder image — Ben Forster is releasing an album of theatre greats | Submitted

We caught up with him as he combines all his favourite tracks in one album, Musical’s Greatest Hits, released on November 21 through Westway Music.

Ben’s career has taken him all over the world, but he says there’s nowhere like home.

“My bigger family all still live in Sunderland and when I get home one of the first things I do is go for a walk along the seafront, dolphin spotting and taking in the fresh air,” says the star, who rose to prominence in 2012 after winning ITV talent show Superstar, going on to play Jesus in a new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical.

“I never take for granted how lucky we have it in Sunderland to have that coastline. Wherever I am in the world I always think ‘our beach is better’.”

Ben’s new album is a dream realised for the 44-year-old who recorded the musical journey with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

The record sees Ben reimagine some of the world’s biggest musical hits, breathing new life into beloved classics with his trademark vocal power.

“It’s been a massive dream of mine to do a musical theatre album,” he said. “But they’re famously hard and expensive to make, because you need an orchestra to create the big, beautiful sound required.

“So to be given this opportunity by Westway is just incredible.”

This is the first time Ben’s versions of the songs will be available on record and they comprise a mixture of classics, tracks that represent his moments of success and personal songs.

“It was so difficult to whittle down my favourite songs, because I have about 100. But it’s structured in a way to create the perfect playlist,” he explained.

Ben now lives in Cumbria where he and partner Paul have found a new creative outlet - renovating a dilapidated Georgian manor house into an achingly beautiful holiday home, which has become the darling of the Cumbrian fells.

He has a whirlwind life and last time he appeared on the Empire stage was in Rocky Horror, but Ben says he really hopes to tread his home town boards again soon.

“I grew up walking past that theatre every day,” said Ben who grew up over the road in Millfield. “I would go to watch the pantos, Some Like it Hot and I remember going to see Blood Brothers seven times in two weeks.

“I just loved it and couldn’t believe a place could make me feel the feelings I felt watching musical theatre. I remember one year I won a competition in the Echo to meet the panto cast. All of it just inspired my life so much.”