I’ve performed as Mark Owen in a Take That tribute act for 16 years - it means a lot to me

A Take That tribute act is heading to Whitley Bay in May, providing the North East with an unforgettable night to remember, performing Take That’s biggest hits across three decades.

The Take That Experience will celebrate the UK’s biggest boyband with a ‘Greatest Hits Tour’, while marking their own anniversary as they reach over a decade of performing together. 

The Take That Experience will recreate the magic of Take That as they transport the audience through the years of the iconic boy band’s history, performing the likes of Patience, Pray, Never Forget, These Days and Shine, with incredible vocals, replica costumes and electrifying dance routines.

To stay as true as possible to the band, The Take That Experience will perform as the original line-up, as well as other versions of the band. They will also pay tribute to Robbie Williams’ solo career, performing his hits such as Angels, Rock DJ and Let Me Entertain You. 

Ahead of their performance at the Whitley Bay Playhouse on Thursday, May 9, we caught up with Nik Parsons, who has been performing as Mark Owen in The Take That Experience for the past 16 years.

42-year-old Nik explains that he was brought up with musical theatre, as his parents both worked in the industry. His mother was a costume designer, and his father still is a costume and set designer. 

“When we were kids, we’d go to the theatre all of the time and that’s where it all started,” Nik explained. 

However, he was truly bitten by the performing bug after seeing Michael Jackson in concert at the young age of nine-years-old, and went on to train at performing arts college and theatre school.

Funnily enough, at the start of his tribute career, Nik performed as a Robbie Williams tribute, before going on to take on the role of Mark Owen in The Take That Experience.

Receive a news round-up, as well as breaking news alerts, when you sign up to NewcastleWorld’s newsletters.

“When we first started we got to pick which members we wanted to be. I picked Mark because he’s quite quirky!” Nik said.

Nik is one of only two people who have been a part of The Take That Experience since its beginning 16 years ago. He joined the group at 26-years-old, and has enjoyed performing as Mark ever since. 

“It means a lot to me, I’ve invested so much time into it.” Nik explained. 

Nik is a Take That fan himself, although he laughs as he says: “I don’t listen to them every day, as it’s my job!”

“But I admire them a lot,” Nik continues. “I admire their career and how they came back again. I prefer the newer stuff to listen to, but I prefer performing the older stuff because it’s more fun.”

The Take That Experience performs Take That tracks from the 1990s all the way to their newest single You and Me, which was released in March. 

Nik explained: “It’s all done in a different order, but we cover everything. Right from the beginning up until now, every era.”

Although Nik mimics Mark very well from the dance moves to his unmistakable voice, he explains it's all done very “tongue-in-cheek”, to ensure that the audience have a great time. 

“It’s just a big party, from the first song to the last! We take so much pride in putting on a great, quality show.” Nik said. 

For more information and to book The Take That Experience, please visit the Whitley Bay Playhouse website.