How in the name of the Pink Ladies can a rugby star play Danny Zuko?

The Herald Scotland

a day ago

But how in the name of the Pink Ladies can someone go from being a rugby internationalist to a charted engineer, and then end up starring in not only in Grease but in two other autumn theatre productions, The 39 Steps and Proclaimers musical Sunshine on Leith?
'My dream was of becoming a rugby player from a very early age,' Service recalls. 'My dad played rugby, and I wanted to follow him. But the problem was that at five feet ten I was relatively small. And as I progressed into the Scotland Under 18&19 team, I found the injuries were arriving hard and often. And every time I was sidelined with injury – a torn hamstring or whatever – I would lose even more weight during the recovery time. It was a vicious circle. So, just as a back-up, I talked it over with my parents and decided to go to university and study Mechanical Engineering.'
Service at the Melrose 7s (Image: Sandy Service)
Having finished his degree at Glasgow University, Service hadn't kicked the rugby dream into touch. He took off to New Zealand. 'I still wanted to play, and reckoned I would learn so much from being in the country where rugby is a religion.'
To support himself, Service worked in cafes and bars in North Island. And he joined a band, singing and playing guitar. Meantime, he played and coached rugby, then a teammate suggested his chum for a job as a consultant engineer.
Yet, it was the night-time work on stage that brought about a massive life change. 'I took a call at work one day from a theatre director called Heather Harrison who'd seen me perform with the band – we were doing stuff like Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne and John Farnham covers, that sort of thing – and wondered would I be interested in appearing in a play and come in for a reading?
'It's just a small role,' she added. And I was flattered and thought 'What have I got to lose?' and said yes straight off. I'd never actually acted before, except some small stuff at school, but I liked the idea of discovering if I could pull this off.'
The theatre director however hadn't been entirely honest. It wasn't a small part. It was the lead role in My Boy Jack, the story of Rudyard Kipling's grief for his son (played in the TV movie by Daniel Radcliffe.) 'I was to be Jack,' he says, beaming in recall. 'I only had two weeks rehearsals. It was scary. And exciting.'
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The virgin actor's reviews however were very good. He laughs. 'I began to think 'Maybe I'm not terrible at this.' And it wasn't too long before other Kiwi theatre producers came calling. The Scot was offered the role of Robbie in the Wedding Singer. 'I still hadn't thought of a career in acting. However, the likes of director Warren Bates sat me down and said, 'You should think about doing this full time.''
Service went on to land key parts in major productions of The Producers and Phantom of the Opera and this validation prompted him into thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, acting was worth a real shot. Yet, Alex realised that if he were to even consider a career in showbiz, he had to make the leap from New Zealand to London. Relocated, he took a weekend masterclass course with director/performer Michael Xavier, who was also hugely encouraging.
Was this the planets again telling him his natural world was a spotlit hall showing off in front of an audience? 'Maybe it was, but I still didn't know for sure. Meantime, I needed to earn money and landed engineering work, having since become a Chartered Engineer, now working on some really big projects. And then I was asked to join West End Live, a showcase event and take over the role of Emmet (the male lead) in Legally Blonde.'
Again, it went well, and Xavier pushed for his student to 'get real training'. Service was accepted into the London School of Musical Theatre and now determined to become a professional actor. He admits in sad voice however that he now had to let the rugby dream die. 'One director said to me, 'Alex, you are one kick in the face away from ever acting again.''
Service at work (Image: unknown)
Service listened to the advice. He worked hard in shows such as Heathers. He worked on cruise ships, where he met his future wife, the Canadian actor Olivia Kustermans and the couple married in 2023. He smiles. 'Because of the work, we've spent more time apart since we married than we have been together.'
But has rugby – or indeed mechanical engineering – played into his acting career. 'I think it has,' he says, pausing for thought. 'I've learned how to break things down technically. I can see where I'm supposed to be on stage. I'm a problem solver.'
Yet, the life lesson Alex Service has learned is that it's a great idea to listen when others collectively say great things about you. And then be brave and run with your instincts. Even when they are taking you in an unimaginable direction. 'I guess that's it,' he says, grinning.
Pitlochry Festival Theatre presents Grease, June 18 – September 27, The 39 Steps, July 11- September 26, Sunshine on Leith, July 25 – September 27.