Rising Like a Phoenix – Paul’s Remarkable Journey ~ Meet the Man Behind Guapatini’s Showbar

If you’ve ever visited Guapatini’s Showbar in Puerto del Carmen, you’ll already know that an evening there is packed with laughter, music and spectacular entertainment. But behind the glamorous costumes and larger-than-life personality is Paul, a performer whose career has taken him from the West End stage and national theatre tours to television, film and now the owner of one of Lanzarote’s newest most talked-about entertainment venues.

We sat down with Paul to learn more about the incredible journey that brought him here.

Hi Paul! Your career in entertainment began at a very young age. Can you tell us how it all started?

I actually first stepped onto a stage when I was just eight years old. I was born in Scarborough, but my family moved to Scotland when I was eight, and I always felt a little different from the other boys around me. They used to call me names but at the time I didn’t understand what they meant.
Although I’d been performing since childhood, I didn’t become a professional performer until I was 17, when I made my stage debut in the pantomime Aladdin and received my Equity card. From there I spent a season as a Redcoat at Butlin’s before being awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Guildford School of Acting, where I trained professionally.

After graduating from drama school, what were those early years like?

Leaving Guildford, I joined Smart Alec Productions for a summer season in Minehead before being cast in the national tour of Pack Up Your Troubles. That production opened the door to many more leading roles in touring productions across the UK, including The Magic of the Musicals, West End to Broadway, 50s and 60s Rock and Roll Experience and Irving Berlin’s Everybody’s Doing It.


You have performed some incredible theatre roles. Which productions stand out the most?

There have been many highlights. I created the role of Henri in Viva O’Carnival at Sadler’s Wells Theatre and later played The Beast in the national tour of Beauty and the Beast, which received fantastic reviews.
I’ve also had the privilege of performing with Opera West in productions including Carmen, Eugene Onegin and Nabucco, and even narrated the notoriously difficult Facade with the London Symphony Orchestra.


You’ve worked in theatre, opera, television and film. Is there one role that always makes people smile?

Without doubt, playing Big Bird in the stage production of Sesame Street! It’s probably the role I’m most laughably proud of.


Many people also remember you from television. How did that chapter of your career begin?

Television presenting came while I was touring in Bill Kenwright’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, where I played Levi and the Butler.
Soon afterwards I created my own children’s character, Tommy Toon, and wrote and presented Toonatics, which aired every weekday morning during school holidays on Children’s BBC throughout 1997 and 1998.


You also spent several years in one of the world’s best-loved musicals.

Yes, I spent three years in the West End production and national tour of Grease, playing Teen Angel and Vince Fontaine, and the experience even took me on tour to Japan.


You’ve also appeared on screen alongside some famous names.

One of the biggest surprises in my career was landing a serious acting role in the film Colour Me Kubrick, starring opposite John Malkovich.
My television credits have also included Taggart, Rab C. Nesbitt, City Lights, The High Life, Down Among the Big Boys and several other productions.


Pantomime has clearly played a huge part in your career.

Absolutely. I’ve played Muddles, Sarah the Cook, Wishee Washee and countless other pantomime characters over the years. I honestly couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve played one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella!

After such a successful career in musical theatre, how did drag become such an important part of your life?

I’d been singing around Málaga for about six weeks when a venue owner asked me to perform a drag act. It was honestly the last thing in the world I wanted to do. I’d never done drag before and it was a completely different style of performance to anything I’d ever done.
She kept begging me, so eventually I gave in. The first show was absolutely horrendous! But she became something of a mentor to me and encouraged me to keep going. Before long I was performing four shows a week in other people’s venues.
Eventually I thought, “Why am I carrying all these lights, microphones, sound systems, wigs and costumes around for everyone else?” So I sold my house in London and invested everything into opening my own venue in Torremolinos. Looking back, it was probably the best decision I ever made.
As an actor you’re almost always worrying where the next job is coming from, and even when you’re working, you’re worrying about when it will end. Now I work for myself. I can sing what I want, say what I want, and there are no directors telling me off! (laughs).


You eventually made the move to mainland Spain and opened your own bar. What happened?

I had built a hugely successful business in Torremolinos. We became the number one entertainment venue on the Costa del Sol in less than six months. We had an incredible location, a 100-seat venue that was packed five nights a week, and everything was going better than I could ever have imagined.
Then Covid arrived.
Like so many people in entertainment, I lost everything. It was heartbreaking because I’d sold my house to make that dream happen and invested every penny I had into the business.
That difficult chapter eventually led me to start again here in Lanzarote.

When did you move to Lanzarote, and what made you decide this was the right place for your next chapter?

After losing everything during the pandemic, I knew I wanted another opportunity to build something of my own. Lanzarote felt like somewhere I could make a fresh start.
My good friend Paul Carroll who at the time was the active owner and star of Music Hall Tavern invited me to work with him. I had the chance and time to get back on my feet there, when he decided to stop performing in the shows, I decided it was time for me take a leap again and try to recreate what I had lost in Torremolinos.
My new venue, is not in the greatest location and we’re certainly not the biggest venue, but this was what I could afford to create on a shoestring budget. It’s been a completely different challenge to Torremolinos, but in many ways an even more rewarding one.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Paul Carroll, the original Mrs T from Music Hall Tavern, whose advice and support helped me enormously in those early days. Without his guidance, along with the support of my family and friends, I honestly don’t know whether I’d still be here today.

What is your favourite part of every Guapatini’s show?

Without question, it’s the audience.
Every audience is different, so every show becomes completely unique. I love talking to people, making them laugh and watching strangers become part of the show. No two nights are ever the same, and that’s what keeps it exciting.
Seeing people walk in after a long day and leave smiling, laughing and singing is the greatest feeling. That’s why I do what I do.
I'm also very fond of the Phoenix that one means a lot to me personally.

At the moment you’re performing three shows each week. What are your plans for the future? Do you hope to increase that schedule?

If things continue the way they’re going, especially after this week, we’ll probably need to add another show.
Talking, singing and entertaining for two and a half hours three nights a week is definitely taking its toll on this old voice! I’d love to introduce a talented young performer into the show who can give me a breather, perform a few songs and become part of the storyline by falling in love with the Contessa.
Of course, one day I’d love a bigger venue in a better location, but there’s no point running before we can walk. We’ll keep building steadily and see where the journey takes us.

Looking back over everything you’ve achieved—from theatre and television to creating Guapatini’s Showbar—what are you most proud of?

Before the pandemic I would probably have said Guapatini’s in Torremolinos because it was completely my creation.
I’d been in major West End productions and played leading roles around the world, but that business was 100% me.
Now, though, I’d have to say this comeback.
To lose absolutely everything and then build it all again with next to no money makes me even prouder than the first time around. This version is 200% me.
But none of it would have happened without incredible friends, my wonderful family and, perhaps most importantly, the Bank of Mum and Dad!
Mum’s 80 now, Dad’s 84, so they’re hanging on until I can pay them back… hopefully not too much longer! (laughs).

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your remarkable story.

From West End stages and television screens to becoming one of Lanzarote’s best-loved entertainers, Paul’s story is one of resilience, determination and an unwavering passion for making people smile.

His journey proves that even after losing everything, it is possible to rise again. Like the phoenix that inspires this story, Paul has rebuilt his dream from the ashes, creating a venue where laughter, music and unforgettable memories are made night after night.

If you haven’t yet experienced an evening at Guapatini’s Showbar, prepare yourself for a night of comedy, music, audience participation and outstanding entertainment. It’s a performance you’ll remember long after the curtain falls.

To book Tickets direct with Guapatini´s just click on the image below!