This calendar-based resource of pictures, press scans, audio and video downloads follows
Lee's career from its early days, through Any Dream Will Do, his eighteen month run in
Joseph and beyond, as he stretches his wings and shows just how diverse his talents are.
It happily remains a work in progress documenting an ever-growing body of work!

I hope you enjoy exploring and come back often.

Early in 2007, Lee Mead, already an established West End performer, took his career in his hands and went along to the auditions for the BBC's new TV casting programme, seeking a lead for a West End revival of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ... a very good decision!

"It pains me to say it, but I would gladly give my leading man's shoes to you to wear in the West End." - John Barrowman, Any Dream Will Do, 19 May 2007.

"Lee, this is my moment of truth ... you've worked for me, you've understudied for me. I should have seen back then what everybody has seen for the last eight weeks. You're not an understudy, you're a leading man, you're a star." - Bill Kenwright, Any Dream Will Do Final, 9 June 2007.

On 9 June 2007 he won the role, going straight into rehearsals, with opening night just 37 days way. As if eight shows a week to sell-out audiences at the Adelphi weren't enough, other highlights included performing in the Concert for Diana for 65,000 in Wembley Stadium and a worldwide TV audience of millions, recording a 'double-gold' debut album and two songs for a movie soundtrack, and performing with a host of other stars at three wonderful concerts - Lyrics by Don Black and a very special Ian Fleming Tribute Gala at the London Palladium and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Birthday In The Park in Hyde Park.

"You're the best actor we've had for Joseph in decades ... you therefore need to just make it your own." Andrew Lloyd Webber, rehearsals for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, June 2007.

"Do you know, I'm not even nervous for him. I'm excited for him because I think tonight everybody's going to see what a big star Lee really is." - Denise Van Outen, opening night of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 17 July 2007.

"Pause and join me for a second as the lights go dim and the prison bars fall. Here is your challenge as Joseph. You can't dazzle me with vocal pyrotechnics - Close Every Door is a melody so simple it's regularly sung by schoolchildren. You can't distract me with a flash costume - in fact, you are standing on stage in front of hundreds wearing rather less than I imagine you put on to watch the Grand Prix in the privacy of your own front room. It's just you, your voice, and the darkness. I heard once that US military researchers were looking for a sound that could stop hearts from 100 yards. I know where they can find one." - Highwaylass, review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 10 September 2007.

"Lee as Joseph has been completely triumphant." - Andrew Lloyd Webber, I'd Do Anything, 15 March 2008.

"Now, I'm on record as not particularly liking Joseph as a musical, but it's a role that Lee inhabits completely and improves without measure." - Scott Matthewman, The Stage Blogs - TV Today, 2 June 2008.

This first chapter in Lee's life as a ‘leading man’ came to a close on 10 January 2009, at the end of a totally triumphant eighteen month run, when he took his last bows as Joseph on the Adelphi stage to thunderous applause. But to call it a 'last night' doesn't tell the whole story - it was a day of celebration of all that Lee has achieved since first stepping on to the Adelphi stage some eighteen months before, a day of thanks for the joy he has brought to so many lives. His fans gathered in force and greeted him with great warmth and huge respect, both for the man he has always been and the star he has become.

"You voted for him and you got it spectacularly right! You have been one of the greatest Josephs, if not the greatest Joseph.
You have been a complete joy to work with, a professional, you've just been fabulous."
- Andrew Lloyd Webber, after Lee's final performance in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 10 January 2009.

So how do you follow that? Well first, with a proposal - what happy news! My warmest congratulations to Lee and Denise on their engagement, I wish them every happiness together. Then a holiday before returning refreshed and ready to promote his stunning new album, Nothing Else Matters, released on 9th March.

The album features a mix of original material, on which Lee has worked with some of the best song-writers in the business, alongside a refreshingly bold choice of covers including Train's 'Drops of Jupiter', Spandau Ballet's 'Through the Barricades' and Extreme's 'More Than Words', and a beautiful arrangement of 'When The Stars Go Blue' on which he duets with Hayley Westenra.

Lee more than does justice to the material, and his two co-writes - 'Breathe You Out' with Chris Braide and 'Good To Be Alive' with Charlie Grant and Pete Woodroffe - show that he has more to offer than just his wonderful vocal talents.

In February, Lee was back to work promoting the album in a round of appearances and interviews, including an extensive tour of local radio stations. Talking of plans and hopes for the future, Lee mentioned a film-acting course in New York, a possible album tour, a wedding 'towards the end of the year' and hopefully a return to the West End stage early in 2010. The role that seemed to have piqued Lee's interest most is that of Marc Bolan in a new musical based on his life.

Some of these plans have already come to fruition - the first surprising everyone when news broke in late April of a quiet, beach wedding ceremony witnessed by a handful of their closest friends and family. My congratulations again to Lee and Denise, both on their marriage and on their decision to honour its meaning to them with privacy. But no sooner had they returned from their honeymoon than Lee departed for New York - spending the summer months studying at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.

While the mooted autumn tour never materialised, there have been concert appearances at the White Sapphire Ball, the Royal Albert Hall, in Monaco at a special Evening with Tim Rice, at Lincoln Cathedral and the Barbican, charity recordings for Children In Need at Longleat and at Abbey Road and again at Abbey Road for Help For Heroes/Royal British Legion and most importantly two very exciting pieces of news.

I'm sure the first, that Lee and Denise are expected their first child in May 2010, has the edge for Lee personally - he has made no secret of his delight at the news! But for his fans, perhaps more exciting is the news that before he becomes a Daddy, he will become a Lord as he makes his straight acting debut playing the lead, Lord Arthur, in Bill Kenwright's UK touring production of Oscar Wilde's Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, opening in Windsor on 12 January 2010.

And just as Lee's fans were getting used to the idea that he'd be taking a few months out after the baby was born, it's announced that on 10 May he is to join the cast of the phenomenally successful West End musical, Wicked, as Fiyero. 2010 is shaping up to be quite a year!

And finally, a thank you ...

I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to use The Timeline to raise money for Children in Need.
I was both humbled and delighted that in only two and a half weeks the total reached £1,250.
The final total when the JustGiving page expired on 30 April 2009 was a truly amazing £1,535.

The Timeline's second appeal, running from December 2009, has so far raised over £700 for Help For Heroes.

My HUGE thanks to all who have contributed - Lee has good cause to be proud of his fans.

Joseph photographs by Tristram Kenton © The Really Useful Group Ltd 2007.

Site created by Ro © 2008.