Brian Beacom

THE BABY face is still there to be seen.

Paul James Corrigan doesn’t quite have the soft features he had as a teenager back in the day when he worked in the cake factory.

But the Bellshill-born actor still has the boyish looks. And they serve him well.

Right now PJ is back in Glasgow with Sunshine On Leith, the musical featuring the songs of The Proclaimers.

He’s playing a squaddie, again, having been part of the brilliant Black Watch team of performers who conquered the world, and was also in army uniform with the classic Gary: Tank Commander.

But now, in his early thirties, he can still carry it off.

“I’m getting away with it,” says the 34 year-old smiling.

“It’s good to still be in the younger casting bracket. But I work at it. “I’m always at the gym and I look after myself.”

He adds, with a knowing smile; “At the end of the day you are your own business so it makes sense to take care.”

He’s right. Although there are many in the business who don’t subscribe to that theory.

“That’s true,” he says grinning. And it while it’s easy to pad up and look older in theatre, trying to convince as being young and buff is not so simple.

And casting agents, to put it simply, want a leading man to be able to take his shirt off.

“That’s exactly right,” he agrees.

“If you can look good with your shirt off and you can act it can really make a difference.

“Just look at the likes of Game if Thrones and Outlander. Just about every scene involves somebody with their top off and these guys are all ripped.

“It’s what’s required these days.”

The former River City star admits it’s hard to hit the gym every day.

“I’ll go through phases when I really batter the gym, but then I get bored. It’s hard to get the motivation when you’re working out on your own.

“And you have to factor in it can take about a year to get a good shape. That’s a tough regime to stick to.

“I guess it’s all about getting a balance. And at least if I can avoid being flabby.

The actor is perfectly placed for a lengthy career in the business. He has the talent and the determination. Paul reveals he had to jump through several hoops to land the role in Sunshine On Leith.

But not the usual hoops, in terms of impressing during an audition.

“I was in London doing another job at the time when I took a call from my agent saying auditions were taking place in London in a few weeks time.

“So I came back to London, but while on the train it was held up because of flooding on the line.

“As a result, I missed the audition. But I figured it may not matter too much; I had friends I could stay with and the casting people could see me first thing in the morning.

“But then my agent told me that wasn’t possible. The casting people were headed to Leeds that same night.”

Paul came back to Glasgow. Not happy at all. Then he made plans to go to Leeds the following day, only to be told there had already been castings in Glasgow.

“Turns out they thought I was London-based because my agent is based there,” he says, with a wry smile. “They didn’t know I lived in Glasgow.”

When Paul arrived in Leeds he had passed the first audition. Then he was asked to send in tapes of previous work.

“That went fine, then after that I had to go back to London, to learn a dance routine. I’m not a trained dancer but I can dance.

“As a wee boy I’ve always been able to do the moves.

“Then it was about coming back to do more scenes.”

After all that, Paul didn’t expect to land the role.

“Everybody was up for this part. And I mean everybody.”

But he landed it and now he’s part of a show that’s become a classic piece of theatre.

In Sunshine On Leith he plays Ally, a squaddie who comes back from the army with plans to marry girlfriend Liz. But she has her own plans.

“It’s a nice wee story and great fun,” says Paul. “It’s right up my street.”

Could he ever have imagined landing a lead role in a major touring production back in the days when he worked in the cake factory?

“Not a chance,” he says, grinning. “Getting out of there was the best move I ever made.

“My life now is such a contrast.”

Cutting the icing off the cakes wouldn’t have been quite so fulfilling.

Since that time, PJ has gone on to star in River City, the King’s Theatre panto alongside Elaine C. Smith and Johnny Mac, which he will return to this year.

“I’m working down south, which great. There aren’t a lot of Scottish roles as such but you can do voices.

“That’s your job as an actor. You just have to be prepared to jump on the train and go get it.”

He thrives on the challenge of going up against a wider range of talent.

“In Scotland, everybody knows me, and it’s absolutely brilliant. But I love the fact everything is new and fresh in London.

“And even though the competition is fierce, in some ways, there is less pressure attached because I’m not well known in London.”

He adds, smiling; “Not yet, anyway. But the plan is to change that.”

Keep going to the gym then PJ. Make sure at least your top can come off when required.

“That’s right,” he says, smiling. “The great thing is this is a great show that everyone wants to see. And who knows what it will lead to? ”

•Sunshine On Leith, the King’s Theatre, until Saturday.