MOST of us think of opera singers as portly, moustachioed men belting out Nessun Dorma in front of huge orchestras . . . but Opera North’s newest member is a million miles away from such stereotypes. James Laing sports a funky hairstyle that wouldn’t look out of place on a pop star, runs a paintball business and has bought himself one of the original Knight Rider cars, though he journeys to work on his Honda RVF motorbike. He has delivered rousing performances to many a star audience . . . including Jonny Wilkinson and the rest of the Rugby World Cup-winning England squad. Now culture vultures can hear counter- tenor James for themselves, because the Opera North tour is coming to Newcastle with a production of The Adventures of Pinocchio. The 29-year-old became principal singer with the Yorkshire-based opera company at the end of last year, prompting him to move from Cambridge to Harrogate, North Yorkshire, with his wife Annette and their six- month-old daughter Heidi. But he’s currently on the road with the Opera North tour. He’s certainly used to travelling abroad as part of his job . . . he spent two months in Australia in 2003, when he sang the national anthem at the start of every England match. He said: “I was a lucky bugger. My singing partner Belinda Evans and I were part of the England camp for the whole time so I met Jonny Wilkinson and the rest of the squad, but we didn’t talk too much because they were all so focused on the games. “Singing in front of 90,000 fans at the final was a spine-tingling experience but I’ll reveal an insider secret . . . I had to pre-record everything. “The officials said they loved my voice but were worried how it would go down with the rugby fans because I am a falsetto, so I sing like a girl. So they recorded me singing the anthem in my bass tone, and then layered a recording of my counter-tenor voice over the top. I can’t just lip-synch though, so I most definitely sang on the day as well, over the top of the recording that was played through the speakers.” James has been thrilling audiences with his turns as the coachman and the fox in The Adventures of Pinocchio — a fast-moving musical tale with 11 scenes in the first act and more than 30 wonderfully costumed characters — and is rehearsing as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Yet he only entered into the world of opera, after failing to get into music college. He said: “My whole family is very musical. I was given my first oboe and began singing at the age of six, my dad plays the clarinet, piano and guitar, one brother plays the bassoon and the other plays everything, and my sister plays the flute. “But I didn’t get into music college with the oboe, so took three gap years. “I spent the first year as a choral scholar in Truro Cathedral, then six months at Chelmsford Cathedral and that got me thinking I could get into singing instead. “Opera now is everything to me. I love the amazing music and the fact you can combine it with drama . . . play a character and bring it to life for an audience. It’s really something.” After spending some time in Hong Kong and Australia — where he worked as a barman, indulged in bungy jumping, played football and hockey for a local team and had his tongue pierced by a gypsy — James returned to the UK to launch his singing career. Eight years on and his career is flourishing . . . but he also recognises the importance of having a back-up plan. He said: “You never know where you are going to be from one job to the next. “It’s great when you are doing an opera and the show is up and running but you don’t do much the rest of the time . . . that’s why my brother Ben and I have our business, Apocalypse Paintball. “I love paintball. It’s huge in America, where there are people who are professional paintballers taking part in world championships. “I also have one of the only four Kitts — the official Knight Rider car — in the world, and he is such a cool car. “Kitt’s currently off the road, in a garage in London, where he’s being mended but the idea is to hire him out for weddings, parties and other events. “Hopefully he’ll be ready in time when Knight Rider the movie comes out later this year . . . and maybe we can reunite him with David Hasselhoff.” V The Adventures of Pinocchio is at Theatre Royal, Newcastle, on March 7 and 8. For tickets, costing from £13.50 to £51, call 08448- 112122. | 
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