Alex Moffat's 30 years as a musician worked in his favour when he won the role of Sam, one of the leading male roles in the Napier Operatic Society's production of Mamma Mia, opening on Saturday.
As the story goes, Donna's daughter, Sophie, decides to invite three of her mother's old boyfriends to her island wedding, in a bid to track down her real father. Bill and Harry are more lighthearted characters, while Sam realises his feelings for Donna never truly went away. "He decides to get serious and gets quite passionate about things."
The popular family production features a number of Abba's most popular songs.
Moffat was introduced to acting back in 1995 by a good mate, appearing in TV commercials, programmes such as Xena and Hercules, and making it on to a shortlist with acting professionals for a role in Peter Jackson's King Kong.
Earlier this year, he appeared as Lord Capulet in the local Out of the Box production of Romeo and Juliet, and has had a go at script writing as well.
Music remains his first love, however, stretching back to 1980 and his first band Fourplay, which lasted four years, and which was good enough to perform at three Sweetwaters festivals.
Various other bands followed over the years, and he was a regular performer at Ponsonby's infamous Gluepot Hotel. He also led a series of gigs at the Gluepot's corner bar featuring well known and lesser known songwriters.
When the Gluepot closed, he carried on the concept at the Java Jive, eventually starting up his own venture, Eel Music, until 2006 when he moved with his family to Eskdale.
Since August 1, he has been offering free downloads of his first solo album, East, and he is releasing a new album, Archive - a reflection of the material it contains - in parts over the next two months.
He has been working with bassist Steve Healey doing different versions of Moffat originals and, with Barry Holt, who played lead guitar on East, being back in town he's thinking once again about putting another band together.
Knowing his way around a stage has certainly helped Moffat, although Mamma Mia director Wendy Revell has been "very patient" helping him find his way through the slightly unfamiliar territory of live theatre, he reckons.
"It's been like one extended acting lesson."
• Mamma Mia, Napier Municipal Theatre, from 7.30pm, Saturday to October 11. Matinees at 2pm on Sundays and on Saturday, October 11. Tickets are $31-$45, available from Ticketek.