Tag: #interview

#Interview with Comedian, Director, Actor Stuart Laws on new tv series, directing comedy specials and more… #StuartLaws #Comedian #Actor #Director #TVDrama #Stage #Patience #Channel4 #ComediansTakingPenaltiesWithChloePetts #StandUp

Interview with Comedian, Director, Actor Stuart Laws
conducted by Louise Cannon

Stuart Laws is known for his stand-up comedy, directing well-known comedians James Acaster, Rosie Jones and Nish Kumar and is highly respected amongst many other comedians too. I was given the opportunity to interview him on Bookmarks and Stages where we covered what it was like to direct the aforementioned comedians, his latest projects, including acting in channel 4 drama, Patience, Comedians Taking Penalties with Chloe Petts, a new web game show, Is It A Bone?, his inspiration to do these many jobs and being neurodivergent in the tv world, for him it’s autism. After the interview you can also discover his latest live shows for February and March 2026.
Welcome Stuart Laws to Bookmarks and Stages and thanks to PR, Julian Hall for creating this opportunity. Now, let’s begin our interview…

  1. You’ve done stand-up comedy, appeared in dramas, directed, it’s a great achievement. What spurs you on?

A desperate desire to prove my enemies wrong. Also, I do find it funny to not see a friend for 3-4 months and then when they ask – “oh what have you been up to?” to be able to provide a list of genuinely surprising new developments. I love watching TV, comedy, film and so to be any part of it fills me with excitement. As long as I can I will keep doing as many different, fun things until it’s very clear I’m not good at those things. VERY CLEAR. It’ll have to be VERY CLEAR.

  1. Who or what inspired you to act, direct and do comedy?

When I was a kid it was films like Jurassic Park and Back to The Future or stand up comedy like Lee Evans or Harry Hill’s Channel 4 show, then I got older and it was things like Twin Peaks and Arrested Development. Once I had started doing stand up comedy and was making short films I was really inspired by new acts that I met on the circuit and loved watching perform and made me want to be better. Chuck in enough arrogance to believe that I could help them be even better and bam, it all started to coalesce.

  1. You’re appearing in Channel 4 drama, ‘Patience’, can you tell us a little bit about the character you play?

Alex is a member of the adult autistic support group that Patience Evans, the lead character played by the brilliant Ella Maisy Purvis, attends and so I get to stretch my acting muscles by playing an autistic adult. When the audition came in I remember being excited because I don’t get a huge amount of scripted and definitely very little drama auditions so I knew I wanted to nail it. Because the show has a strong sense of humour running through it I knew I wanted to lean into that, especially knowing the character was across multiple episodes – it’s a good chance to have a think about the wider context and life of your character. Saying that, it’s not a huge part but a delight to play and the production team so good and the first series of the show so compelling and fun to work that I knew I wanted to be involved and to be able to add whatever details and experience I could.

  1. You’re a go to director for comedians, James Acaster, Rosie Jones and Nish Kumar, what is your process to direct other comedians and have you got any favourite moments when directing these comedians in-particular?

Directing a comedy special is a lot about just getting the cameras in and making sure the lights look nice and the comedian is as good a mental space as possible to do their show as well as they can. I’m there to put out fires, be a sounding-board and to ensure the crew all are supported and can do what they do best. The next level up is a chance for me to work with the comedian, watch the show in advance, suggest structural tweaks or new lines, to eventually know it inside out, know the vibe of the comedian and talk about themes, tone and style they’re looking to achieve and what of my ideas are interesting to them – it could be to do with the style of how the cameras move, where they’re positioned, what the lighting is like and how we want the audience to feel while watching. Then I get to have conversations with heads of department about the best tools for those ideas and prep the crew as best as possible about how they can make the plan a reality. We recently shot Nish Kumar’s new one and we discussed dutch angles, 70s directors and Stop Making Sense, for James Acaster we talked about wrestling, 3:2 open gate aspect ratio and creating a sense of perpetual motion so that the cameras all cut together smoothly in the full 360 degree audience set up. That’s the fun of it for me, knowing that there’s certain things a stand up special needs to have but to also know that there’s wiggle room to express what makes the comedian brilliant, to make the jokes and the themes land even harder.

  1. You have a new SO TV series of ‘Comedians Taking Penalties with Chloe Petts.’ What are your football skills like and is there a particular football team you support?

I’m a Spurs fan and a Gotham fan and played for Goldhill FC for 23 years. I’m not a good footballer but I’m pretty solid and I think I’m happy with that, let’s put it this way – there is one cup final that my team played in that’s called The Stuart Laws Final – and I’m pretty happy with that. When I met Chloe on the circuit we immediately bonded over football and both being absolute lads so getting to write on and be in this series is a real dream come true. What is less exciting is the physical toll of playing football for 10 hours straight, two days in a row on the hottest days of the year. I think it took a couple of weeks for my body to recover and I can absolutely tell in some of the penalties that I haven’t dived because my brain refused further injury.

  1. What was your favourite moment of ‘Comedians Taking Penalties with Chloe Petts?’

Harriet Kemsley being on any TV is a promise of a good time and in her episode I suggested that she do a run-up from the halfway line for her last penalty. She of course immediately ran to the halfway line to do it and after a 15 second run-up she kicked the ball and it went so far wide that science still doesn’t really understand it. It was so funny and such a perfect denouement. Aside from that, it really was the team – they were so welcoming and supportive and that was all from Chloe and Andy at the top. They had brilliant ideas and worked so hard to turn the concept from a fun summer kick about into a genuinely funny and charming series that I HOPE HOPE HOPE gets a second series.

  1. You’ve created new web game show series ‘Is It A Bone?’ It sounds intriguing, with it involving a different sense: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.. How did you come up with the idea?

I was at dinner with comedian Chloe Radcliffe and she asked for her bone marrow dish to be boxed up to take with, it was served on a bone and they put that into the box and dropped it down on our table. Chloe said “IS IT A BONE???”. I laughed and then said that it was a game show and then immediately started laying out what I saw as the format. I then mentioned it to Rhys James and he said yeah of course that’s a show and we riffed more, then I took it to Al & Nick at my production company and they both had their own great ideas. Then we got Ben Mumford on board as a producer and he brought even more ideas. That got us to shoot day where Sam Lake the host and all the brilliant guests brought even more of their own ideas to it – that’s what I liked the most, creating a set up for the comedians to be funny and do what they like, knowing we could get them back onto the format when appropriate.

  1. . For ‘Is It A Bone?’ How did you choose your contestants?

I texted a bunch of people “Would you like to be a contestant on a game show I’ve developed, it’s filming at my office studio, you’d be in two episodes and it’ll take a couple of hours?” And they just all said yes. Like, didn’t even ask for more details about the show or what they’d have to do. Which means that each of them is genuinely reacting in the moment to what’s happening. How did I choose who to text? I went through my phone and thought who is damn funny and would team up well with others? I’d say that’s 35% of my address book to be fair, so more people will be getting texted for series 2 in 2026.

    12.You’re autistic, what advice would you give to other people who want to enter showbiz who also autistic?

It’s becoming more welcome and accepting of neurodivergence, which is handy considering the percentage of people in the entertainment industry who are neurodivergent is probably higher than the average population. It can be tough, it isn’t necessarily guaranteed that every project, location, team will be open or aware or able to make adjustments but it is becoming more common. Hopefully through my increasing awareness of it and trying to be vocal and supportive where I can I can play a part in it becoming more normalised in conversation. I’m aware that I’m privileged in being white, straight, able-bodied, low needs and therefore that makes my path smoother in disclosing. I know of a good number of people who are reluctant to disclose because they feel the discrimination is palpable or it makes them feel less secure. Hopefully that is changing.

   14. Where can people follow you and your work on social media?

You gotta get on instagram, though I am now trying to crack on with building my mailing list – I send out semi-regular updates with exclusive stuff and links to tickets and other cool things before they go public. Sign up at www.stuartlaws.com

Latest Live Shows

10th February @ Pleasance London
Comedians Beer Mat Flipping Championship 
6th March @ Pleasance London
Stuart Laws as Michael Caine Saying Never for One Hour

#Interview by Lou with Writer and Actor Ollie Maddigan on his award winning play, The Olive Boy showing in January 2026 @O.maddigan @Theoliveboyshow @swkplay #RonnieAncona #TheOliveBoy #Theatre #Play #WhatsOnTheatre #OllieMaddigan

Interview with Ollie Maddigan on theatre play,
The Olive Boy

Interview by Louise Cannon

Showing at Southwark Playhouse Borough in January 2026, Olive Boy is award winning (Offie Award) and has previously had successful runs at both Camden and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. I have had the great opportunity to interview Ollie Maddigan about his play, Olive Boy, performed and written about him, with timely voiceovers performed by impressionist/comedian/actress, Ronnie Ancona. We delve into losing his mum at 15, counselling, making sense of the world and more… I thank Ollie for his courage, willingness and honesty in answering my questions on such a sensitive topic as I recognise it’s one thing to perform it, but quite another to be interviewed about it.
Here’s a bit about the play and then there’s the interview and details of how you can see the play.

“When Ollie was fifteen, his mum died, and he was the one who found her. The Olive Boy explores his attempt to make sense of life at a time when everything was falling apart, yet he was expected to carry on as normal. It looks at what it means to grow up with that kind of loss, especially as a teenage boy navigating school, friends, first relationships and the pressure to keep quiet about how you’re actually feeling. 

A therapist’s recorded voice, played by Ronni Ancona, runs through the piece, reflecting the distance he felt in counselling at the time and the wider silence around boys expressing grief and all the emotions that come with it.”

Firstly, congratulations on having The Olive Boy transfer from Camden Fringe to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it sold out and winning an Offie Award to having a dedicated London season. What does that feel like and how does this inspire you to keep going?

Simply put, it feels great. You never imagine, when you’re first creating a show, that it could grow to this level, so I feel completely privileged. Watching The Olive Boy move from a tiny Camden Fringe run to Edinburgh, to a national tour, to an Offie Award, and now to a London season has genuinely been one of the highlights of my career. It’s been overwhelming in the best way. In terms of what inspires me to keep going, I think you know instinctively when something has reached its end and when it hasn’t. For a long time, I felt there was still more to do with this show and more people it could reach. That said, the run at Southwark might be the final chapter for The Olive Boy and if it is, it feels like the right place to end it.

 

  1. Secondly, sorry to hear about the loss of your mum at such a tender age.

The Olive Boy is about exploring a 15-year-old Ollie finding mum dead and trying to make sense of the world. What impact did that have on you at 15 years old and the adult you now?

 

Losing my mum at 15 changed everything. At that age you don’t really have the emotional language to understand something so sudden, so you just try to keep moving and hope you’ll catch up with yourself later. It forced me to grow up quickly, but it also left a lot of confusion that I didn’t unpack until adulthood. As an adult, I can see how much that moment shaped my humour, my outlook, and the way I connect with people. The show has been a way of finally giving that younger version of myself some space to be heard, and in doing so, it has allowed me to understand the adult I became.

 

  1. What did it feel like looking back to when you were 15 years old and what did you gain from this as that younger you tried to make sense of a world without mum physically in it anymore?

 

Looking back at myself at 15, I mostly feel a mixture of compassion and frustration. I can see how hard I was trying to make sense of something that didn’t make any sense. When you lose a parent that young, you’re suddenly pushed into a world that feels far too adult, but you’re still very much a child trying to keep up. What I gained from revisiting that younger version of me was perspective. I realised how much he was carrying without the tools to process it, and how he used humour and distraction to survive it. Writing the show allowed me to acknowledge that, rather than judge it. In a way, it gave that younger me the space and understanding he never had at the time.

 

 

  1. Therapy is still a bit taboo for some people, but it was more so for boys at a certain time, and a bit for even girls at a certain time too, but what was it like for you to attend counselling? You talk about reflecting the distance you felt, what effect did that have and would you ever consider counselling or recommend it to people now therapy is slowly opening up to wider ranges of people?

 

Counselling was a complicated experience for me at that age. It wasn’t something boys really talked about, and I remember feeling quite distanced from it, almost like I was watching myself go through the motions rather than actually opening up. I didn’t have the vocabulary to express what I was feeling, so it felt easier to stay on the surface.

That distance definitely stayed with me for a long time. It meant a lot of emotions got stored rather than processed, and I’m only now, as an adult, realising how much that shaped me.

Would I consider counselling now or recommend it? Absolutely. I think the stigma is slowly shifting, and people are starting to see therapy for what it really is: a space to understand yourself better. I wish I’d had the tools back then to make the most of it, but I can recognise now how valuable it can be, especially for young people who are trying to navigate grief or upheaval.

 

  1. After your mum died, there was a pressure felt to keep quiet about your emotions. What was living up to that pressure like?

 

There was definitely a pressure to keep quiet about what I was feeling after my mum died, and living up to that was exhausting in ways I didn’t understand at the time. When you’re young, you think staying silent is the same as staying strong, so you push everything down and hope it will sort itself out.

Looking back, that pressure created a kind of emotional numbness. I became very good at performing “being fine,” even when I wasn’t. It took years to recognise how much energy went into holding everything in, and how isolating that can be. The show has helped me confront that silence and acknowledge the cost of it.

 

  1. When trying to make sense of this world you were living in without your mum, what conclusions did you come to between then and now?

 

 

When I was 15, I didn’t come to many real conclusions at all. I think that’s the point: you try to make sense of a world that suddenly doesn’t make sense anymore, and most of what you land on is survival rather than understanding. At the time, my conclusion was simply to keep going, keep my head down, and hope things would eventually feel normal again.

Looking back now, the adult version of me can see that there is no neat conclusion to losing someone so central. What you find instead is acceptance. You learn that grief doesn’t disappear; it just changes shape as you grow. You learn that you can carry loss and still build a life around it. And you realise that the world without my mum physically in it is still a world she shaped through the memories, the humour, the resilience, and the perspective she left behind.

 

  1. Ronnie Ancona plays your counsellor in a recording. What was that like to have her on-board and be on stage yourself, knowing it was just her voice that carried through?

 

I mean, come on — it’s Ronni Ancona. Who better to play a character called “The Voice” than someone famous for her vocal impressions?

For me as a performer, it was a strange but exciting dynamic. You’re on stage responding to someone who isn’t physically there, but because it’s Ronnie, the performance feels alive. Her delivery is so precise and nuanced that it gives you something real to play off. It elevated the scenes and added a layer to the show that audiences always respond to.

 

  1. How did you inject humour into what feels heartfelt and such a personal play?

 

Teenage boys are funny. No matter what they’re going through, they’re crude, ridiculous, and absolutely convinced they know everything. I wanted to show that when you’re grieving as a teenager, you don’t suddenly stop being a teenager. You can be dealing with the biggest loss of your life and still be just as focused on trying to get past the child-blocker on the computer.

That contrast felt important to capture – the messy, contradictory reality of being fifteen and grieving, but still undeniably a teenage boy.

 

  1. What do you get personally from telling your story on stage in-front of a live audience?

 

There’s something grounding about standing in front of a room full of people and saying, “This happened, and it shaped me,” and feeling them meet you with empathy rather than judgement. It’s not about reliving the past; it’s about making sense of it in real time. When audiences laugh at the stupid teenage moments or fall silent during the heavier ones, it reminds me that grief is universal, and that there’s value in being open about it.

 

  1. What do you hope the audience will get out of your show, Olive Boy?

What I hope audiences take away from The Olive Boy is a sense of recognition. Whether they’ve experienced grief themselves or not, I want them to connect with the idea that growing up is messy, complicated, and never as straightforward as you expect it to be. If people leave feeling seen, or feeling like their own story makes a bit more sense, then the show has done its job. Above all, I want people to feel that, even in difficult chapters, there can still be humour, connection, and a way forward.

  1. Where can people follow you/your play?

 

O.maddigan on Instagram for me and Theoliveboyshow on Instagram for the show!

The Olive Boy will be performing at Southwark Playhouse from 14 January to 31 January 2026. Tickets and information: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/the-olive-boy/

#Interview by Lou on The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square In The Frosty Castle The Night Before Christmas @awkwardprods @KingsHeadThtr #Christmas #Theatre

Interview by Lou with Linus Karp on
The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On The Square
In The Frosty Castle The Night Before Christmas
2 December 2025 – 3 January 2026
King’s Head Theatre, London

Welcome Linus Karp to Bookmarks and Stages. Thank you for the opportunity to interview you. They have a new show this Christmas running from  2 December 2025 – 3 January 2026. See further details, plus a link after the interview. First, here’s the synopsis of what it’s about, then there’s an entertaining and interesting interview about the play, its created location, subversion, Christmas films and so much more…

Panic! In Swedonia. The King is dead, and the Prince in line to the throne is unmarried – if he doesn’t find someone soon, he must forfeit the crown!
Meanwhile, in New York City, baker Aaron Butcher is butchering his career as a family baker. His puppet colleague, the ever-optimistic Jenny Puppetson, secretly enters him for a mysterious royal commission in the faraway land of Swedonia: Aaron has been chosen to bake the wedding cake for the Prince himself.
Extremely reluctantly, and mostly to spite his ex, Aaron accepts. Maybe a commission in a suspiciously familiar, completely fictional country will fix his problems…
Audiences are invited to Swedonia – the perfect setting for the ultimate queer parody of all those Netflix and Hallmark romcoms you love to cringe at; the chaotic queer cousin to them all.
Written by and starring Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, with original music by Golden Globe–nominated songwriter and producer Leland (Troye Sivan, Charli xcx, RuPaul’s Drag Race) and multiple surprise cameos, The Fit Prince is a joyous subversion of heteronormative romcoms and a love letter to Karp’s native Sweden.

Without further ado, let’s find out what was said:

What inspired your play?

Joseph and I spent Christmas 2022 ill with covid. For close to two weeks, we watched endless Netflix and Hallmark holiday films. We felt like we wanted to put our own awkward prods spin on one of those stereotypical storylines, making it queer to the max. We added A LOT of audience participation, cameos from many of our fave people, some catchy musical numbers written by Leland and, of course, some beautiful puppets. 

The play is said to flick through the Net of traditional holiday movies, bringing all their Hallmarks together in the signature awkwardprods way. How did you go about weaving the feeling of those types of films into your play and what attracts you to this type of comedy?

There is something really fun in embracing clichés and predictable moments and then create surprises around that. It’s also fun to take what is traditionally heterononormative stories and make them queer. 

 The play is set in the fictional place in Swedonia with a prince who is next in line to the throne and is yet unmarried, which poses a problem. It sounds a bit fairytale like, what inspired this part of the premise in your play?

We wanted to create a fictional world, that’s to some extent removed from reality. Being Swedish, it felt really fun to play with people’s ideas of what Sweden is in creating that world – making Swedonia equal parts a fantasy land and a love letter to Sweden.

There’s a lot of playfulness in the names, Aaron Butcher and Jenny Puppetson, what were the discussions like when coming up with those names?

I thought Puppetson was a really funny name, Joseph wasn’t sure, but I put it as a placeholder in the first draft, and soon enough we both loved it. Because Aaron’s a baker it just felt very stupid that his surname would be Butcher, and we love stupid.

There’s romance and a bit of subversion, can you tell us a bit more about that?

Well, it’s Christmas. And at Christmas you tell the truth. Which is that love, actually is all around. So it felt natural to incorporate that into the story. The people need more queer love stories.

What are some of you favourite Christmas films?

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square, The Christmas Prince, The Princess Swithch, A castle for Christmas, The Knight Before Christmas – Josh Whitehouse who is the romantic lead in that film actually makes a video appearance in Fit Prince. And the show also sees a tribute to the Queen of Netflix Christmas movies – Vanessa Hudgens.

What do you like most about Christmas?

Personally, I never feel like it’s Christmas until I’m performing our show the Fit Prince at King’s Head Theatre. 

Where can people find out more about and follow your play

Head to your favourite social media and follow @awkwardprods to find out more about Fit Prince, and our other shows; Gwyneth Goes Skiing and Diana:The Untold and Untrue Story

The Fit Prince (Who Gets Switched On in the Square in the Frosty Castle the Night Before Insert Public Holiday Here) is at King’s Head Theatre from Linus Karp and Joseph Martin, with original music by Golden Globe–nominated songwriter and producer Leland . Tickets available HERE

#Interview with Phillip Arditti and Nina Bowers on their new play, English Kings Killing Foreigners and more… on to 18th Oct 2025 @sohotheatre @realfaketheatre #WhatsOnStage #Theatre #Shakespeare #EnglishKingsKillingForeigners #StagePlay

Interview with Phillip Arditti and Nina Bowers
on Stage Play – English Kings Killing Foreigners and more…
Soho Theatre, London
Tuesday 16th September – Saturday 18th October 2025

interview by Louise Cannon
Bookmarks and Stages

I had the pleasure of interviewing Phillip Arditti and Nina Bowers about their new play, English Kings Killing Foreigners. An eye-catching title if ever I saw one, which we discuss as well as the topics of the play and what it’s really about – Shakespeare’s Henry V. We also take you a little bit behind the scenes to the rehearsal room, the state of the Arts, working with Olivia Coleman and Jed Mercurio in other plays and more…

As an Actor Nina has performed in a wide range of projects at Shakespeare’s Globe, The Kiln Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Gate Theatre, and the Barbican. Credits include: all 19 Characters in Anna Deveare Smiths’ Twilight Los Angeles 1992 directed by Ola Ince and Rosalind in As You Like It at the Globe in a “standout performance” (Time Out)

Alongside acting Nina writes and makes work that has been performed at The Yard, ICA, Camden People’s Theatre.

Having grown up in the Jewish community of Istanbul, Philip moved to London and trained at RADA. He first became known for his portrayal of Uday Hussein in the HBO/BBC mini-series House of Saddam. 

He has since played leading and supporting roles on stage and screen. Most recently in Jed Mercurio’s Covid drama Breathtaking and opposite Sheridan Smith in No Return, both for ITV.  He was a regular at the National Theatre between 2008 and 2018 and was part of Michelle Terry’s Globe Ensemble through 2019 where he played the title role in Henry IV.

Upcoming: Philip will return to The Spy Who Came In From The Cold for its Soho Place transfer this winter, following a sold out premiere at Chichester in 2024.

What inspired the title, English Kings Killing Foreigners?

Great question! Well we wanted something bold and brash and a bit clickbaity. Doing a show about Shakespeare’s Henry V could sound a bit blah and boring. But the show is the opposite of that it’s this wild edgy dark comedy and we wanted the title to reflect that and make a statement. Also the play is really about the process of actors who are having to assimilate in different ways to Englishness and asks the question; does the foreign part of you have to die to make way for Englishness? To be accepted? So the title is a nod to that. 


– The play is inspired by your real-life experiences of starring in several productions of Henry V, including one at the Globe Theatre where you first met.
How do you feel those experiences have influenced your working relationship together?

This play really wouldn’t exist without us meeting at the Globe. It was an amazing experience, one that is so uncommon now, to have a company of ten actors do 5 plays together over the  course of a year! Being together and living with Shakespeare’s History plays for that long allowed us to have long discussions about what his plays meant for us that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. We’re so grateful for that time and space, it’s so rare to get the space as freelance actors to reflect deeply on the work that you’re doing and your relationship to it.

– How did you choose which experiences to put into the play and how did working together assist in you creating and making the piece evolve into a brand new play?

Very few of our real experiences are in the play, but the events in the play have roots in our real lives if that makes sense? It’s kind of like fanfiction of our lives. Our approach to writing is about taking a very small moment or comment from our lives and then expanding it into a full drama. Kind of the opposite of de-escalation. We look at tiny moments where we may have felt, something was strange or interesting or funny and we push it to the most extreme. Then once we had all these great moments and scenes, we started knitting them together and the play grew really organically from there. 

– The synopsis says: “… English culture with a frank and bold criticism of the institution of Shakespearean theatre in the UK…” How do you view Shakespeare, what are your feelings towards him and his work?

When you approach Shakespeare there’s two things you’re talking about; there’s the actual plays and then there’s the brand and the cultural resonance  that Shakespeare has. Which is a legacy that is tied up with elitism and British exceptionalism. We’ve both had great experiences with Shakespeare and difficult ones, some of the parts we’ve gotten to play in Shakespeare are really liberating, and powerful. But we also think it’s worth being critical, especially when it comes to the ‘problem plays.’ Shakespeare isn’t going anywhere and as a fixture of the culture he can take some robust interrogation.

– With cultural identity being a hot topic just now, how did you set about turning what can be a heated debate into a piece of comedy and why do you feel this is important?

There’s plenty of anger and commentary when it comes to the topic of identity but there aren’t as many spaces to laugh about it. Both of us have many intersecting identities, cultures and have lived in different places, and when you’re in the position of being many things, you really can see the absurdity of rigid classifications of identity. Absurdity is a great source of humour, and humour is a wonderful way of highlighting absurdities so it’s a perfect match for us. The show gives space for people to laugh while also maybe feeling challenged and uncomfortable and we think that’s really powerful to have those things together. It allows people to engage in a different way and make discussion feel possible.

– There’s a glimpse in the play, within a play of the micro-aggressions within the rehearsal room, is this based on what you’ve experienced and/or witnessed? In what manner have you added it into the play?

 We’ve both experienced our fair share of microaggressions in the rehearsal room but the ones you see in the play aren’t necessarily things we’ve directly experienced. Or some of them we have experienced outside the theatre world, it’s a real mix.

– What do you hope people take away from English Kings Killing Foreigners?

We hope people feel like they have more space to process the current political moment, we’ve had lots of people reflect that back to us after seeing the show and that’s been so amazing. 

– Philip Arditti, you’ve previously worked with Olivia Colman, Omid Djalili and Gugu Mbatha-Raw amongst other famous, well-known people, what was that like and did you learn anything new or find yourself being influenced by them? Did they divulge whether you influenced them in a positive way in their careers?

Yes, all of them had such humility and authenticity which is inspirational, it must be difficult to hold on to a sense of self when surrounded by so much attention, so I’m always struck by how they manage to do that, I’m in awe. I’m so grateful to them that they came out to support a fundraiser I put together in 2023 for the earthquake in Syria.

– Philip Arditti, you acted in Jed Mercurio’s Covid drama Breathtaking, which was very moving. What emotions did you feel acting in a drama with such immediacy with a topic that affected the whole human race in varying ways?

It felt like it was a really important story to tell, what the health care frontline staff went through. The extent to which they were abandoned by the high echelons of power is really shameful and being part of telling that story in a small way felt important. Those people literally risked their lives to care for covid patients, and no amount of celebration would be enough.

– Nina Bowers, you were credited as all 19 characters in Anna Deveare Smiths’ Twilight, how did you ensure all of them were different from each other and remember your lines, accents for each one?

Well I had a great accent coach Hazel Holder to help me. Also, all of the people I played were real so I scoured the internet for footage of them and if I couldn’t find someone I’d find footage from the time (the play was set in the 90s) and try to model that person off of someone else. I also drew every one of my characters and had all the portraits pinned up in my dressing room, I used colours/styles that meant something for each person, the pictures were like little portals into each character. I also used key phrases and poses for each character.

– You’ve appeared on many stages many times, especially Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, how does it feel to have the experience of walking in the footsteps of so many thesps, dead and alive, with all that history running through a building and across the well-trodden boards?

One of the great aspects of our profession is camaraderie across generations and we have always cherished working with older actors, and being part of a long line of storytellers.

– Arts funding is increasingly under scrutiny and threat, theatre tickets in mainstream theatres, in some cases, astronomically pushing audiences further away from trying out new writing and actors, how do you feel this is affecting the future of theatre, what do you think the personal cost is to both audiences and actors/playwrights and all those behind the scenes and do you see a brighter future?

The structure of the buildings that we work in, the ecology of having loads of producing houses, was set up when there was more funding for the arts. Currently it feels hopeless because there aren’t the resources to keep that system going, and the expectation of the theatre community, including audiences, hasn’t shifted to accommodate that reality. However, we are hopeful that new structures will develop in response to these economically and politically challenging times. If we respond to the moment we are in, the work is bound to be exciting. 

– Where can people follow you on social media?

@realfaketheatre 

Realfaketheatre.com

English Kings Killing Foreigners is currently running at the Soho Theatre until 18th October. For tickets and more information, visit: https://sohotheatre.com/events/english-kings-killing-foreigners/

#Interview with comedian and actor Lucy Pearman with Lou on new show, Lunartic #LucyPearman #Lunartic @sohotheatre 29th Sept – 4th Oct #comedy #theatre #stage

Interview with comedian and actor, Lucy Pearman  Lunartic

Interview by Louise Cannon

It gives me great pleasure to be interviewing about her new comedy show, Lunartic, which is transferring from a sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival Theatre to Soho Theatre from Monday 29 September – Saturday 4 October 2025 at 9:15pm. Please find how to book at the end of the interview.
Thank you and welcome to Bookmarks and Stages, Lucy Pearman.

Lucy Pearman’s latest show, Lunartic was nominated for the Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality and nominated for Best Variety Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival Awards.
She has also wrote and starred in BBC Three’s Please Help, which was nominated for a BAFTA following its release. She has appeared on Red Dwarf and other tv shows. She was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards in 2017 for her debut full-hour show Maid of Cabbage.
She has successfully had other shows transfer from the Edinburgh Fringe to SoHo Theatre, such as Baggage.

Before the interview, which contains fascinating and entertaining insights into the themes of the play, the BAFTAs, Red Dwarf and some humour, here is a bit about Lunartic.

In Lunartic, the Moon is putting on a show. But, as the Sun keeps reminding her, the Moon will never be a star – and without him, she’d be invisible altogether. Through her trademark blend of surreal character comedy, joyful audience participation and prop-fuelled silliness, Pearman takes us into a huge-hearted story about loneliness, big dreams, and wanting to be seen. As the Sun threatens to switch off the light altogether with a total eclipse, the Moon faces the dark – and the audience is invited to join her in a wonderfully daft celestial adventure.

Without further ado, here is our interview:

  1. Lunartic, it’s a clever, playful, fun name, what inspired you to call your show this?

   I quite like using references to madness because I’ve very often been called those things. My 2018 show was called *Fruit Loop*. So I think the titles just come from all the things I’ve been rightly or wrongly called along the way.

2. Lunartic was a sell-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has now transferred to Soho Theatre. How does that feel, to know your show has life beyond a major festival, and what does it take to tour it?

   Incredible! I’m so, so happy that I get to make what’s in my brain and people fancy coming to watch it.

   I think the key to touring something is being sure people will come. I’ve started a mailing list, maybe that will help!

3. Interestingly, the characters in this play are the sun and the moon, with the moon putting on a show and the sun reminding it that it is also required. What inspired this concept?

   Well, I sort of thought about the moon and wondered if she minds that, if the sun switched off, she’d just be a sort of big rock in the dark.

   I’ve had times where I’ve felt a bit like a big old rock in the dark, so I sort of connected with that idea.

   I like the thought that everybody loves the sun so much and is so happy when it’s around, but what if he was a bit of a dick, the villain of the piece I guess.

4. The themes are loneliness and big dreams. How did you weave these into such a celestial storyline, and why do you feel they’re important themes to focus on?

   I have always felt like the moon looks so isolated and sad… I would always talk to the moon after gigs like a really trusty nocturnal colleague.

   I liked the idea that she worked nights but also love the way she pops out in the day sometimes, and I imagined the sun being a bit cross about that, like she’s stepping on his shift a bit.

5. Since your show covers big dreams, what is one of your big dreams and why?

   I had an actual dream that I was a clown wobbling around Liberty, that was quite nice, that feels within my reach. But career dreams… I would love to work with Julia Davis or make film, but also, hand on heart, I’d like to buy a pig.

6. What do you hope people take away from the show?

   Well, nothing, because I will need all the props for the next night. It’s too stressful when people take everything home with them.

7. You were BAFTA nominated for Channel Three’s *Please Help*. Did you go to the party, what was that like? If you didn’t, what did it feel like to know you were nominated for such a prestigious award?

   I did go to the party and I felt like a competition winner, but it was bonkers and amazing.

   My mum lost her shoe, not because she’s such a liability, but the cloakroom threw them away, which wasn’t ideal, to be honest with you.

8. You starred in Dave’s Red Dwarf feature-length special. What was your best experience within this show?

   Oh God, walking on set, meeting the cast, wearing fake custom made fang teeth, pretending I was in space. But my favourite bit was probably eating croissants with Craig Charles.

9. What’s next for you in your successful career?

   I think it’s: buy a pig, then off to Hollywood… with the pig. Me and the pig, the pig’s flying and I’m holding on for dear life… could happen!

You can take a trip to the moon, via Soho theatre by checking out the box office here: https://sohotheatre.com/

Follow her Lucy Pearman here:
Instagram: lpeaman
Website: lucypearman.com

#Interview By Lou with the Tony Award Winning Actor, Laura Benanti on new show Nobody Cares @laurabenanti #NobodyCares #comedy in #Soho #London at #Underbelly on 2nd Sept #Theatre

Interview with Laura Benanti
on Nobody Cares

Interview by Louise Cannon
Welcome, Laura Benanti, to Bookmarks and Stages and thank you for the opportunity to interview you.
I am absolutely delighted to interview Laura Benanti about her new show, Nobody Cares, which had a hugely successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It has now directly transferred to:
 Underbelly Boulevard Soho, London on 2 September for two performances only.
See after the interview for ticket details.
 
Laura is best known for her show-stealing performance as Louise in Gypsy alongside Patti LuPone on Broadway. For this role, Laura won a prestigious Tony Award.
She is also known for her recurring role impersonating Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, alongside other major Broadway such as Eliza Doolittle in my Fair Lady and more. She has also appeared in tv shows, such as Nashville, Gossip Girl, The Gilded Age and more…
 
Here’s a little about Nobody Cares before we talk about it interview, finding humour in being a former people pleaser and in the perimenopause, Melania Trump and why she impersonates her, connecting with audiences and more…  The answers are fascinating and insightful.
 
Nobody Cares, is a hilarious, heartfelt, and sometimes brutally honest autobiographical hit charting Benanti’s journey from an 18-year-old ingenue to a recovering people pleaser with all of the missteps and marriages (three!) along the way. Her comedic take on everything from motherhood to perimenopause is yet another star turn.
 
Your show, Nobody Cares had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, you’ve stepped onto the glitzy stages of Broadway, huge tv series and won a Tony. What inspired you to choose the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to showcase Nobody Cares and what did you like most about your time there?
 
I’ve always wanted to perform at the Fringe! Being at a festival full of theatre nerds was a dream come true!
 
2.You bring Nobody Cares to intimate stages, what do you enjoy most about this and are there any challenges, compared to big Broadway stages?
 
I enjoy connecting with the audience in a completely different way. I can communicate with them. It’s a much more relaxed vibe. 
 
3. You bring comedy, ranging from parenthood to perimenopause, they can be inherently funny subjects, but what do you feel is important that we find the humour, even in the most challenging of times of being a women?
 
I endeavor to see the world through the lense of a sense of humor. For me, it’s the only way through. Humor eradicates shame.  
 
4. You tackle being a former “people pleaser”, how did you overcome people pleasing?
 
I’m still working on it! I actively work on it during the show! There are definitely people who come to the show thinking I’m going to sing Broadway music and instead I deliver original comedy and songs that has very adult themes and language. I find myself wanting to apologize to them for that, or wondering what they’re thinking. I have to tell myself to let it go and be present. 
 
5. What’s one of the funniest moments of the peri-menopause? Frankly, I ask as I am one of those women hurtling ever closer to that age and stage of life.
 
I think embracing that you will, at some point, look for your phone and it will be in your hand. Brain fog is real!
 
6. After London, what’s next for you in your illustrious career?

The day after I land I film a few days on a very sweet movie called “the Ditch” and then we take our show to Berkeley, California. 
 
7. On a side note, us in the UK often have an eye on US politics. You’re known for impersonating Melania Trump on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which is incredibly funny, even from a single pose. What inspires you to do impersonations and kick ass out of politicians? We also have many comedians doing this, it’s often clever.
 
First of all, I want to apologize on behalf of America that some of us voted for our current POTUS (pervert of the United States. Doing this impression is an act of rebellion and a way to keep people laughing during what is a very serious time. 
 
You can catch Laura Benanti in Nobody Cares by finding out more details and booking here: https://underbellyboulevard.com/tickets/laura-benanti-nobody-cares/