Steven Webb is playing the title role in Quasimodo, which opens at the King's Head Theatre later this week.
Steven has appeared in the West End several times, playing Posner in Alan Bennett’s The History Boys (National Theatre & Wyndhams), starring in the musical Betwixt! (Trafalgar Studios), and he played title role in Lionel Bart’s Oliver! (London Palladium) as a child actor in 1999.
Recently I spoke to Steven about what it is like taking on such a huge role, what people can expect from Lionel Bart's final great musical and and how he fell into acting...
How are rehearsals going for Quasimodo?
Incredibly well. It’s a really exciting project because nobody knows the material even though it was written 50 years ago. There’s pressure that comes with it as well because you know that it is gold dust and was composed in the last century.
What is it like taking on such a huge role?
I'm approaching the role delicately and have done quite a lot of research. Quasimodo is often portrayed as much older than he actually was. In the novel by Victor Hugo he was 19 years old, deaf and quite incoherent but very strong from all his bell ringing – I've been to the gym a lot!
What can people expect from Quasimodo?
It starts in 1465 when a baby is abandoned at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. People who see that the baby has a deformed eye and a twisted body want to burn him. However, the Archdeacon of Notre Dame, Claude Frollo, takes the baby on as his own. The play then cuts to 19 years later when Quasimodo has grown into a young man who has become deaf through ringing the cathedral bells. He has shut himself off from the outside world, living in the cathedral belfry. He gets accused of something and is tortured, after which he meets a gypsy girl called Esmeralda who he falls in love with. She gives him water after he’s been whipped and this is the first time in his life he has been treated like a human being. This action changes his entire world. It’s a lovely story about the meaning of beauty… both on the outside and on the inside. The author Victor Hugo is not known for his happy endings (like Les Miserables which he also wrote) and, sadly, he doesn't disappoint in this play! The ending is quite emotional.
What are the cast like to work with?
They are all so talented, it’s actually quite overwhelming. On the first day we did a read-through and then we sang through the songs which just blew me away. I hadn't heard many of the songs and hearing them for the first time sent chills up and down my spine… this is the first time these songs have actually been sung by a cast.
Do you enjoy performing at such small, intimate theatres such as the Kings Head?
Absolutely! As Bart was writing this script he was almost certainly picturing it being performed somewhere like the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane to enable actions such as swinging from bells. However, I think the production will benefit from the intimate space as there’s something about concentrating it and audiences will be able to hear how beautiful the score is. The designer has come up with some extremely clever ideas which I don’t think the King's Head will have seen before. There are different levels on the stage, I will be up in the belfry looking down and swinging out over the audience – it’s all very exciting!
You were in another of Lionel Bart's musicals as a child...
(Laughs) I played Oliver at the London Palladium in 1999! At that age I didn't have any nerves or inhibitions so I just remember singing and dancing on stage and having a laugh! I didn't feel any pressure back then which was a great thing. So now, nearly 20 years later, I’m doing another Lionel Bart production and it’s a different kind of pressure.
When did you first decide you wanted to become an actor?
Probably when I was in a nursery play at about 4 years old. I remember liking the audience’s reaction and thinking I’d like to do this some more and be paid for it!
What would you say to any aspiring actors?
There are so many different ways into the profession - I didn't take a traditional route. I grew up in the Wirral near Liverpool where I attended a Saturday drama school and did acting, singing and dancing. The Liverpool Empire was holding an open audition for a musical called Her Benny and I got the part. Afterwards I heard about another open audition, this time for Oliver in London. My parents really wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer but allowed me to attend the audition anyway! After a lengthy drawn-out process I was eventually successful. So Going to drama school is a great thing to do so I would recommend that route if you can get in.
Do you have any dream roles you would like to play in the future?
I'm a big supporter of new writing so perhaps my dream role hasn't been written yet!
What would you like to say to everyone who has supported you throughout your career?
Being an actor can sometimes be quite lonely. You might be auditioning for a new job a couple of times a week which is obviously not like being in an office job. I’ll have different colleagues maybe four times a year. A few years ago I did a musical called The Departure Lounge and the support in musical theatre is absolutely unparelled. The support I had then opened my eyes to a new world. The support I've had over the past few years has been incredible. Support is so important as, without it, there wouldn't be new work for us actors.
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
Quasimodo runs at the King's Head Theatre between Wednesday 20th March and Saturday 13th April.
Please visit www.kingsheadtheatre.com for further information and to book tickets.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Humphries
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