Michael Lindall is starring as Jay Gatsby in the stage version of The Great Gatsby at Riverside Studios.
Last year the show enjoyed a sold out run at the King’s Head Theatre and was nominated for three Off-West End Awards including Best Musical, Best Costume Designer and Best Lighting Designer.
Michael’s previous stage roles include The Busy Body, The Belle’s Strategem, Love & Money, and Sparkleshark, all at Southwark Playhouse, and he can be seen in the upcoming feature film, Hammer Of The Gods.
Last week I spoke to Michael during the final week of rehearsals about how the show has developed since last year’s run, what it’s like taking on such an iconic role and if he’s got any plans to see the new film version...
How are rehearsals going for The Great Gatsby?
Rehearsals are going well. I’m so excited to be part of the show as being an English actor I didn’t expect to be offered such an iconic American role! When the opportunity arose I grabbed it with both hands. It’s also particularly exciting because Gatsby is talked about as an enigma in history and as soon as you know that you want to know more about the man so for me going to work on that has been really exciting. I’ve also been able to put my own spin on the role which is something I’m really happy to have been given the opportunity to do.
The show premiered last year at the King’s Head Theatre but I believe this production has new songs, orchestrations and choreography?
It does, I’ve tried to keep myself separate from last year’s show but I do know that this production is on a larger scale with a larger set, bigger cast and more songs – the musical numbers are said to be the best in the West End!
Do you think the show will work well in a slightly larger space than the King’s Head?
This theatre is more stretched out than the King’s Head but it wouldn’t really matter what scale you had as you could perform this show in a grand hall and you would still feel the intimacies of the moment because the characters are so rich and so full and each actor fully embodies their character.
The show’s opening coincides with the film release, are you going to be seeing the film?
I can’t wait to see the film but I’m going to wait until our run is over, in fact I think all the cast are going to go together. It will be interesting as we are all very much into the subject matter and love the story so it will be fascinating to compare how the roles are performed in the film. I’m completely undaunted by the fact that we’re going up against this wonderful huge 80 million dollar film and we are a very humble acting company who are all extremely talented and we’ve banded together. It couldn’t be more perfect timing – it’s the Gatsby season!
And of course Leonardo di Caprio plays your role in the film!
Everyone talks to me about Leonardo di Caprio and I can’t wait to see how he plays the role.
What are the cast, who all double up as musicians, like to work with?
They are super talented! We have all been working really hard on this show, doing extra rehearsals and so on because everyone is completely in love with the material. The cast are phenomenal and I’m very lucky to be working with them, especially Matilda Sturridge who is utterly captivating.
Have you managed to see any shows recently?
I saw Helen Mirren in The Audience which was great fun! It was a great piece of writing and really fascinating. I also managed to see Judi Dench and Ben Wilshaw in Peter and Alice. Judi came on-stage, said one line and got a round of applause – it was hilarious! I would love to see Luke Treadaway in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. There’s lots of good stuff on the fringe to see at the moment but I don’t get enough time to go as I am so busy!
What advice would you give to aspiring actors who would love to be in your shoes right now?
Never stop if you love what you do and if you believe in it. Acting is not an easy profession, in fact it’s a very tough one and not something that is easily recommended to do. But if you want it so badly and can’t imagine doing anything else then don’t give up. There’s a lot more hard work to do than people realise so you need to work as hard as possible and enjoy the job.
Why should people come and see The Great Gatsby, what can they expect?
They can expect to be entertained from the very beginning. The music is absolutely incredible, the set is amazing, the costumes are beautiful and the dance numbers are fantastic – I find them mind boggling! It’s a story of love, a classic story to which everyone can relate. The setting by the river is lovely – a trip to see this show would be a perfect date!
Interviewed by Andrew Tomlins (Editor)
The Great Gatsby runs at Riverside Studios (studio 3) until Saturday 8th June 2013.
Please visit www.riversidestudios.co.uk for further information and tickets.
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