Big Interview: John McLarnon

John McLarnon is currently starring in Jamie Lloyd’s West End production of The Commitments which celebrates its first birthday at the Palace Theatre today! 

John understudied five roles in the original cast before taking over as Outspan full-time last month. The Commitments has been adapted for the stage by Roddy Doyle from his original novel.

Originally from Glasgow, John made his West End debut as Rebel Leader and first cover Pop in We Will Rock You (Dominion). His theatre credits also include: Spider in Jekyll & Hyde (Union), Josh in Elegies For Angels Punks & Raging Queens (Tron Theatre, Glasgow) and Hamish/Superfly in Jack & The Beanstalk (Perth Theatre). He also created the role of John in the award winning Wasted Love (Edinburgh Fringe & Actors Church, London). As a singer-songwriter he released his debut EP last year. 

I recently spoke to John backstage at the Palace Theatre about his new West End leading role, why The Commitments is his dream job, his Irish accent and only knowing one musical theatre song when he joined drama school…

In 2012 I reviewed you in The Improvised Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival… and just over two years later here we are in your West End dressing room!

It’s been a mad couple of years actually! When I did the fringe that year I knew I was going into We Will Rock You. I literally started the next month which was an amazing feeling – I could really enjoy it. When I found out The Commitments was coming in I spoke to my agent but it was going to be really, really close dates-wise. Because I was desperate to do this we decided I should just go for it anyway and then the dates changed so it was going to be a month overlap. It was up in the air for a while, but then We Will Rock You were so supportive of me and Mark Dugdale (who also went from We Will Rock You to The Commitments at the same time). They managed to get someone else to return to the show so it all worked out.