The actor spoke to Love London Love Culture’s Emma Clarendon about being part of  Mischief Theatre’s The Comedy About a Bank Robbery. 

Hi Jack, thanks so much for talking to me. How are you enjoying being part of The Comedy About a Bank Robbery? It’s great fun at the moment, if a little hot on stage! The audiences have been great the whole run but now the holidays are starting they’re even better.

Could you tell me a bit more about your character Officer Shuck? He’s someone whose life has passed them by a little and is a bit bitter about it. His wife left him, his superiors at work hate him and no one below him gives him the respect he feels as though he deserves.

What makes performing in The Comedy About a Bank Robbery so special?Performing in any farce you get an instant response when the jokes land which is amazing and when the whole show goes well the cumulative effect on the audience is great, they should feel as though they’ve been dragged backwards through a hedge. This show in particular has a lot of heart and you really care about what happens to the characters.

What do you enjoy the most about being part of a Mischief Theatre production? They’re a lovely company; founded and run by actors who believe in the ensemble ethic, so you leave your ego at the door and work as a team.

There are quite a lot of physical elements to the show – how do you cope with all that? The best thing is a thorough vocal & physical warm up. I usually start my warm ups at about twenty to six for a half seven show. Getting rid of the tension and relaxing is also important. After that it’s a mixture of adrenaline and the energy from the audience getting you through.

Have you a favourite moment in the show? I love the scene above the back office.

For those who haven’t come along to see it yet – what can they expect from The Comedy About a Bank Robbery? Gut ache from laughing? It’s both very silly and clever at the same time, there are a lot of jokes, some very inventive staging, great performances (not talking about myself) and a lot of fun.

By Emma Clarendon

The Comedy About a Bank Robbery is now booking at the Criterion Theatre until April 2019. To book tickets click here or visit: Ticketmaster.co.uk, Last Minute.com, Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk, Love Theatre.com, See Tickets.com, From the Box Office and Encore Tickets.