London Grilling: We meet Actor, Mark Weinman, from Captain Amazing
In this London Grilling, we sit down with Mark Weinman, the actor making a return to the stage as 'Captain Amazing’ which is soon to show at the Southwark Playhouse, an incredible ten years after its first run! Join us as we delve into Mark's reflections on revisiting the character, navigating the highs and lows of theatre, and the thrill of performing in the vibrant landscape of London's theatre scene.
As you reprise your role as Captain Amazing after a decade, how has your perspective on the character evolved over time, and what new elements are you excited to bring to the performance?
Although it’s flown by, with 10 years you gain so much life experience that it’s inevitable I will take new ideas and perspectives into both character traits and the themes of the play. I’ve certainly got lots of fun things I want to play with because the character feels so attached to me from our original development. I guess we won’t know which ones stick until we begin rehearsals in April and Clive Judd (Director) and I begin to discuss how this character relates to me differently and also how he corresponds to those significant shifts in the world across that time period (perhaps most notably an ever-growing positive awareness around discussions of men’s mental health). I’m very excited about playing within the creations of the new design team as that feels like having a blank canvas from which to relaunch this character’s story. We will revisit each character pretty forensically I think – even becoming an uncle in the time I last performed this show will certainly have an impact on how I play the characters daughter Emily and the relationship traits between the two of them so it’s going to be a lot of fun to use the emotional recall of life’s true ups and downs.
Captain Amazing explores themes of fatherhood and everyday heroism. How do you connect with these themes personally, and what do you hope audiences take away from the play's exploration of them?
I’ve been fortunate to have two key supportive father figures in my own life – something I do not take for granted and something which I am able to draw a lot of inspiration from when telling this story. In all honesty, maybe I assumed I’d be a father now too – until you realise life cannot magically cohere to stereotyped societal assumptions of what you’re meant to do in each decade of your life – so this means I have to draw on my imagination too – I look at my friends who are parents, I look to my brother too who is a wonderful Dad – and although fatherhood is a key theme in this story, I also love that playing the Mum too, as her personality and bravery plays a vital part in this story also. My Mum and my Nan have been so influential on my life so there are parts of them I draw on, even whilst playing the Dad! And yes, it delves into all those tiny acts of everyday heroism, the little things that can go unnoticed, but which add up to make you a better person. The daily trials and tribulations of navigating what we think we are ‘supposed to do’ even if we don’t really know how to do it. I hope the audience see that which is familiar, remembering the nerves on your first day at school, the painstaking pressure of choosing the best restaurant for a first date, your favourite bedtime stories as a kid. There’s a lot to recognise in this play and Ali has a wonderful way of writing stories with everyday people at the heart of it
Your character, Mark, undergoes a transformation into a superhero after becoming a father. How do you approach portraying this evolution on stage, and what challenges does it present as an actor?
The transformation into Captain Amazing brings a lot of the energy to this piece and the physicality that comes with that (especially as my knees aren’t what they were 10 years ago!) will certainly bring its challenges! The characters in the ‘comic book world’ are hilarious and I get to play a wide range of fictional heroes and villains that keep the pulse of the play ticking and start to blur the lines between what is real and what is not for the central character. From an acting point of view I think the challenge here is clarity; the show - being just dialogue means it has to move at quite some pace and so jumping back and forth between characters with different tone of voice, accents, posture and physicality means I have to make sure I’m being very clear for my audience at all times in order for them to keep up. What’s nice with our story is that although equipped with incredible super-powers, Captain Amazing appears just as everyday as the character Mark who creates him blurring those two worlds even more so. The cape also helps…I got addicted to wearing a cape last time…it makes you want to just keep doing sharp turns everywhere just for the dramatic effect
With this being the 10th-anniversary production of Captain Amazing, what aspects of the play do you find timeless, and how has the story resonated with audiences over the years?
When I re-read the play there wasn’t a single part of the story which I though had aged or lost its relevance or impact. The need for escapism is so present in people of all ages – whether that be the totally immersive world of computer games or even the uptake of a traditional hobby like baking – we are becoming increasingly fine-tuned to respect our need to find balance and escape the pressures that work and life can bring us. The comic book world has been totally reborn with the rise of technology across film & tv – providing hugely popular fictional landscapes with endless possibility. The plays success is a lot due to its ability to straddle both the mundane and the fantastical; I think this is what resonates most with its audiences. I have had people approach me in the street, at parties and at music festivals to tell me just how much the play meant to them and has stayed with them – something I’ve never had before with a piece of work. It is a happy-sad story with the ability to make people laugh and cry. At its heart it’s a very recognisable human story and was a big reason in us deciding to dust the cape off again. Furthermore, the idea of putting it in front of new audiences, at a time when AI threatens to dominate our need to access our imaginations felt like a great way to serve as a reminder that we can always find reason for staying ahead of the curve.
As a founder of The Ten mentorship program, how do you see initiatives like this shaping the future of the theatre industry?
There is no hiding the competitive nature of our industry and I really believe that we can all be better off by helping to support each other. I don’t claim to be the first person to champion mentorship, but it does still feel like an underused way of encouraging growth from within our industry. I think early career theatre makers need honesty and clarity about what they are getting into. They need access to the truths of the realities of this industry’s expectations and demands. Mentorship, I believe, is a great way to recycle industry experience without claiming to know all the answers. It provides support but still allows the mentee to have control over their journey. That is what I have tried to build with The Ten. It is another way to champion undiscovered acting talent and strengthen the acting community.
For me, London stages the best theatre in the world and I am so lucky to be a part of it. But it is often overlooked by London audiences that a lot of the work that feeds the West End Is dreamed up and made elsewhere, often in our wonderful (yet devastatingly underfunded) regional theatres across the UK. If we really are to keep reshaping the future of British Theatre and strengthening London’s Theatre scene then we must make sure its reflective of all those people who want to be a part of it so that they feel they can be, they feel they know how to do it and most importantly they feel they are welcomed into it.
Alistair McDowall's writing is known for its inventiveness and poignancy. What drew you to his work initially, and how does it feel to revisit his words after a decade?
It’s a real privilege to have the chance to speak Ali’s words again. He is a wonderful human and a very close friend of mine who I have known since University. He approached me with the original idea for this play about 12 years ago now, which at the time looked like a very different beast. That iteration of the play was about a lonely stand-up comic and Ali told me I would need to perform some open-mic comedy nights in Newcastle as part of its development under the wonderful Live Theatre. To say I was terrified was an understatement. But very quickly in our RnD process we realised that the heart of this story sat with the characters relationship with his daughter and so he set about writing the version we have today. There are lines that still make me laugh out loud whilst reading them today. And there are also lines I can barely bring myself to read because of their poignancy. One scene is so delicately and beautifully pitched that I asked Clive if we could only rehearse it a couple of times so that it felt even more fresh, raw and in the moment when I came to perform it live. To have a play of this quality tailor made for you is a dream and an opportunity you can’t be sure will ever happen again. It’s very hard to walk away from that, especially when each night you get to see what Ali’s magical words are doing to the audiences in front of you.
Could you share with us any memorable moments or experiences from your previous performances of Captain Amazing in London?
I think the way the shows success spread by word of mouth was the most thrilling part of our London run last time. There were many times I came offstage to find out that someone had been in the audience whose work I really admired…most notably when writer Simon Stephens attended with his son and stayed behind to tell me just how much he loved it. I was much younger then and it was such a buzz to have these amazing and inspiring theatre professionals turning up to see our little show.
My Nan coming to see the show was a real highlight and poignant memory for me. I remember seeing her in the audience and thinking how much she represented the type of everyday un-caped hero that this play sets out to champion and explore.
There was one show last time where a young group had come in pretty boozed up, I can only assume they thought it was some sort of comedy stand-up, but the beauty of theatre is that we don’t choose our audiences; everyone is welcome and so I was first to try and embrace that despite it descending into a pretty chaotic yet equally thrilling ride! I was pretty much heckled the whole way through. Some of them would walk in and out to get more drinks but by the final monologue I had them sat in total stillness and silence whilst I played the final part of the play directly to them. The romantic side of me loves to think they all left totally inspired, left their jobs and became actors…the reality is they’re probably still in the bar but hey…it was fun!
The production is partnering with arts charity The Working Party to offer a bursary-supported production traineeship. How do you think such opportunities contribute to the diversity and inclusivity of the theatre landscape in London?
We are so lucky to be working with our producer Matthew Schmolle who heads up his fantastic charity The Working Party. During early conversations about the show, I had told Matthew about The Ten and we both said it would be nice to use this opportunity of the shows return to be able to offer a valuable incentive back to an early career theatre maker in order to best make use of our time at The Southwark Playhouse. I’m incredibly grateful for Matthew’s work in putting that paid initiative together and getting it out there. Although open to all, we have actively encouraged submissions from the Global Majority and those from working class backgrounds to try and drive that need for diversity, inclusion, and equality within the industry. It’s going to be exciting watching the successful applicant bring their ideas to life with us in the rehearsal room. With Clive’s superb ability to strengthen their writing and direction it looks set to be a wonderful way of developing a thrilling new piece of work.
Looking ahead, what other projects or roles are you excited about exploring, and how do you see your journey in the London theatre scene evolving from here?
I take each job as it comes. I’ve been an actor long enough now to know that there are no guarantees in this industry as to whether one job will lead to the next and my philosophy is to enjoy each job for the experience it is and the people you get to meet and work alongside. If it leads to the next job, then that’s the bonus but you can never rely on it in such a hard and competitive industry. I love working on new writing and I really hope I continue to get more work on projects with exciting emerging writers and directors but equally, I’m currently doing The Crucible at The Crucible in Sheffield, so it’s been nice to unpick a great Arthur Miller Classic. I’ve never done any Shakespeare so maybe one of those classical texts would be exciting to explore in London. All I want to do is keep playing parts that excite me and challenge me and show my range as an actor. London is my home. I absolutely love the city and so the chance to keep playing to London audiences is always a real buzz for me. Makes getting home afterwards a whole lot easier too!
Tickets for Captain Amazing by Alistair McDowall at Southwark Playhouse Borough are on sale now at https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/captain-amazing and by calling the Box Office on 020 7407 0234
1 - 25 MAY 2024
Ticket Prices:
£24 Standard | £19 Concession | Preview £16 | Pioneers' Preview (1 May) £10
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