ICW: Rolan Bell, for The Play That Goes Wrong
The Play That Goes Wrong has enjoyed 9 incredibly successful years on the West End, and audiences are showing no signs of tiring of the chaos and carnage the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society wreck at the Duchess Theatre 8 times a week. I got to sit down with Olivier Award Nominee, and current cast member Rolan Bell to chat about the show.
Rolan
My name is Rolan Bell, and I play Robert Grove within the play that goes wrong playing Thomas Collymore.
Brianna (TBP)
So how did you get involved in the show? What made you say? Yes, just walk us through the kind of process?
Rolan
Well, it was a show that I was very aware of, with its great success. I hadn't actually seen the show, it was one of that was on the bucket list for me. But when my agent contacted me about it, I was like, “ah, that's fantastic.” I’d basically taken quite a bit of time out, due to like, having children and different priorities. But I thought this was a great way back onto the stage or back into the acting world in a more solid way. So I was very excited to go up for the audition. And the process was, it was great. They workshopped it extensively. So you know, it's easy to fall in love with the script and the take on - or the style of comedy. And basically, the talent in the room. Of course, obviously, you don't know who's going to get it, who you’re going to end up with but the bar was so high from the get-go that I was just blown away from the beginning. And the directors are so friendly, welcoming and things like that, it was hard not to want to be a part of this. And yeah, once everything's all thumbs up, I was more than excited to jump on board and get involved.
Brianna (TBP)
Do you think it helped that you hadn’t seen it before? It’s been going for nine years now.
Rolan
Nine years, yes. Well, it's just celebrated the ninth year anniversary in the West End. So. Yeah. You know, this is one thing that we discussed in rehearsals because I think most - I think everyone else had seen it. But of course, there was the idea that I get to just approach it with a complete blank canvas. And in ways that was good. And there were many jaw-dropping moments for me throughout the rehearsal process all the way to the point where I watched it. Because it was about, just over halfway through the rehearsal process that I actually came in to see the previous cost do it. So yeah, in terms of just finding my own character, I suppose that was good. There's a blissful ignorance to that, approaching it in that way. And then of course, there's the excitement of what’s this show like when it's, you know, going full pace with people who know exactly what they're doing? So, yeah, again, I was really excited to see the previous cast perform it, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. And at that point, I was like “ah, maybe I could do that, add that, or maybe steal this, borrow a bit of this and that?” And of course, coming in from not having seen it I suppose there's a slight sense of needing to try and catch up with the other guys who are very familiar with the concept of it and what each moment means. If the director says - or we come to a scene where we go - okay, this is the moment where you’re going to do this or that stunt. And they have of course, a visual memory of what that exactly is. Where for me it was like, “Okay Rolan, so what you're going to do is you're going to run there and you’re gonna do this, this is going to happen” and I'm just like “sorry, what was that?”
Brianna (TBP)
“Could we…run that again please?”
Rolan
Yeah, heart rate constantly increasing, like pretty much every day, I think for Shawn Turner, the associate director, it was quite funny watching those reactions as the bombshells were dropped for me day after day, really. And for my character, there's quite a few stunts. It’s quite physical. Well it's very physical for him. It was like going into a theme park and seeing the biggest roller coaster and going “…Wow.”
Brianna (TBP)
And knowing that you have to get on it.
Rolan
Yeah, I have to get on it. I said I will get on any ride, so therefore that’s me.
Brianna (TBP)
And how tightly choreographed is it? Because considering the name, it has to go completely right for it to go completely wrong.
Rolan
Completely wrong, yeah. It's very, very tightly choreographed to the finest detail and tuning. And it's something that we stay on top of continuously throughout the run. Throughout the rehearsal process I was actually quite amazed at, considering how many stunts were in it, seeing the text of the scripts and the meaning delivered clearly. Whilst also having to teach or learn these stunts that have to be perfectly choreographed within a condensed amount of time for so many people as well, because of course, we’re reheasing the understudies and covers and things. So with all of that considered, I was really amazed at how our directors were so sort of smooth and calm about it all, and seem to have faith in us all in the sense that we will eventually get it. Or you know, sometimes they’d just demonstrate it for us and things like that. So it wasn't just a case of going “Right. You're going to do that. Good luck to you.” It was like, if I was a bit unsure of something, either one, Amy or Shawn, would go demonstrate it. But yeah, the choreography is something that is fine-tuned and safety-checked on every level. And if you have any concerns at all, no matter how big or small it is, it's up for discussion at any point in time. And that could be today, I could go in and just say, you know what, I'm not sure about the timing of this moment, or that stunt, maybe due to the combination of actors on stage. So yeah, it's always open for keeping it fine-tuned which is great.
Brianna (TBP)
So one of the things I love about theatre is that it's, you can go to the same show every night for a week and see something kind of different. Given how fine-tuned this has to be, do you find that there's still room for you guys to kind of play around, throw something new in? Or do you - is it very much the same each night?
Rolan
Well, with a show like this, we get notes every week or every other week. And like I say, we have a combination of different actors, which may inspire different choices or reactions based on what's delivered to you. So you have to always stay open, it can't just become something that you're just getting on and just going through the motions and things like that, because it can change at any second. And it is a show with stunts and things like that so you have to be in the moment. And therefore, it can just sometimes by impulse, just something can just change sometimes. And depending on the kind of audience you get, as well. The audiences are always having a great time. But sometimes you might have an audience that's just a few notches above the average. And so that may inspire a different level, or pace and things like that. So you might just discover things by chance, sometimes you go oh that’s a keeper, sometimes not. Sometimes it just worked for the audience that night, and sometimes maybe not others, but it just adds new things to the locker that you can draw on. So yeah, it's it's something that can adapt. And I think with a show like this, as long running as this, it's only natural that it evolves. And things stay fresh, because you know, the times change. Some jokes may have been relevant nine years ago that aren't relevant today and things like that. So yeah, and I suppose with new cast members and things, you know, throughout rehearsal processes new things could be thrown in or offered up and the company are open to those suggestions. And they want the actors to contribute or bring themselves to the role and take some ownership within it. So it flows organically. Which is very important, of course. So yeah, it, it stays within its structure. But there's room, there's room to play. Yeah, that keeps it fun for us.
Brianna (TBP)
Love that. So speaking of fun. I have this theory that TV is the writers playground. Film is the director's playground. But theatre is the actor's playground, because you get to go out there every night, and it's live, you're doing it in person. You've obviously done TV, done film as well, you’ve done theatre so you’ve done all three. Do you feel similar? And which one is your favourite to kind of show up to and play and have fun in?
Rolan
Well, you know what, I mean, I've never heard anyone say it as you did, but I agree. And, yeah, that's so true. I enjoy each one of those fields for different reasons. You know, obviously, with live theatre, it's live, you feel the vibe of an audience and things like that. And you can't go, no one's gonna say “cut” or “do this again”, or something like that. If something does go wrong, or something doesn't quite go the way you may have rehearsed it or something, you just have to go with that. And I love that aspect of theatre. And for myself, like many, stage is where I discovered my love for acting. And where, I suppose I honed the craft. So there's always going to be that love for the stage. And with like TV, film things, there's that sense of watching things back or maybe having only one take to get something right. So you have to come in with everything sort of set. But it's really it's hard to choose because it always does depend on what you're filming, versus what you're doing on stage. And you will discover, I suppose, as you're doing the job, how much you really do love each thing, which is why it's so important, if you can to try and do projects that you are genuinely interested in, or you really feel you can serve well. But I honestly, I love them. I love it all. And I'm just blessed to be able to say that I've been here, there, and everywhere. And I would like to continue to do it all. This has been an absolute blessing. It’s something I've discussed with other cast members that this is one of those productions that you will remember for years to come and you'll look back on - I’m old enough now to, to know of that sort of feeling of looking back on things and thinking, “Oh, wow, that was that was a special moment in time.” And I can feel for sure that this is one of those. There will be some nostalgia, maybe a tear “I remember those days, when I was young enough to do stunts.” To answer your question yeah, I do love it all. And I did find myself missing the stage after doing like, a stint of TV, and then some film as well. Coming back onto stage did feel like coming home.
Brianna (TBP)
I assume you also enjoy going to the theatre. Do you find that you look for the same things in a production as a spectator as you do when looking for prospective roles?
Rolan
That's a good question. I suppose it’s a mix really. I suppose with seeing - if you're seeing something that you might not necessarily perform in yourself, you will see something that’ll maybe teach you something or show you something, concepts you’ve never really thought of and things like that, broaden your horizons and things. I do enjoy, of course, I enjoy watching things that I would like to be in. Or sometimes what might happen is I watch something that I might not go there thinking I'd love to be in this, but leave wishing I was like “Oh that's inspiring”, you know. That's something I find happens where it's like, oh I want to sing this, it could be a musical or something like that. It's just like, I want to sing along with these guys or doing dance choreography, I'd like to do a bit of that too. So, yeah, it's, it varies really, it really does.
Brianna (TBP)
So I wanna talk a little bit about the idea of black stories, if you don't mind. I know when I was growing up, I loved musical theatre, I did drama and theatre studies - and I'm 26 so this is not that long ago - I remember thinking, “why am I only going to be able to do shows that are black stories, where I can only get cast because it's relevant to my ethnicity?” You're in this and this has absolutely nothing to do with that. Do you feel like that kind of landscape is changing? That there is more space now for black actors, actors of colour to just get cast in stories, as opposed to black stories?
Rolan
Yeah, I think that is something that has been, that has changed quite a bit. When I left drama school, the way the castings were typed out, or come through, the descriptions are very different to what they are now, there's a lot more colourblind casting and things like that. And I do find that there are some things that you know, it's important to represent culture, and things like that. And that is an important thing to have. But at the same time, we don't want any ethnicity or race to feel boxed into something. The world has changed so much in the past 10, 20 years, I can myself now feel the difference going into jobs with a young black actor, or black actors, performers, the energy is so much different to what I felt when I came into the industry. Things are so much more just chilled, or there's a sense of we're all just the same, you know, and we would always hope that that would be the case you know, that eventually, bit by bit, we would get to that point. And it's very interesting to see that. And I think that's just reflective of what the world is now, and if our at does not reflect that then, what are we doing? Surely, I'd like to think that the young adults will be influencing the older generations to see a more dynamic, mixed culture, and blend of cultures, forming a new one. That then says the arts should be somewhat similar, where it's not about you being black, it's not about you being you know, Indian, dual heritage, mixed. It’s just a group of friends, and your emotions and the story you're telling is important because you've gone through something based on being human as opposed to being black, white, Asian, whatever. It's just about telling stories that we can all relate to, regardless of race, you know? We’re all in the same playground so let's share our stories.
Brianna (TBP)
What's the power of art for you?
Rolan
The power of art for me, I - again a good question. When you ask that, what it brings me to is childhood, and looking back on how, say, films and things how much they meant to me growing up and not realising that as a child. But then looking back as an adult and going wow, that movie or just that scene or something, that inspired so much for me and my siblings. Art can, it has the power to change someone's perspective of the world. You could be in a very dark space and you can see something, you can find inspiration from art where you might not be getting it in your family life and things like that. And you might not realise those things. Like I was saying as a child, there are things I didn't realise until I look back on. And now I can only hope that I do something or have done something where there's a kid out there that has held on to that moment, and goes, “Oh, wow, I remember when I heard this or that line was said” or something like that. You know, something I’ll never hear of, I'd like to hope that that's out there as that was done for me. And yeah, it can shape someone's direction completely. Inspire all sorts of good, hopefully good. For the most part, I think I'd like to think good anyway. Yeah, it has the power to inspire. And that’s important. That's what life's about.
Brianna (TBP)
So last but not least, can you just give us a little taste of what people can expect when they come down and see the play that goes wrong.
Rolan
When they come and see the play that goes wrong. They can expect firstly, I have no doubt and I mean this with complete humility, you will laugh. You will laugh. There are still moments for myself that I can be on stage and still want to laugh at some of the choices and things that other actors are doing. That's just for starters. Yeah, you're so you're getting the play within a play and the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are trying to put on a production, a 1920s murder mystery play. Which, as it says, goes wrong. The cast and crew end up being put in positions that they would have never seen in their worst nightmares. And somehow have to try and make this thing work. It is absolute carnage and chaos. It's an absolute roller coaster. And like I say, the whole journey basically just keeps getting amped up more and more as the show goes on, so there's hardly a moment to breathe between either gasping in with anxiety or laughing, all sorts. So it's just a fun night out for all of the family. So, yeah, come on down. Trust me, it's a good time.
The Play That Goes Wrong is running at the Duchess Theatre and is currently booking until November 3rd 2024. Tickets available here.