08 June 2011 (released)
10 June 2011
Actor Tim Frost can currently be seen throwing a great performance as nerdy and neurotic Felix Allen, the anti-hero in Woody Allen’s Play It Again, Sam, which runs Upstairs At The Gatehouse theatre until June 26th.
Tim’s acting career was destined from an early age or so it would seem. When he was three his mum took him to see a pantomime and, apparently, tiny Tim sat there staring in awe at the stage. Afterward, when she asked him if he enjoyed it, he replied, "I want to do that". She then enrolled him in the local drama and dance school where he had classes in acting and tap and jazz dancing. He started working professionally at The Open Air Theatre, The Regent's Park when he was 12 and did three subsequent seasons there.
Tim’s television work started when he played Amanda Burton's son, Scott in the ITV drama, Forgotten. He then went to the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama (now the Birmingham School of Acting) after deciding that the pharmacology degree place he was offered wasn't for him! It might all sound a bit fairytale but he reckons he has just been amongst the lucky lot!
Film-News theatre enthusiast Claudia A. couldn’t resist finding out a bit more about this fairytale…
Film-News:
Tim, what attracted you to the part of Felix Allen in Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam?
Tim Frost:
To be honest, when I saw the casting breakdown and it read "29, neurotic, Jewish New Yorker" I thought to myself "Yes, yes, yes, work on the accent!". It seemed to be an obvious choice for me to apply.
FN:
Were you familiar with either play or movie before having read it?
TF:
No, I had neither read the play nor seen the film before hand. I still haven't seen the film and will not until at least six months after I have finished. Both John (director John Plews) and I felt it was very important for me to not watch the film. I am playing Allan Felix, not Woody Allen.
FN:
How did you prepare for the role?
TF:
Other than intense rehearsing with the cast, my main work was accentual. My Jewish New York accent was fairly strong but there was work to be done. Also there are certain words that us Brits pronounce differently so our accent coach, Kate, worked closely with all of us to try and make us sound as authentic as possible.
FN:
Are you worried that audiences might compare you with Woody Allen's performance/character and expect the same from you?
TF:
There will always be people who come to the show expecting a Woody Allen impersonation. I am an actor, not an impressionist. There are, I have been told, a lot of similarities between what I do and what Woody did but there are a lot of differences too. This stems from me being a different person to Woody and so approaching situations differently and also working opposite different people. Amy Bailey (my incredible co star) reacts differently to Diane Keaton (who played the role both on Broadway and in the film) and so my reactions will be different. The same goes for all the cast.
FN:
Can you imagine being a stand-up comedian instead of an actor?
TF:
Oh dear lord no! I am quite happy to try my hand at most things but not stand up. I have done character stand up but that's just like having a funny monologue. I could never just be on stage as Tim Frost and try and be funny. I will leave that to two of my cast mates, James Kermack and Fliss Russell who are both extremely good stand ups as well as actors.
FN:
In the past, some of your parts were Aaron in Titus Andronicus, James Bates in the depression-era melodrama They Shoot Horses, Don't They? and you also played the part of a tap dancer in the movie Death Defying Acts starring Guy Pearce as Houdini. These are all incredibly varied parts... from drama to acrobatic performer to comedy. How do you choose your parts, what are the key factors that make you say "I'm interested in this role"...
TF:
I like a part to push me slightly, if it is going to be an easy role, I would get bored to quickly. A big part of stage acting is being able to keep the performance fresh every night, sometimes over a run. If the role doesn't keep you interested then it is easy to become laid back. For this role it was the challenge of playing a role written by someone for themselves. Making that part my own is very tempting to me as an actor. As for film work, the interesting tug needs to be there but my main reason for Death Defying Acts was the fact I got to work with Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall and Saoirse Ronan, three superb actors.
FN:
You also co-wrote a musical called Piramania. Tell me more about it.
TF:
Piramania is a swashbuckling comedy pirate musical. I was asked if I wanted to write a musical about three years ago and I thought, never done that before, so why not! We settled on pirates after realising that, quite simply, everybody likes pirates! We took it up to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last year and had a great success. Five star reviews and a fantastic audience reaction. We will, I hope, be seeing more of it in London at some point!
FN:
And you are the choreographer of London's leading male burlesque troupe The Cubs. Definitely tell me more about that one please!
TF:
This is always a good talking point! I first fell into burlesque about two and a half years ago. Someone was looking for a male dancer to step into a pre-existing troupe. Having not danced for years and never done burlesque I thought I should give it a go! Doing a routine as a guest spot in another show I met Dave Somerset Barnes and we decided to set up a troupe together. Our third is James Kermack who just happens to be in ‘Play It Again, Sam!’ Our troupe regularly performs at Café de Paris, Madame JoJo's and Volupté, London's leading cabaret venues.
FN:
What's next?
TF:
As an actor, I never know what is coming up! On other fronts, I am working on the next musical and have just been asked to write a third with someone else. The Cubs have a lot of gigs booked in and I have been asked to take my solo burlesque to New York, which would be exciting!
FN:
Many thanks for the interview Tim, and I look forward to see you soon as a swashbuckling burlesque performer on a London stage!
