Theatre and Dance Previews

Shane Richie

Interview: Shane Richie

Shane Richie is familiar to millions for his portrayal of Alfie Moon in BBC's Eastenders and - before that - as one of the UK's most popular light entertainers.

Having originally trained as an actor, he has re-invented himself both professionally and privately over the years and this week arrives in Milton Keynes in one of his most challenging roles to date – the iconic Randle P McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.

He told us all about putting his own stamp on the role and what the future might hold – including whether that all important return to the top soap is likely!

Randle P McMurphy is an iconic role, played of course by Jack Nicholson in the very famous film - how difficult has it been to put your own stamp on this?

Shane in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Shane: To be honest with you, it wasn't anything I thought of when I was offered the part because Christian Slater had done it in the West End. My first reaction as soon as I was offered the part was to go and watch the movie and then read the book and I ended up doing neither because I wanted to put my own mark on it.

Of course there's an age difference and Jack looked different as well - thankfully! But there are certain things which are in the film and are in the play which are set in stone and of course sometimes I say the same words as Jack. It’s like I remember when I did Grease in the West End as Danny Zuko and was asked ‘are you going to play it like John Travolta’ and the answer is no to both because you do try to put your own mark on it. But there are certain things that you can't avoid like certain scenes, like the famous scene where they're all watching the ball game on telly in the film, which also happens in the stage show.

But thankfully, people who have been to see the play so far have said that I've made it very different to Jack so I can only really go by what they've said. The play is very different as well, in that there's more of a sexual tension between my character and the nurse, played by Sophie Ward, and that didn't happen in the film. But I totally underestimated the part because I didn't realise how physical it was going to be - so I'm now covered in bruises!

You just go with the script then?

Shane: Yes – you have to try and put your own mark on it and find your own journey. So, whereas in the film Jack Nicholson played it like he wasn't mad and he was feigning insanity, the way I've tried to play it, which I thought was a better journey for me as an actor and for the audience, is that there is something slightly insane about me whereas I'm pretending I'm not. And then it's up to the audience who come and watch it to make up their own mind about whether my character's mad or not, because in the first half it's very, very funny, it's a real black comedy and then of course in the second half it becomes very tragic.

Have you done a lot of research into these conditions?

Shane: You only have to spend a day at my house - with three kids! But we had very, very intense rehearsals. For me as an actor, acting's about reacting. You find a certain dimension for your own character by working with other actors and it's about how they react to you. I found that interesting as an actor being around other actors - bearing in mind I'm surround by actors from the RSC and English Shakespeare Company and National Theatre. I was like a sponge and I was soaking up their rehearsal process and how they work with it because when doing something like EastEnders you have very little rehearsal, you get a script and, as with any TV drama, you spend a lot of time sitting around. But in a play you're rehearsing 10-12 hours per day. So that's how we got the psyche of the inmates - just spending time together.

Was this a part that you got offered and thought ‘yes I have to do this’ - did it really leap out at you?

Shane in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest

Shane: Yes - round about late last year there were a lot of things being offered to me as far as theatre goes - mostly musical theatre because my background as most people will know, is that I’ve done a lot of musicals. But I just wanted something that was going to give me the butterflies - that I was going to wake up in the morning and everyday was going to be a challenge. And when this was put on my plate I thought ‘WOW’ and the butterflies really kicked in! Then I found out who the other cast members were, actors who've done Shakespeare, Brecht and Chekhov and everything and my background was the Queen Vic! But I was really excited (a) to be working with these actors and (b) to be doing a show that was on the A Level syllabus!

Also it gives you a chance to really see people in another light as well?

Shane: Most definitely yes. People hopefully are not expecting to see me as character Alfie Moon because the character's so far removed. Randle P McMurphy is a womaniser, a drinker and a gambler – which is very obvious throughout the play. But also I’ve played other characters on television since EastEnders. There’s the Good Samaritan – a drama for ITV coming soon – which is another character far removed from me and there’s also something I did last year called ‘What We Did on our Holiday’ with Pauline Collins and that's another character that's very different and hopefully the audience are on this journey with me since Alfie Moon.

You have made an extremely successful transition from light entertainment to serious acting and played many different characters and won awards. Bradley Walsh has done similar and Les Dennis has also dabbled. Did you consciously see light entertainment changing and decided to make this move?

Shane: What people don’t know is that unlike Bradley and Les I started in the business as an actor. I remember meeting Bradley when I was 18 or 19 and he was doing stand-up and I was an actor working in Watford in the theatre. Then I went to work on the holiday camps - which is well documented - because I was out of work as an actor. I went to get some seasonal work because I wanted to buy a car. I worked as a blue coat and the press picked up on that and they don't actually talk about the fact that I trained as an actor. So for me it's come full circle.

But I understand about the whole light entertainment thing. I was aware about 12 years ago that TV was changing. With the introduction of satellite TV and more channels, the general audience had more of a voracious appetite and more choice at hand. Then we had reality television - and that was something I refused to be a part of - and light entertainment took a big dive. All of a sudden they stopped using entertainers and started using presenters. There's nothing wrong with that, but suddenly radio DJs or someone who had won a competition was given a chance at presenting, so there wasn't really room for me. But luckily I'd made the decision before that happened, I'd invested in films and done some short sporadic things in British movies but I suppose for me, the big turning point was playing Alfie Moon.

Of course. Now I'm not going to ask if you're going to go back to EastEnders, I'm going to say you have to! Is there any chance?

Shane as Alfie Moon with Jessie Wallace as Kat

Shane: Well, what's great is that they've left it open for me - and they haven't asked me yet! People say would you like to go back and yes I'd love to go back but they haven't asked me. Maybe they'll never ask me. But at the same time, I watched the show the other night and there's no room for Alfie. You may say there's always room for Alfie and I'd like to think there always is. Barbara Windsor, bless her, who plays Peggy, is always coming up with hair brained schemes to try and bring Alfie back and I would love to go back. I had the best time of my life and I was only there for three years. I enjoyed the kick the general public got out of Alfie, they really did take Alfie to their hearts and I had some incredible story lines and I'd like to think one day I could go back.

What about going back to light entertainment?

Shane: You know what - I can't see myself going back because I've finally come full circle to where I want to be and that is hopefully being taken seriously as an actor or certainly doing serious parts. But you never say never. The path I'm taking now is one that I'm really enjoying and long may it continue. I got asked to host Grease is the Word. I thought about it for about two minutes and said ‘no’ because it would be throwing away everything I built up as Alfie. If I’d done that, I don't think I could ever go back as Alfie.

You changed your image in many ways over the years, because you also used to be a bit of a wild boy, didn’t you?

Shane: Yes - I was very much like Randle P Mc Mrphy, in my day I was a gambler, a womaniser and a drinker but I've since changed my lifestyle yes.

And you're getting married again this year?

Shane: Yes - and I was up this morning to do the first feed, then Boogie Beebies, The Tweenies and change of nappy! I always make sure I try and get up and do the first feed - it keeps me grounded as well - I've realised they are the important things. It's so important that I have that relationship with my son.

What would your ideal theatre or TV role be now?

Shane: There's talk about me playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night's Dream next year so I'd like to have a go at that. We've got meetings about that coming up pretty soon, but it's just trying to find the time. Once I find the time then that's something I'd like to do only because I've never done it. That gives me the butterflies.

Can you tell us about The Good Samaritan?

Shane: Yes. It's about a character called Brian Guest who's going through a messy divorce and he gets a phone call from someone who he thinks is his best friend who's threatening to jump off a roof. I tell him to jump because I think he's joking then I realise that my phone number is the same as the Samaritans bar one digit and I think I'm responsible for a complete stranger committing suicide. So the story's about how I try and do right by his wife and his three daughters but then I realise he hasn't committed suicide. It's just layer upon layer and has got more twists than a Chubby Checker concert - it's an unbelievable, fantastic and very funny story. It's about the journey my character has gone on trying to do the right thing by everybody and in the end just getting it wrong all the time. It's very different.

OK – I’ll look forward to that and to seeing your Bottom! Do you want to plug Cuckoo’s Nest?

Shane: Yes - if you want to come to a theatre and be moved by something both funny and sad and certainly tragic then this is the piece to come and see - most definitely.