Much-loved comedian Russell Kane is dipping his toe into fresh waters this month, making his stage debut as Romeo in a modern-day retelling of ‘the world’s greatest love story’ at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre. What’s On recently caught up with the host of the hit TV series Evil Genius to find out more...

Russell Kane is best known for the quick wit of his stand-up comedy shows, but this autumn he fulfils a long-held ambition - to tread the boards in a Shakespeare play.

Russell is starring as Romeo, alongside Natalie Casey as Juliet, in Not Too Tame Theatre Company’s new staging of the Bard’s classic love story at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme. But it’s a re-telling with a difference, because the couple, who are usually played as bright-eyed teenagers, are instead presented as fortysomethings discovering true love for the first time.

The idea for the show was sparked by a conversation between Russell and Jimmy Fairhurst, Not Too Tame’s artistic director.

“I went to see their Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North and it was fantastic,” Russell recalls. “I was standing up and clapping at the end; a few of the cast saw me, and that got back to Jimmy. He said ‘You’d make a great Shakespearian actor - meet me for a coffee.’ So I met him for a coffee and he said ‘If you could do anything in Shakespeare, what would you do?’ And I said ‘I won’t do a clown or a comedy part; I would love to do an older Romeo. The tragedy of finding love later on in life would say a lot about where men are, and where we are as a culture.’ Then he texted me and said ‘Let’s do it!’”

Alongside stand-up, Russell has written books, created the podcast and subsequent television show Evil Genius, and appeared in numerous television programmes. Now, playing Romeo is a dream come true.

“I’ve always wanted to do Shakespeare. I’ve toured three of my own plays, and two of them were in a sort of mock blank verse, so it’s not as though it’s an alien world to me -  but I’ve never had the nerve to do real Shakespeare.

“I love language and the musicality of Shakespeare. I love the wordplay, the rhetorical devices, the use of metaphor, paradox, contrast. I use it in my stand-up. I think Shakespeare is the greatest writer in any language - certainly in English - ever to have lived. Why wouldn’t I want to be part of that tradition?”

Russell hopes an older Romeo gives the story of his fated love with Juliet a new dimension: “Every single person will know men aged 40 who still haven’t grown up, who are still living in the studio flat above the Chinese, still going to Marbella, doing cocaine in the pub and so on. We all know men who are still boys. Never underestimate the ability of fully grown-up people to act like children and ruin their whole life in an impulsive moment.

“Then there are more people than you realise who will die never having been in love. And it’s not a good thing to not know true vomiting-in-the-toilet, wanting-to-tear-each-other’s-skin-off love. So to get that Cupid’s arrow through the heart at 40, for the first time and when you have all that wisdom, that raises the stakes. If you finally, after living with your cat and not having had a partner in years, fall in love with someone, and your family say you cannot fall in love with this person, you cannot be with this person - just imagine that.”

Although the production moves the tale to contemporary times and includes a few tweaks to cater for the older characterisations, the story remains true to the original, says Russell: “We haven’t re-written the words, but I’d call it a radical re-staging. Part of the reason I love working with Jimmy Fairhurst is that he loves to play - all of it is up for grabs.

“The people who say they’ve never understood Shakespeare are the ones I’m interested in bringing to Shakespeare for the first time. If you’ve been to see Shakespeare and you were bored, then it wasn’t done properly - end of. When it’s done right, the audience should come out and say ‘It’s a shame they used modern language, I’d like to go and watch one of the originals now.’ That’s what happens with Jimmy’s work all the time: people leave saying ‘that was Shakespeare?!’”

When we chat, Russell has been on a photo shoot in St Mark’s Church near Newcastle-under-Lyme for the production. And he’s waxing lyrical about the New Vic Theatre - partly because of its in-the-round staging.

“In-the-round is better for Shakespeare and stand-up because you want to feel you’re part of the audience, that you’re connected to them. The other great thing is the front row being on the same level as the performers, so their feet are touching the same surface I’m touching. That is a direct electrical link and changes everything from being up on an eight-foot stage front-on with a proscenium arch - it’s a completely different experience.

“As an audience member, you want that feeling that you’re invisible, watching someone in their bedroom or lounge. This love story plays out and you cannot believe you have such a voyeuristic view.”

Russell is only too aware that he’s stepping outside his comfort zone with Romeo And Juliet - but that is the attraction: “I don’t know if any other British comedian has gone from just generating laughter in the most gut-wrenching way to true naked vulnerability on stage - metaphorically; it remains to be seen whether physically!

“I’ve never kissed another person on stage in my life. I’ve never even held hands with another performer, I don’t think. It’s so far from what I’ve done, and there’s only one way to do it - to actually truthfully fall in love every night when I step into that world, so  that it will be raw, real, funny, different and clear as a bell.”

Aware of these challenges, Russell is keen to ensure he brings all his talents to the role: “If you knew the amount of training and processing I’ve done for this play, on top of my schedule. I’ve got the bit you can’t teach at drama school, which is years and years of comfort and being able to connect with an audience when onstage. You can’t learn that at RADA, but the bits I was missing are the bits you can learn at RADA! I won’t necessarily use them, but they’re a box ready for an emergency. It’s like if you go on a long drive and pack a first-aid kit and a glittery triangle. You may not need it, but you drive more calmly knowing it’s in the boot.

“I did a workshop about a year and a half ago, when we first started this project, to try and find out what I was weak at. I felt like I was struggling with my listening and reacting, so I’ve done some training that’s helped me really become obsessed with what the other person is saying. My wife has loved this training; I’ve become her best listener!”

And the hard work had an unexpected bonus...

“I’m in the gym 24/7, and my fitness is really high because I wanted my body to be up to the task of these long performances, and as a consequence, I got myself a cover shoot for a health magazine out of it! I was the cover of Men’s Fitness in April - that was a giggle.”

Romeo And Juliet shows at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, from Thursday 17 September to Saturday 10 October

By Diane Parkes

Photo credit: Patch Dolan