IRVINE IQBAL is playing Raj in the RSC’s musical adaptation of David Walliams’ best-selling novel The Boy In The Dress featuring a score by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. Playwright and actor Mark Ravenhill has adapted the text for the production which is directed by the RSC’s artistic director Gregory Doran and runs until 8 March 2020.
Irvine’s theatre credits include: Broken Wings (Theatre Royal Haymarket); Aladdin – The Musical (Prince Edward Theatre); Branded (Criterion Theatre); Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre); World of Walliams (Harper Collins Publisher Ltd); Mr Stink (UK tour); Wuthering Heights (Lyric Hammersmith); Then Like My Dreams (Theatre Royal Stratford East); The Good Woman of Setzuan (Leicester Haymarket); The Mahabharata (Old Vic Theatre); The Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury Theatre); Little Shop of Horrors (Jersey Opera House); Jallebies and Tea (Chichester Festival Theatre); Tree of Life, Kala Sangam (Brodsworth Hall); The Emperor and the Nightingale, Layla Majnun (MAC Theatre, Birmingham); Bombay Dreams (Victoria Apollo Theatre); Blood Drive (Bridewell Theatre); One Voice (Royal Opera House); Mother Courage, Guys and Dolls (Grange Arts Theatre); and Bouncers (Pants Theatre company).
Here Irvine continues the Musical Theatre Review’s new interview series: Five Questions With…
What’s it like to create a role in a brand new musical and to do so at the RSC?
It’s very exciting and rare that original roles appear, especially roles which represent South Asian characters. Creating the role in rehearsals among a cast of superbly talented actors and actresses complements your approach and makes the process easier. More importantly, the support and trust you get from the creative team. I feel privileged creating the role for the RSC which is an organisation respected around the world.
Picture: Manuel Harlan
Could you tell us more about your character, Raj, and how he fits into the narrative of the show?
Raj is the only recurring character in all of David Walliams’ books (apart from one), so he is a very popular man, especially among the children who have read David’s books. Raj owns the local corner shop and always has his ear to the ground. He is entrepreneurial and very familiar with all his customers and their spending habits.
As our show is called The Boy In The Dress, there is always an up-to-date copy of Vogue magazine in the shop. This includes many deals… wait… what was that Raj? [He’s talking to me on the telephone while I’m writing this… tell them what?]. Oh he says if you are interested he has a deal on Quavers which is 15 packets for the price of 14 but they don’t play music!
What was the creative process like for The Boy In The Dress and did you have an opportunity to chat to author David Walliams/the score’s writers Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers in the run up to opening night? We believe you have worked on stage adaptations of Walliams’ novels before – is that right?
We had a long rehearsal and tech period owing to the different sets of young actors we have in the show. Also, it’s a show with a very physical automated set. As with many new musicals, you need the ability to adapt to change. Scenes, dialogue and music get cut or added all in the best interest of the show. This happened during our previews.
It’s great having all of the creatives in the room on a project. David attended rehearsals several times and offered his advice, support and constructive feedback. He gave us the freedom to bring our own interpretation to the characters. Robbie and Guy both attended rehearsals and were very supportive throughout the whole process. I’ve worked on David’s shows before with book launches, especially when Raj was cut from one of his books. This caused a nationwide outrage and rightly so!
Picture: Manuel Harlan
You have been involved with new musicals before, do you make a concerted effort to support new work?
I enjoy the challenge of working on new musical writing, especially workshops. Working in collaboration with new performers and creatives is very rewarding, especially bringing a writer’s story to life. There is a great need for new writing to be showcased. However, in some cases certain projects don’t get funding.
Some musicals out there are very stale and don’t offer any value for a new generation, but the paradigm has shifted in musical theatre, especially with shows like Dear Evan Hansen and Everybody’s Talking about Jamie. The world has changed and new original relatable stories need to be told. The Boy in the Dress provides the answer to that. We deal with many issues in the show which everyone can relate to.
What has been the highlight of your career so far (sorry, impossible question) and can you tell us anything about future projects?
I think with every actor they always remember their first show which for me was Bombay Dreams. I remember being very excited being in my first big musical. Since then, originating The Sultan for Disney in Aladdin was a big highlight, but I think The Boy in the Dress holds a special place in my heart as the show has a message which resonates universally. In terms of future projects, nothing solid but who knows, watch this space.
- The Boy in the Dress runs in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until 8 March 2020
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