Eric has a strong moral compass... and a fine a***!
Actor and singer Alan Lewis tells DAVE FREAK about playing one of six friends in the comedy My Night With Reg, and opening for some of the country’s top boybands
WRITTEN in the 1990s and about the 1980s, comedy My Night With Reg is the play for which Birmingham-born writer Kevin Elyot is perhaps best remembered.
Telling the story of six gay friends, and their connections to the absent yet magnetic Reg, the production scooped various high-profile awards during its first runs.
Elyot, whose other credits include TV’s Poirot and Marple, sadly passed away in 2014, but many of his works continue to attract attention – most notably My Night With Reg, which is currently touring the UK in a new production by Manchester theatre company Green Carnation, who specialise in work that tackles issues affecting the queer and LGBTQ+ community. Already picking up a run of four-star reviews, it’s also earned the approval of TV writer Russell T Davies.
Among the cast is Alan Lewis, who graduated from the University Of Warwick in 2018 with a degree in Film and Television Studies. Having spent much of his studies living in Leamington Spa, he’s since relocated to Birmingham city centre.
Although he’s previously made several short films and was part of Birmingham Hippodrome’s West Side Story production last year, My Night With Reg is his “first play”.
Who’s your character in My Night With Reg?
I play Eric, an interior decorator, barman and wannabe policeman with a strong moral compass and an exceptional a***. He’s the youngest of the group, and whilst he’s definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed, he’s perhaps the most emotionally mature, making him a perfect companion for the others to confide in. In a play filled with characters struggling to find happiness, he’s a beacon of positivity and an emblem of hope for a brighter future. One of my favourite reviews so far called his scenes both “heartwarming” and “heartbreaking,” which I think just about perfectly sums up the effect of his naïve optimism.
My Night With Reg is ‘‘a play about the human experience and our universal longing for love’’.
The play debuted in the mid-1990s; how does it stand up today? Has it weathered well? Are the themes it explores still relevant to contemporary audiences?
I wondered the exact same thing when we started rehearsals – here we are, reviving a play in 2020, written in the Nineties about the Eighties – but it’s surprising just how well its themes resonate with the world we live in today. I’m lucky enough to have been born into a generation (and part of the world) where acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community is gradually becoming the norm, so, of course, the play is an important reminder of the hardships faced by those that came before me. More than anything, though, it’s the characters’ relationships, both romantic and platonic, that make My Night With Reg not just a gay play or a play about the Eighties, but a play about the human experience and our universal longing for love. Also, it’s still hilariously funny - just ask our audiences!
Prior to acting you had enjoyed a musical career, we hear…
I started writing music in my early
teens. It turns out puberty is a great source of inspiration for angsty pop ballads. I ended up uploading some tracks to SoundCloud and they just took off, getting thousands of listens. Pretty soon, I was approached by a management company and the rest is a bit of a blur. I spent three years doing recording sessions, promo shoots, music videos – all that showbiz stuff.
That ‘showbiz stuff’ included opening for McFly, The Vamps, The Wanted and Boyzone! What were some of the highlights?
Opening for McFly was a huge highlight for me. I grew up blasting Five Colours In Her Hair and Star Girl, so getting to be a part of their tour was insane. Also, it was the first time I had people asking for a photo and 16-year-old me was lapping it up. Boyzone was fun too, because I was wearing these Beetlejuiceinspired trousers that I’m pretty sure Ronan Keating absolutely hated. Ah well, you can’t please everyone!
Are you still making music? Or are you concentrating on theatre at the moment?
I keep promising myself that I’ll
get back to it. I’ve changed so much over the last few years, and I’d be so interested to see how my perspective sounds nowadays, but I’ve been so busy with the acting side of things - I just haven’t had the time. One day, I’ll hop back on the keys and pick up where I left off, for sure.
How did you find your time at University of Warwick?
I adored it. I was so unenthusiastic about applying for university, but I’m so glad that I changed my mind. I don’t think I really became the person I wanted to be until I left home, so Warwick is technically my re-birthplace. Also, campus had the best cheesy club nights – an ABBA fan’s heaven on earth. I spent a lot of time in Warwick Arts Centre, obviously, but this’ll be my first time being there as a performer. It’s a gorgeous space and I have faith that the Warwick audiences will be absolutely lovely, so I’m beyond excited to grace the stage with my cast-mates. I might even be able to convince some of my old professors to come along!
My Night With Reg is at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, from March 12-14. See warwickartscentre.co.uk