David Tennant and Michael Sheen talk to
KERRI-ANN ROPER about reuniting for new BBC1 comedy series, Staged
DAVID Tennant and Michael Sheen are back on screen together after teaming up last year for Good Omens. The duo star in Staged, a new BBC1 comedy about a cast trying to keep their West End production on track during lockdown.
We caught up with them to get the lowdown on the series.
What can you tell us about the show?
MICHAEL: Well, it’s about two young, plucky, upcoming actors David and Michael. We play ourselves - David Tennant and myself – we’re the best casting for it.
The premise is that we were going to be doing a play. Then lockdown happened and the director, Simon, who also plays himself, wants to try to keep things going whilst we’re in lockdown and puts forward the idea that we can rehearse using video calls.
Then when lockdown finishes we’ll be ready to go into a theatre before anyone else.
That idea goes down better with David than it does with me. The rest of the episodes are about how that plays out.
Was it good to work together again?
MICHAEL: Absolutely! I mean, that’s the main reason we wanted to do it – to do something together again.
Having never really worked together before Good Omens, it was such a pleasure to discover that there was a good chemistry between us and then do something else together without playing those characters, exploring the dynamic between us in a different way has been great. DAVID: Last time I worked with Michael I had to wear tight trousers and snake eye contact lenses and fly halfway round the world – this time I tumbled out of bed, put on a tracksuit and barely brushed my hair. A joy from start to finish.
It’s been a particular pleasure to create these slightly ghastly versions of ourselves, and a slight concern to worry how close they might be to reality.
Both of your partners – David’s actress wife Georgia and Michael’s partner Anna – appear in this. What was it like working with them? MICHAEL: It’s interesting that we’re all playing ourselves, really, or versions of ourselves. So it is sort of odd to be doing scenes with your partner when it’s a different version of yourself and your partner.
Our baby, Lyra, is eight months old now. She doesn’t appear in it but you can hear her in the background now and again, which is great.
It’s been lovely to do stuff with David’s partner, Georgia, as well as working with Simon Evans (writer and director). I hadn’t worked with Simon before and that’s been great, along with Simon’s sister Lucy, because, you know – you
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