JAY LAGA’AIA ‘IT’S NO PLAY SCHOOL, THAT’S FOR SURE’
Play School favourite Jay Laga’aia, 59, is telling a different kind of story in his new terrifying stage play.
Your new play, looks scary! What’s it like prepping for a show that requires you to be terrified every night?
Ghost Stories,
As a father of eight, four of whom are daughters, working on a thriller is a walk in the park – parenting is more terrifying, by far! [Laughs] But working on Ghost Stories is incredibly exciting. We get to perform to a new audience each night who haven’t seen the show, and they each have a different response to the scares.
Have there been any instances where the audience has had to walk out?
The show is full of tension, but also full of laughs! It’s a thrill ride for the cast and audience alike and there are enough laughs scattered throughout the scares to keep the audience in their seats, either hiding their eyes or grabbing hold of a loved one!
Play School
Fans know you from and Jay’s Jungle, so this is quite a departure for you, right?
It’s a very different genre indeed! But what I love about my job is that every day brings a different challenge. It might be teaching kids how to play or scaring the pants off an audience, but it’s up to me to rise to the challenge, and that’s what keeps it interesting!
Are you a fan of scary movies yourself?
No, I’m actually a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to scary movies, so this is a first for me! I enjoy stories that involve zombies because they’re generally quite predictable and you know what’s coming, but it’s the psychological thrillers that really get me – the suspense alone is enough to have me walking to another room.
What villains terrified you as a kid?
The classics! I watched a lot of the Hammer House Of Horror series in black and white, as well as Dracula and Frankenstein. As I grew up, the villains became more sophisticated, one of the most notable being Darth Vader. I think one of the reasons villains are so terrifying is because you can understand their journey and what drives them to do what they do. You love to hate them!
You’ve been in showbiz for 40 years! How does that feel?
Ha! Forty years doesn’t mean I'm any good at it, just consistent! But I am very lucky to do a job I love.