Spotlight on former TV star in latest role
Exposure for an actor comes in different forms, as DAVID WHETSTONE finds from Joe Gill, star of forthcoming play Mr Incredible at Alphabetti Theatre
FORMER soap star Joe Gill last performed in Newcastle in The Full Monty and his latest role in the city will see him exposed in a different way.
The actor, who played Finn Barton in Emmerdale for four years, will be alone on stage for 75 minutes in a play called Mr Incredible, which is getting its regional premiere at the Alphabetti Theatre.
It’s a big responsibility for the 28-year-old who has never carried a one-man show before.
The play by Camilla Whitehill, billed as “funny, dark and brutal”, had great reviews when it was first performed in 2016.
But it puts big demands on the actor playing the one and only role.
The character Adam, who may have a higher opinion of himself than others do, calls for a subtle array of acting skills.
Joe, from Manchester, said in a rehearsal break: “A one-man play is something I’ve always liked to think that I could do, as any actor would.
“I know I’ll be terrified on opening night but in a good way.
“I thought this was an important play with a worthwhile story to tell. I thought if there’s a one-man play that I’m ever going to do, this looks cool.
“And I checked out Alphabetti and thought it looked a nice, intimate theatre.
“Rather than being in a massive space with a thousand people, you can be really naturalistic and connect with an audience in a place like this.”
Joe said he got into acting because a teacher at his school, “a really lovely man”, told his parents he had talent.
He had fancied being a footballer but this was the spur he needed to study acting, perform in some school plays and get involved in a youth theatre group.
He was still in his teens when he landed the part of Finn in Emmerdale.
“We’d film 12 episodes over a two-week period with three directors taking on four episodes each.
“It was done in such a way that you could be filming the afternoon of episode one in the morning, then the morning of episode 12 in the afternoon.
“I used to skim read all the scripts so I knew roughly what was going on, then take my bits out and create a character time line so I always knew where I’d been and what I was doing.
“Emmerdale is very dialogue heavy so I got used to conversational scenes. I hope I was able to better my technique in appearing completely believable and natural.
“That’s what this play needs as well. Perhaps I’d better let audiences decide if I’ve got it right.”
Emmerdale fans will know that Finn Barton got a classic ‘soap’ send off, accidentally shot and killed by his mum.
Joe saw it coming even if viewers didn’t.
“I’d asked to leave. It was the right time for me to go because I’d been there since I was a teenager.”
Since then he has done more theatre work, including playing Lomper in the year-long tour of The Full Monty, the famous tale of the jobless men inspired by the Chippendales.
“That was a lot of fun, as you can imagine, and we had a great week
I thought this was an important play with a worthwhile story to tell. I thought if there’s a one-man play that I’m ever going to do, this looks cool
in Newcastle. It was a good audience with just the right level of engagement.
“It could get a bit raucous on Saturday nights in some places with people forgetting they were watching a show at times! Beautiful theatre, too, and a nice city.”
More recently he performed in a First World War play called Into Battle, but he’ll be seen on TV again later in the year in the new series of Sky comedy drama Brassic.
Mr Incredible is being directed by Natasha Haws for whom the theatre always seemed a likely calling.
She’s the daughter of actress Patricia Haws and Ray Spencer, long- time boss of The Customs House, South Shields, and panto champion.
Natasha has had panto roles in the past but concentrates on directing now, often opting for research-based drama dealing with tough issues such as domestic violence and poverty.
Invited to choose a play to fill an Alphabetti slot for North East premieres, she settled on Mr Incredible with its focus on a man who is perhaps less charming than he seems at first sight.
He alone is on stage throughout, talking the talk.
“Adam is talking to someone you can’t see,” says Natasha.
“He is telling the story of his relationship with his girlfriend, of their life together, but there is some ambiguity as to what’s happened. There are more hints as the play goes on.”
Joe believes the character is thoroughly plausible, recognising some of his traits in people he has met. This was also the view of many audience members when the play was first performed five years ago.
Catch the first North East performances of Mr Incredible at Alphabetti Theatre, St James’ Boulevard (near the Discovery Museum) from March 22 to April 9. To book tickets on a ‘pay what you feel’ basis, go to www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk