THE MIRROR CRACK’D: Joe McFadden interview
Joe McFadden is well known as playing Raffaello Di Lucca in Holby City until 2020 and as the winner of 2017’s Strictly Come Dancing. As well as many TV credits, Joe McFadden has starred on stage in Priscilla – Queen Of The Desert, Torch Song Trilogy, Rainbow Kiss and Rent. He’s starring in The Mirror Crack’d at Rose Theatre, Kingston
Tell us about your character Jason Rudd in The Mirror Crack’d
He’s a film director who put his career on the back burner because his wife, Hollywood star Marina Gregg, is going through a hard time. Now he’s going to make a film about Henry Vlll and his wives, with Marina as Catherine of Aragon. He manages to tempt her back with a script that he’s been working on for a long time, [but]you’re suspicious of his motives.
Your CV is a good mix of theatre and TV – and, of course, you won Strictly Come Dancing in 2017
I feel very lucky that I get to do musicals and plays – and to do the odd bit of telly now and again. It’s really an actor’s dream that I’m not stuck doing the one thing. I feel very fortunate I get to do all of them.
What have been your favourite roles?
I couldn’t pick a favourite, honestly. It’s brilliant doing a play because you get a lot of time to sit down, as we have during The Mirror Crack’d rehearsals, and talk about the story. Working on something like Agatha Christie, it’s absolutely necessary because it’s so textured, so layered and there’s so much in there. On the face of it seems a simple whodunit, but they’re all such complex characters. Nobody is really what they first appear to be.
What’s the enduring attraction of Agatha Christie stories?
They are so rich and really keep you guessing. It’s not so much a whodunnit as a social commentary. The Mirror Crack’d is, as I’ve discovered this week, about mental health. At the time it was written Agatha Christie was very much ahead of the curve. It’s a real examination of this movie star Marina and how, when you get to a certain age, you’re not in the running for the parts and are cast aside. It’s about the tragedy and unfairness of that. My character adores Marina and will do anything to protect her. We discover he’s been there for her in the past but you’re not sure what his motives are and, as is the way with Christie, discover he’s not all he seems to be. So, it’s really great charting how much you show to an audience and who the red herrings are. Quite exhausting really, mentally.
Is this your first Agatha Christie?
Absolutely my first. My mother was a massive mystery fan. She loved a sleuth, Murder She Wrote, Poirot, all the detective shows. So, I was brought up watching these. I do have a real fondness for them because they get you involved. You’re not passive when watching, you’re actually trying to work out whodunit.
What made you sign up for Strictly Come Dancing?
I did agonise over the decision to do it because back in the day, actors didn’t really do reality TV shows. It was a new thing. I thought long and hard about it, but ultimately my reason for doing it was I wanted to learn how to dance. I wanted to have this world champion teach me to dance. That opportunity only comes along once in a lifetime. I felt it would be silly not to grab it with both hands.
I am so glad I did it, not because I won but because it was such a brilliant experience. It was about saying yes to things and not being afraid of the unknown. As human beings we like the familiar and that’s a dangerous place to be for an artist, because you want to challenge yourself and challenge people’s perceptions of you. Strictly was good for that.
What was the hardest part?
Being myself on screen which I hadn’t really done before. The most daunting thing was all the speaking and the live television but even that stuff ended up being massively enjoyable. Talking to Zoe Ball on BBC’S It Takes Two became one of my favourite parts of the week because she made it so lovely.
Any dancing in The Mirror Crack’d?
We do a bit of a waltz. I’m trying to dredge up from the corner of my mind how to do it.
How do you feel about touring?
I toured with Priscilla – Queen of the Desert for seven months. I love touring. As an actor you either love it or hate it. I try to get out to see places and not stay in my digs all the time. This time, for instance, I get to go to Oxford which I’ve never been to and am massively looking forward to. The great thing about touring is getting to see all of these places you wouldn’t do otherwise.
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