Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Mixing cutting hair and acting on stage

Where do you live? I have lived in Evercreech since 1982. My parents moved here from the East End of London and I have been based in Somerset ever since.

What do you like most about living in Evercreech? Because I grew up in a city, I couldn't live anywhere too small. I like the fact that Evercreech is big enough to have proper shops like a chemist and a grocer's. It still has a real community feel about it.

Is there anything you dislike? In the summer, helicopters come over from Yeovilton to do manoeuvres in the field behind my house in the middle of the night. Sometimes Evercreech can be a little too big a place and people don't necessarily engage with village life.

What do for a living? I am an actor and a barber. I have acted all my life and I've owned XY Barbers in Glastonbury for two years. The shop used to be an optician's before I converted it and tried to give it a quirky feel by using interesting fittings, like old cinema seats. Before that I had a hairdressing salon in Castle Cary, which I sold when I decided to go to university to study drama.

What does typical day involve? For the past 18 months I've been in the shop cutting hair all day and trying to learn lines in gaps between customers. In the evenings I'm currently rehearsing a play called Riot at the Egg in Bath.

As an actor, what part would you most like to play? John Proctor in The Crucible because it would be challenging to play a good man for once. Last year I played the part of the baddie Messala in the community theatre production of Ben Hur at the Theatre Royal. We had a BBC camera crew following us around for a year, which was lovely but bizarre.

Who is your favourite actor? The playwright Harold Pinter. When he acted he brought such intensity to his performances. I also love Johnny Depp and would like to see him in the theatre doing something like Hamlet.

What do you most enjoy about barbering? The most enjoyable thing is having someone come in who doesn't know what he wants and transform him. Being in Glastonbury we also do some random cuts like Mohicans, which is fun.

What do you do in your free time? I enjoy listening to music, reading and going to the gym.

Where would you choose to spend an evening out with friends? I drink with my friend in The Bell Inn in Evercreech. It's especially nice in the winter when you can sit by the log fire.

Which three Somerset places or events would you recommend to visitors? Glastonbury Festival – I've been going for the last 20-odd years; the Roman baths and the city of Bath; a walk up Cadbury Camp at South Cadbury.

What are your three favourite places in the world? My favourite places are Tuscany, the Austrian Alps for snowboarding and the Greek Islands.

Is there anywhere else that you would like to visit? I haven't done a lot of travelling, but I'd like to go across Canada in a train.

What achievements are you most proud of? I'm quite proud of setting up my first hairdresser's aged 21, but my biggest achievement is being accepted into university at 35 and completing my acting degree.

What makes you happy? Relaxing with friends and rehearsing. Theatre is my passion.

What period in history would you most like to have lived in? I've always been interested in the Romans and doing research for my part in Ben Hur re-ignited my love of history.

True or False? Martyn Jessop once appeared in a photo shoot with the country music singer Crystal Gale.

See next week's paper to find out whether this is fact or fiction.

In last week's True or False? Rev. Sharon Walker claimed to have cycled from Berwick-Upon-Tweed to Derby with her husband. This was true. The pair completed the journey in just six days on a tandem.

Source: http://www.thisissomerset.co.uk/glastonburyfestival/Mixing-cutting-hair-acting-stage/article-3439908-detail/article.html

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