StageWon talks to the man raising the 'baaa' in Shaun's Big Show...
Shaun’s Big Show is a force to be reckoned with. With Emmy and Bafta wins in 2010 and directed and adapted for the stage by David Wood, the national children’s dramatist, it is taking the UK by storm.StageWon caught up with Michael John, who not only plays a sheep, but is also the dance captain for the show presented by Calibre Productions.
1. How does playing a part in Shaun’s Big Show compare to productions you have done before?
Working in Shaun’s Big Show is something completely new to me. I have never performed in a skin costume before, nor have I performed in a production aimed at the younger audience. So I guess you could say I have learnt a lot during my time being a sheep!
2. Did you watch much of the BBC show in preparation? Did you ever watch Wallace and Gromit when you were younger?
During the build up to the beginning of rehearsals the entire cast was sent DVDs of Shaun the Sheep to watch. I had seen the odd episode on TV prior to rehearsals and obviously I’d seen Shaun in Wallace and Gromit before. I have actually seen all the Wallace and Gromit movies and I was already a fan. I do remember seeing A Grand Day Out when it was first aired on TV. I think what the TV shows and movies have done is make such loveable characters which really do appeal to such a wide audience range. I’ve heard of Grannies who look forward to watching Shaun the Sheep even though it’s on CBBC!
3. You have very large costumes – is it hard to dance in them?
The costumes themselves were quite restricting in the beginning, but we have all managed to learn how to deal with them. I think the biggest challenge was learning to dance with the characters heads on. Bitzer’s head and the Pigs’ heads really don’t have much vision. I think the first day we rehearsed with the heads on we all found out just how hard this kind of performance was going to be.
4. How do you make your character your own?
It is actually quite tough making the sheep characters different to the next as there isn’t much to tell us apart. As I an the oldest member of the cast, I believe my sheep to be a little more relaxed than the others, but I also like to play him as a bit of a Granddad.
5. How do you make sure the children are always entertained?
It’s hard in the costumes to actually see much of the audience so it’s difficult to tell. The director, David Wood, however, has been making children’s productions for a really long time and he knows exactly how to keep them entertained. It was a real pleasure working with such a fantastic director with a huge history in this profession.
6. How hard is it to train for a role such as this one?
It was actually fairly tough to get our heads around performing as sheep, pigs, dogs and various farmyard animals. To be told you will spend the best part of a year playing an animal was a bit of a shock at first, but one that has been very interesting. The training itself was not much different to other productions I have performed in. Firstly learning the entire show from scratch and then perfecting the rest with costumes. The joy of theatre is how the show constantly evolves as the cast bring different elements to their characters.
7. What has been the funniest moment since being involved with the production?
Possibly when I fell over centre-stage in Plymouth! Of course I was very embarrassed and I heard the cast burst out laughing. I did see the funny side of course, because you can never take yourself too seriously. I suffered a horrible burn mark on my knee though and still have a scar. I’ve just been unlucky that nobody else has made the same mistake so my fall would be less memorable.
8. What would you say to anyone thinking of bringing their children to come and see Shaun’s Big Show?
I would say if they want to spend a few hours having a madcap time with some really loveable characters, then come and see the show. It’s something completely original and they should read our constant fantastic reviews to see why.
9. How do you wind down after a performance?
It depends how I’m feeling. I often relax with a movie or go to the cinema. Sometimes I go to the pub for a few drinks and if I’m lucky I catch some football.
10. What is always on your dressing room table?
The one thing that always comes out on my dressing room table is a photo of my girlfriend Felicity and I enjoying a holiday in Croatia.
11. What do you like to do when you are not performing?
I spend a lot of my time catching up with friends, which is actually quite hard when you spend a lot of your time traveling around. I am a big sports fan with football being a big part of my life - I love attending matches, but I’m not going to tell you which Premier League club I support! Of course, I try and spend as much time with Felicity as well, which can be quite tough as she’s currently touring in Buddy, the Buddy Holly Story.
12. What’s the best thing you have seen in the theatre recently?
I was lucky enough to see ‘Ghost’ in Manchester before it moved to London. I’m not a huge fan of films turned into musicals, but I thought this new production was really beautiful. I also recently saw ‘Lend Me A Tenor’, which I loved too. It’s such a shame it has closed as it had fantastic reviews and the audiences just loved it. I’m going to see ‘Crazy for You’ at Regents Park Open Air Theatre tomorrow, which I am really looking forward to. I saw ‘Into the Woods’ there last year and really enjoy their productions.
13. What has been the proudest moment in your entire performing career?
I have been working in this industry for eleven years now. There have been several proud moments as I have been very lucky with work. One was backing dancing for Elton John at the Royal Albert Hall. The man is a musical legend and that was one experience I will certainly never forget. I also performed in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium for a year, which was fantastic. Performing in such a large West End production was definitely one of the highlights of my career.
14. What advice would you give to actors thinking of joining the cast of a production aimed at children?
I would recommend it to anyone in the industry. The best part about performing in front of children is that they are the meanest critics. If you can entertain a child without them getting bored and wanting to go to the toilet, you have succeeded -it’s actually quite an achievement to be proud of.
