ON STAGE: Total MK talks to Craig Els, starring as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda at Milton Keynes Theatre

Craige Els is starring as Miss Trunchbull in Matilda, which opens at Milton Keynes Theatre on Tuesday (June 5).

He has previously appeared on stage in Timon of Athens, Antigone and The Cherry Orchard (National Theatre) and on screen in Ripper Street, The Bletchley Circle and Call The Midwife.

Other theatre credits include Victoria Wood’s That Day We Sang), Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma!, The New Yorkers, Never Forget and Spamalot.

Not content to leave it at that, he has had his fair share of big screen action too - with The Imitation Game, Anna Karenina and Hamlet.

He talked all things theatre wilth Total MK...

Tell us about your first memory of the theatre…

Watching Uncle Vanya, aged 11 on a school trip – not really understanding what was going on, but excited by the idea of live story telling.

And the moment when you realised the theatre was your calling?

Making my mum and nan laugh, doing impressions and looking about I knew I liked how it felt to make people laugh and be entertained.

Any dreadful calamities, or funny happenings on stage that you would care to share with us?

One of my fake warts fell off and into my mouth during a speech once. That was particularly unpleasant.

Which stage actor, living or dead, would you most like to meet, and what question would you ask them?

I would love to discuss character acting and performance methods with the late Charles Laughton – he’d have been an amazing Trunch!

Do you have any superstitions, or pre-performance routines?

No

The best piece of advice given to you when you started in the business?

Take both the praise and the criticism with a pinch of salt.

What do you think has been your steepest learning curve?

Keeping faith through reflection and the dry spells early on.

How do you fill your spare time while on tour?

Seeing the local sights and going to the gym.

Nerves or excitement? Which takes over just before the curtain rises?

Excitement! This is such a fabulous role and amazing show to be a part of.

How can the future of theatre be safeguarded? What would you do to entice new blood to audiences?

Perhaps use social media and local/regional tv channels to advertise what’s on, to keep regional theatre and new work at the forefront.

Now tell us about the three favourite roles your have played so far, and what makes them special.

Miss Trunchbull – the challenge of making her genuinely real and scary

Jud Fry in Oaklahoma – one of the best darker roles ever written.

King Arthur in Spamalot – I was the standby, and it was my first ever show in the West End.

Finally, what are the main reasons everyone should see the show?

There is genuinely nothing else like it out there – from the music and songs to the script and design, it’s a feast for the eyes and ears. It will make you laugh and cry, and no doubt want to watch it again straight away.

To book tickets to see Matilda in Milton Keynes click here 

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