Stephan Fleet
Award-winning actor and borough resident Nigel Harman talks to Jane McGowan about his latest stage role...
Nigel Harman has made a career out of playing bad boys. From the roguish Dennis Rickman in EastEnders to the narcissistic Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical, when it comes to creating characters of dubious moral standing, Nigel seems to have it covered.
And his latest role as Ricky Roma in the multi-award-winning David Mamet play Glengarry Glen Ross, which arrives at Richmond Theatre this month, is certainly no angel. He is a man, who Nigel informs me with delight, “would sell his own granny to make a bit of cash”.
“Ricky’s great, the whole play is just great,” enthuses the 45-year-old. “He is a fast-talking wide boy – he’s the kind of guy you want to have a beer with, then five minutes later you want to punch as hard as you can.”
Set in the office of a Chicago ‘real estate agent’, the plot revolves around a group of salesmen who will stop at nothing to land a big deal. Their desperation grows as the stakes are raised in this sharp-witted, savage comedy.
It’s a cut-throat world – not unlike acting – and Nigel should know having been working for the best part of 35 years.
Born in Woldingham, Surrey, in 1973, Nigel was schooled at the prestigious Dulwich College, although he admits as a young boy he was far from the being a model student, saying in the past that “he had his own desk in detention”. Both his parents were involved in the local am-dram scene and soon discovered acting was a way of engaging their over-active son. By the age of eight, he had an agent and secured his first role in the BBC hit World War II drama Tenko.
“Starting so early has meant I have never had any preconceptions about the business,” he says. “I love the work. I love to create characters and be in the moment. But I certainly don’t chase fame; as someone said, there’s only one outcome to that: oblivion.”
However, landing a role in the nation’s biggest soap as the son of one of its most legendary characters (Dirty Den) propelled Nigel into the big time as hunky bad boy Dennis. And with storylines that included an affair with his adopted sister, petty crime and thuggery, Nigel found himself on many a TV mag cover. Viewers adored him, voting him ‘Sexiest Male’ four times on the run at the Soap Awards.
But after just two years on the show, Nigel called time on the role and millions of fans tuned in to see Dennis die on the paths of the iconic Albert Square. From there Nigel headed to the stage in a string of hit musicals and plays before he landed the part of the diminutive Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical – a surprise hit with audiences and critics alike, Nigel was named Best Supporting Actor in a Musical at the 2011 Olivier Awards. It would seem playing the villain pays off.
“Oh Farquaad’s not a villain,” he laughs. “He’s the lonely kid at school who just wants some friends. He just wants to be loved.”
You could say the same about his next role as Simon Cowell in Harry Hill’s acclaimed, but shortlived I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical – a parody of TV talent shows.
“I prefer to play people that are not straight up and down. They are far more interesting and that is what I look for. The only one I could say was bad through and through was the character I played in Downton Abbey.”
Nigel is, of course, referring to his role as Mr Green, a visiting valet who sexually assaulted housemaid Anna Bates played by Joanne Froggatt. Ofcom received more than 200 complaints about the show which was heavily criticised by fans, branding it “sensationalist”. Nigel admits that he was shocked when the script revealed the true nature of the smiling Mr Green’s character, saying: “He was the closest thing to evil, I’ve played. There were no redeeming qualities at all. He was without morals and that is hard to play. But I wasn’t there to be liked and I knew that from the outset.”
Ricky, on the other hand, does have a good side.
“He’s incredibly funny and he’s good fun to play. We have a lot of laughs on and off stage. It’s a riot every night.”
The stage is where Nigel feels at home and while he is grateful for his West End success, his passion for provincial theatre shines through.
“People shouldn’t have to spend a fortune or travel miles to see great theatre,” he says. “Yes, touring is hard work – every night you have to smash it out of the park – but the audiences really appreciate what we’re doing and at the end of the day doing a job you love is a privilege.”
But after months on the road, Nigel is thrilled to be heading back to Richmond. “I love spending time in Bushy Park, it’s one of my favourite places. Just being out in the fresh air or near the river – I love being down by the river.”
Glengarry Glen Ross is at Richmond Theatre from April 15–20. Visit: atgtickets.com
