In our profile series, Tell Us In Ten, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions. From how they got their start in the industry to their favourite shows, we want to know everything.
This time we chatted to Thomas Dennis, currently playing Detective Sergeant Trotter in one of the most famous whodunnits in the world – Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap. Now in it’s 75th year, you would think audiences would have sussed out the culprit by now, but we’re still searching years after famous murder mysteries first performance in London.
1. My route into theatre was…
My route into Theatre started with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s TV series “I’d Do Anything” where his plan was to cast the new production of ‘Oliver’ through open auditions and a TV series that followed the audition process.
I lived in France at the time but begged my parents to audition. So at 11 years old we flew to London so I could audition. The process for me was incredibly short. I was given a number along with hundreds of other kids auditioning. I sang one line and my number wasn’t called. They never even asked my name. I remember coming out of the audition, telling my parents that they hadn’t asked me my name (let alone listened to the songs I’d spent hours rehearsing that they had asked us to prepare). I left the audition with one purpose in mind… to prove Mr Webber wrong.
After that I auditioned for Sylvia Young Theatre School, was offered a place, left home, moved back to London to live with a host family and started half way through the school year in January. A year later I opened in ‘Oliver’ at Theatre Royal Drury Lane as ensemble B14 – my West End Professional Debut! I achieved my dream and on top of that, in my mind I proved Mr Webber wrong. ☺️💪🏻
2. My West End idol is…
Laurence Olivier.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
Fun, nerdy, cheeky, bonkers, supportive and committed.
4. My favourite show is…
I have been blessed to be able to work on my favourite West End Show – The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night Time. How loyal the production was to the book was inspiring and the use of theatre and imagination to take us into the mind of this extraordinary character was very special. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the show.
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
The past few months. I have spent this year writing, producing, directing and starring in my first short film called A Taste Of Loyalty about King Richard III. From raising the money, to bringing the team together, to shooting the film and editing it, I have poured my heart and soul into the project.
Then to have the opportunity to star in the West End’s production of The Mousetrap alongside this has truly been an honour. I shot the film over two weekends, recreating a medieval battlefield, while rehearsing The Mousetrap during the week with my first BBC Radio 4 drama thrown in.
All in all, I spent a week recording the BBC Radio 4s new production of Last of the Mohicans, followed by a weekend on a Medieval Battlefield shooting my own film, then into rehearsals for The Mousetrap on the Monday before completing my shoot the weekend before tech. Three incredible projects in the space of 4 weeks. What a rollercoaster but something dreams are made of!
6. The hardest part about my job is…
Also one of the most exciting things about my job. Keeping a show fresh and alive for the duration of a run is so much harder than I think anyone ever gives it credit for. Bringing my A Game day in and day out for live audiences who only see the show once requires discipline and sacrifice. The thrill of performing never leaves, but ensuring the real world does not impact on the show is definitely the hardest part. Our responsibility as actors is to be human and vulnerable, yet without letting a bad day affect the work.
9 shows a week for 6 months is hard work but the journey of discovery is unmatched. On a long contract I really do feel I can live and breathe the story. I can learn so much more about the show and as a company we can grow together!
7. If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
Unemployed. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else. If I was forced to choose, it would have to be something history related. I am by no means an academic but I love history. History is what brought me to acting. The ability to recreate periods in history from our imaginations and re-create the lived experience of people who have been before and who have helped shape who we are today is so very unique and unrivalled in my opinion. There is a justice in bringing to light historical stories that otherwise could be forgotten.
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I am a staunch Ricardian. A believer in the Good King Richard. King Richard III’s (1452-1485) reputation has been tarnished by history, by Shakespeare and by vicious Tudor Propaganda. I believe he has been falsely accused of murdering the Princes in the Tower. There is no evidence proving they were murdered. There is, however, evidence to suggest they survived the Tower of London. I believe this is an important story to tell because it explores the dangers of propaganda. It is a story about the search for truth. Something all actors strive for. We know history is written by the victors but do we ever really know how much of what we believe in is actually shaped by those in power?
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
Reach for the stars and you will get to the moon.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Keep doing what you are doing! Enjoy the journey and trust the process.
Step into the St Martin’s Theatre and immerse yourself in Agatha Christie’s genre defying murder mystery. Millions have done it, have you?
