Actor and Writer Jack Anthony on his journey to make his mark through Shakespeare, The Pretender and treading the boards. 

From the age of nine, up and coming actor and writer Jack Anthony has dreamt of a career in movies and theatre. He has made an impressive start, notching up more than 30 amateur/semi-professional musicals. He is also amassing classical/contemporary stage and short film credits. 

Over the Shoulder spoke to Jack about his career so far, his inspirations and his experience developing a script for his project, The Pretender. 

I went to drama college at BOA Academy in Birmingham. The musical theatre kids were laughing, dancing, and jumping around on the platform, whereas I was reading a moody Oscar Wilde script on a bench on the same platform. I felt that contemporary plays tailored more with who I was as a person. However, I love Shakespeare. I love the language, the writing, the melodies within the voice.

My main focus at the moment is classical plays. Over the past two or three years I’ve been in quite a few classical plays.

I’ve definitely been starstruck before. I saw Andrew Scott in Sea Wall at the Old Vic. I was stunned by his ability and his talent and how he makes acting so simple.

I walked past him when he was in Bills restaurant and I couldn’t stop staring. I was thinking “there’s this guy who I’ve watched in movies and TV series and on stage”.

I’ve just watched Steve Coogan playing Jimmy Savile in The Reckoning. He is an amazing actor. Growing up I watched him as Alan Partridge and you associate him with that guy that made you laugh for years. Then you see him play Stan Laurel or in this case Jimmy Savile and it really kind of hits how good he is.

Other actors that I think are amazing are Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro or Stephen Graham. Also, actors that I’m currently working with at the National Youth Theatre or at Derby Shakespeare. 

A Director called Tim Haywood always used to say you don’t learn your lines, you study your lines. That’s one of the best pieces of advice, to study your lines so that you know them back to front.  

My director at the National Youth Theatre, Sophie Ellerby gave good advice to the company. “We’re all equal as actors and people and we need to stop critiquing ourselves. As actors we can over analyse and kind of spectate on ourselves. Just try and be in the moment and find your truth,” she said.

I overload my body with caffeine, sugar and survive on about four hours sleep! I drive constantly, travelling everywhere from East Midlands to the West Midlands, Derby, Nottingham, Staffordshire, London, Cornwall.

I work during the day then act in the evenings or rehearse in the evenings. Weekends I take the train into London to rehearse too. It is literally around the clock, but it is difficult because it’s something that you must be dedicated to. 

Working on A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Markeaton Park, in Derby was fantastic. I played the part of Lysander and we had a rigorous rehearsal process at Derby Shakespeare House.

One actor that inspired my performance was Rick Mayall. He was in Blackadder which was very slapstick, had lots of heart and silliness, and I wanted to use that within my performance because even though he was an adult he used to play quite childish characters. His animation, facial expressions, physicality and nimbleness was something I wanted to try and embody playing Lysander.

I love open air theatre as well, with 300/400 people watching you’re out there in the elements. 

It was great to work with the other actors, to understand the space you move in and to interact with other people in that space.

It’s something that I have fallen into in a way. I’ve always been a writer at heart.

I got into script writing because I have a friend named Dylan Hamilton, who is a professional writer in the industry.

He’s written documentaries. He said why don’t you write what inspires you, send me the script and I’ll read it.

You have to have self-motivation, but also good friends and colleague’s help. I believe that if you have an idea for something that drives you, a sense of passion about something then just do it yourself.

Scriptwriting was something that I did out of necessity. I wanted to put my own thoughts and ideas to paper. “The Pretender” came out of my fascination for history and one of my favourite periods in history is The War of the Roses.

“The Pretender “is a look into the lives of people of that time period in a different way. It is a retelling of the story of Perkin Warbeck who was a so-called pretender to the Tudor Throne. There is a huge case to say that he was the real Richard Duke of York, therefore the real king and that the reigning Tudor Monarchs, Henry VII and Henry VIII, tried to cover the whole thing up to put a stop to his claim. There’s this mystery around who Warbeck really was.

Find that thing, write about it, do it, put it on stage or put it on camera, use your phone even and see what happens. My writing process is to write and write and to complete as many drafts as possible.

The process of writing is quite difficult. Apart from redrafting you must analyse facts, look at structure, look at character and consult with different people.

I think the writing process is what is the message I’m trying to put across? Is it interesting? Will my writing arrest the audience? Will it grab their attention?

Sophie Ellerby said, “it’s okay to fail and don’t worry about failing because through failing we are able to learn and to try again.”

I love both of them. I’ve had a lot more experience as an actor. It’s more emotive because it’s a physical experience as well. 

Writing is something I am in my infant stages at. It’s something I really want to expand on in the future, but I think acting is really where my heart is. It’s the opportunity to communicate with people and to give to an audience.

I think acting is a real privilege and whether it’s good or it’s bad, I absolutely love it.

I am auditioning for classical roles starting next year.I will be finishing with the National Youth Theatre this December, graduating to be a company member and hopefully shooting “The Pretender” next year too.

Over The Shoulder would like to thank Jack Anthony for sitting down with us and we wish him well in his acting and writing future. Hopefully, he will meet with us again to update us on his progression in the industry.

One Comment

  1. S.wood said:

    A properly interesting article, really good insight into acting life 🙂

    December 6, 2023
    Reply

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