Doctor Who star on “crazy comic talent” of Ghosts alumni in West End show
Dan Starkey is set to perform in the Marylebone Theatre’s newest play The Government Inspector from this Friday.
This Friday will see the opening of the Marylebone Theatre’s newest play The Government Inspector, featuring a stacked cast of comic actors from Ghosts, Yonderland and Doctor Who’s resident Sontaran, Dan Starkey.
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com during rehearsals last week, Starkey – who played Strax throughout Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who eras – spoke about the upcoming play and teased that he’d be channelling “strong Baldrick energy” into his role.
“Unlike Strax, my character here is very low status, but he’s happy to stay like that.”
Adapted from Nikolai Gogol’s 19th century comedy, Starkey plays Ivan Grubble, a member of a corrupt town council that collectively starts to panic when a government inspector rolls into town. But in their efforts to schmooze the inspector into ignoring their immoral habits, it completely escapes their notice that the man they suspect is in fact a conman himself.
“It satirises low government corruption,” said Starkey, “audiences will definitely recognise themes from the current world [but] we’ve transposed it into a slightly weird version of 19th century England.”
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The show is taking place at the Marylebone Theatre throughout May and June, and will see the actor star alongside a huge ensemble cast. This includes Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Martha Howe-Douglas – who famously worked together in BBC’s Ghosts as Mike, a clueless human, and Fanny, a haughty Edwardian – and Dan Skinner – best known for his comedy character Angelos Epithemiou.
With so much “crazy comic talent” on stage at any one time, Starkey called it a “great work of choreography, getting something like that to fire on all cylinders.
“We’ll spend an hour in rehearsals working on something that takes 10 seconds,” he continued “but there’s been an awful lot of laughter in the rehearsal room so fingers crossed the audience likes it.
“At the end of the day, it’s fast, funny and a good evening of theatre.”
Starkey also spoke about how great it was to be back on the stage, laughing: “I don’t miss wearing [Strax’s] rubber suit but if I got the opportunity again to squeeze myself into it.”
But for any Doctor Who fans who were worried, he was keen to stress that there was still “a little bit of Strax” in the role: “I always seem to play a little man getting very angry, so come along and that’s what you’ll see!”
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When and where can I see The Government Inspector?
The Government Inspector is running at the Marylebone Theatre from 3rd May to 15th June 2024.
The Marylebone Theatre is a new venue just on the edge of Regent’s Park. To get there, you’ll need to head to Baker Street (Bakerloo, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Circle lines) or Marylebone (Bakerloo line).
Like Regent's Park? Here's the best open air theatre shows.
How to get tickets to The Government Inspector
Tickets are on sale now at London Theatre Direct and prices start from £25.
Buy The Government Inspector tickets at London Theatre Direct
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