Fandoms collide! Harry Potter and Doctor Who fans can celebrate a collaboration between two fandom darlings. Matthew Lewis and Arthur Darvill are now appearing in Jonathon Lewis’ West End play Our Boys. So what’s it all about? And more importantly, what’s it like behind-the-scenes? We have you covered with a quick crash-course.
Neville Longbottom and Rory Williams, together? For us, it can’t get a whole lot better. Our Boys has been flying under the radar, most likely due to its very limited run. Still, you can count on Hypable to catch you up, so let’s jump straight in.
Essential Info
Synopsis:
Six young soldiers are killing nothing but time as they recover from injuries incurred in the line of duty. Suddenly, the joshing banter and easy camaraderie of this unlikely band of brothers is jeopardised. A dangerous incident and an act of betrayal result in charges of misconduct looming – and as accusations fly, the fighting really starts. Fired by anger at the neglect of our wounded heroes and set in 1980s Britain, Our Boys remains as relevant now as it was in 1993, when it won a Best New Play award for its premiere production. This West End revival comes from the creative team behind the international hit Journey’s End.
If the synopsis didn’t catch your eye, try this behind-the-scenes video from the Our Boys photoshoot. Interestingly, this was the first time the cast met, but it looks like they were already getting on wonderfully.
Both Darvill and Lewis are quick to point out that the despite army hospital setting, the play isn’t all serious. Darvill says, “it is really funny but it’s got some twists and turns as well,” while Lewis charaterizes the dialogue as “squady gallows humour.” (Note: “squady” is British slang for a low-ranking army officer, or ‘grunt’).
Who’s Who?
Arthur Darvill is no stranger to the stage, having appeared in many productions including Doctor Faustus at Shakespeare’s Globe in London. Additionally, he teamed up with his future Doctor Who co-star Matt Smith in Swimming with Sharks at the Vaudeville Theatre. Darvill will appear in Our Boys as Parry, a character he originally had trouble connecting with:
At first I really struggled to like him because he can be quite horrible and always wants to be the centre of attention. He thinks he’s hilarious and he thinks everyone else finds him hilarious, which just annoys everyone, but actually I’ve learnt to love through that. He’s a really fun character to play, but he’s not the nicest person in the world
In contrast, Matthew Lewis will be making his West End debut in Our Boys, having recently appeared in the national tour of Agatha Christie’s Verdict. Lewis will be portraying Mick, who sounds like the lovable fool, described by Lewis as “not the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
Darvill and Lewis are only two (admittedly, the two we are most eager to see), in a cast of six. Joining them are Cian Barry, Jolyon Coy and Lewis Reeves. Rounding out the six is Laurence Fox, best known for his starring role in Lewis as Detective Sergeant James Hathaway. Side-note: Fox is married to none other than Billie Piper, bringing back the Doctor Who connection.
If you’re interested in hearing Darvill and Lewis discussing their roles further, listen to the rest of their interview on BBC Radio 2 (the interview begins around 11 minutes in). All quotes in this column were taken from this interview, and it’s well worth a listen.
Photo credit: BBC
Live on stage
As we mentioned, Our Boys has a strictly limited run. Previews began on September 26, with opening night on October 3. It is only running to December 15, so you don’t have long to catch it.
Our Boys is playing at the Duchess Theatre in London. If you’re planning on catching some Rory Williams action, be aware that Arthur Darvill will not be appearing on October 9, 15 or 18. You can still book tickets online, and while the run is close to selling out, the theatre has been releasing additional tickets intermittently.
As previews have only just began, critical reviews haven’t begun to flow in yet, but the fan response has been incredibly positive. We expect to see more from some of the larger news sources over the next week, while in the meantime eager fans have been catching the stars at the stage door for photos and autographs.
Photo credit: Our Boys twitter
Want More?
If you want to keep track of Our Boys, you can find them on Twitter at @OurBoysThePlay. Also, it’s worth keeping an eye on Arthur at @RattyBurvil and Matt at @MattDaveLewis, as both have been updating regularly with behind-the-scenes photos.
Verdict?
So will you make the trek to London to catch your favourite stars on stage and (maybe) at the stage door? Or will you have to make do with wishing away at home, and pining on tumblr? This author will actually be making the commute in November all the way from Australia (okay confession, that isn’t the ONLY reason I’ll be in England), and will be sure to report back after the show.
Need one last look behind-the-scenes? We have chosen a few of our favourite rehearsal photos, you can find the rest on the Our Boys Facebook page.
[scrollGallery id=847 autoScroll=false thumbsdown=true]