Interview: Andrew Linnie Talks THE COMMITMENTS

We speak to Andrew Linnie about his role in The Commitments, which opens at Glasgow's Theatre Royal tonight and stops off in Edinburgh and Aberdeen in 2017.

For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, what is The Commitments about and who are you playing?

The Commitments is about a group of young people from Dublin in the 1980s who form a soul band to try and escape the poverty trap they've been growing up in. I play Jimmy Rabbitte, the one who starts and manages the band and who, as the egos clash and tempers flare, has to try and keep the show on the road.

Tell us a bit about your history of performing in The Commitments.

I made my West End debut with the show when it opened in September 2013, playing Dean Fay, the sax player in the band who spirals off on his own path to a jazz career. I played that role for over two years. During that time at one point both the lead actor playing Jimmy and the two understudies were off due to illness or injury and I was given the call and asked if I'd play Jimmy that night.

That must have been quite daunting having not performed in the role before?

In hindsight I guess it was, but I was too busy trying to remember where to stand so I wouldn't be hit by the set as it moved around me. It's one of those things where adrenaline takes over and although it was fun and exciting I don't really remember a huge amount of the first show I did as Jimmy. Thankfully I got to play the role for another few nights that week and I had a chance to enjoy it more then, plus I now get to play him for the whole tour, so the risk paid off!

Were you familiar with the story before it came to be a stage show?

I'd seen the film, I think almost every Irish person has, it's part of our national psyche. Roddy Doyle's books and influence are huge, as a Man Booker winner and such a big international success he's hugely influential, so it's hard not to be familiar with it growing up in Dublin.

What's your favourite song to perform from the show?

Well strictly speaking Jimmy can't sing, that's why he manages more than performs - he lives his dreams by proxy. It's hard to pick my favourite song in the show, but I think it's probably "Papa Was A Rolling Stone".

Is there anything in particular you're hoping to do in your downtime during your run in Glasgow/Edinburgh/Aberdeen?

I've only been to Edinburgh before so I have a lot of exploring to do! The Christmas markets and atmosphere will be nice when we're in Glasgow I'm sure, and I'm really looking forward to getting out to see some of the countryside - from the pictures it looks a lot like home.

Ticket information for The Commitments on tour is available on the ATG website.

Photo credit: Johan Persson

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