In the Hot Seat: Marc Pickering of The Elephant Man

As I walk into the dark and slightly unsettling North London pub I scan the room for the type of person who'd play the role of 'The Elephant Man'. Marc Pickering is the actor I'm here to meet, but the grey hair atop the balding heads around me suggest he's upstairs rehearsing. With less than two weeks before the play hits the West End, it's not surprising the cast are busy. The story of the severely deformed John Merrick is a well known one and director Bruce Guthrie and his cast have a challenge ahead of them. As Marc joins me for a lunch-time breather, we discuss his career to date, the challenges of acting, working with Johnny Depp and two pairs of very high profile breasts. Watch out Mr Depp... this lad will go far.

You started acting early... how did your first 'role' come about?

I was walking down a street in Hull with my mum and dad when I was eight. For some reason, I saw this sign for The Sound of Music and I turned to my dad and said "I wouldn't mind going for that". We went in and that morning just happened to be open auditions and I got through to the recall.

Everyone who got through to the recall had to have something to sing. I didn't have sheet music for the pianist... I just went on a whim! So my dad and I sat in a restaurant and said "What are we going to do?!" Dad suggested I do some improvisation and talk about my favourite football team... so I got up there and told them about my favourite team and used characters from different plays in there too.

I didn't get the part but it gave me this great urge to want to follow it through. I got involved with the National Youth Music Theatre where they auditioned kids from the age of ten to nineteen, from all over the country and they'd take a show to the Edinburgh Festival. I got involved with that and that's why I'm where I am today - because of Jeremy James Taylor, who was the director of that company. He put me forward for Sleepy Hollow with Tim Burton. It's unbelievable... it was a dream as a kid. It's what I aspired to do as a kid and throughout my career.

How was it as a child actor? Did you still go to school and did it make you grow up quickly?

I've got to thank my parents for that really... it was them that kept my feet on the ground. I had good mates as well. After Sleepy Hollow I obviously still had my GCSEs to do and it was great because my parents made me realise how important they were. It was great to have them as a backup and I thought 'Well, it's only two years, I'll just have to out my head down and do it. I did... and through college at sixteen, I did Calendar Girls. I managed to tie that in with my schooling, although it was a bit boring because of the tuition. We had to have three hours of tuition in the dressing room every day.

You were in Sleepy Hollow playing Johnny Depp's sidekick. I'm impressed... and so was he it seems - he gave you a signed photo saying; "To a good actor and a good man, this will be the first of many films for you". Have you framed it?

I have yeah! It's up on the wall yeah. Maybe it should come down now... it was seven years ago! (laughs). It was a great privilege to meet him. He treated me so well, in fact, he didn't treat me any differently and to be honest, I was only twelve so I didn't really know him that well. Now we know him from Pirates of the Caribbean, but back then, the only thing I knew him from was Edward Scissorhands. I learnt a lot from him as well... I think it would be great to be known as one of those character actors. I love him for that. Tim Burton was amazing too.

Speaking of big stars, you worked with National Treasures Helen Mirren and Julie Walters in the film 'Calendar Girls'... were you star stuck with them?

I can't believe I'm saying this but I didn't know Helen Mirren that well... but I knew Julie Walters and loved Educating Rita and her other films. Again, it was such a privilege to work with amazing British women.

Did they 'mother' you?

Well, they mothered me and John-Paul who played my mate in it and of course we got to see their 'boobies' - they're very nice actually (for their age). They were very kind to us.

You're hitting the stage now as The Elephant Man. It's a big role - how did this one come about?

We're doing it with a creative company called Creative First which is actually a company devised by a group of mates from college. They were a few years above me at drama school and since graduating, now I'm dealing with what life is really like as an actor.

Throughout my life I've had something to go on to, whether it's been High School, to college, to drama school... but after uni you get stuck and it proves difficult to get an audition sometimes and you've got to do jobs like handing out champagne to get the rent in. So these guys thought 'sod it, we'll make our own company and do our own shows to keep us busy'. It's had great success, so were the past two shows Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and The Long and The Short and The Tall. This is the one for the West End... I auditioned with my mates and here we are. Our director Bruce Guthrie, is a good friend of mine and the rest of the cast are great.

Are you nervous?

I am nervous but it's beginning to take shape now. When I first read the play I wasn't too sure... I mean, I'd seen the David Lynch film. Ours is more theatrical in a way; we haven't got any prosthetics or anything like that. The playwright specifically suggests that any company that wants to do this play shouldn't use prosthetics or make-up. The theatrical devise of the audience being able to see this man and his struggle ... we use slides to the actual deformity but the audience gets to see the real man behind that. He's a real guy with real feelings and emotions.

It's going to be difficult, I mean I shaved my head yesterday - we still wanted to have a physical impact so that when you see me on stage there's a feeling of great vulnerability.

Philip Anglim, David Bowie and John Hurt have all played the role of Merrick - have you drawn upon these for inspiration... or do you prefer to find your own way?

When I first started researching I wanted to understand where he was coming from as a human being. I wanted to start thinking about his journey throughout the play. I think we have to find out where he's coming from first and then put the deformity on top to see how he struggles... that's the way we've gone about it. The text obviously helps with that - as far as the language goes, there's a certain rhythm to John Merrick and I think that's the main thing that everyone who's played him the past catches on to. It's an honesty... everything he says is so true; it's his journey from being a freak and an exhibition to really wanting to learn how to be accepted as a gentleman in society. That's what the play deals with.

I've read lots of books about him and I actually live right next to the London Hospital where he stayed.

Have you been to see the John Merrick museum they have there?

I went with his autobiography and it has a really detailed description of where he stayed. It felt really eerie because you can work out exactly where he went for his little walks. The whole cast is going there soon to get that sense of what it feels like.

How does one go about relating to John Merrick? I'm sure we've all been picked at or alienated at some time... but this is a pretty extreme case. Is it hard to get to that level?

Yeah, there's a scene in the play where he just couldn't go out without being molested and touched and prodded. I mean, what must that feel like? He must have been close to suicide... it's only when this surgeon Treaves brings him in and says 'look, people will accept you for who you are - there's a beauty inside you'. This is what torments Treaves at the end of the play. He's asking whether he's doing it for the right reason, not just putting him on exhibition again for the wealthy.

As far as empathising with his deformity goes. Well... I haven't really had that. I have a scar on my arm actually; a burn from when I was really young and I know what that's like - you know, everyone asking me about that. But it's not on a scale with what John Merrick went through. It's the way the other cast members play off this man as well. Because we don't have the deformity there, the way the other characters respond to John Merrick will really make the audience use their imaginations and struggle with the anguish that his body is going through.

You've acted on the West End before... do you have a favourite venue?

I'd love to do the National Theatre. That's where it's at isn't it? I'd love to do something new... I've always loved musicals as well though. I did that in college to start of with (at Guilford) but then I thought 'I've got two years of my course left... I'd better try something new and deeper'. I did Bugsy Malone at the Queen's Theatre - that was gorgeous. I really like these intimate spaces... especially with plays like this. We had an intimate space at the Pleasance for 'The Long, Short and the Tall' and it just really brings the audience into the moment. I really think you can detach yourself from the audience if you're in a big space whereas in a small one you have no choice; it's real.

Is it true you do a spot of comedy too?

I love comedy... but I can't give you a joke because they're all rude!

Speaking of hidden talents you tap dance right?

Yes... well, I haven't tapped since drama school. I tapped from when I was ten really... from that first audition I just wanted to do everything.

Do everything? One could say he's well on the way. At twenty-one Marc's career is only just beginning. He has a charming demeanour, and an open and genuinely friendly nature. He may have worked with some of the biggest names in the business, but when it came to chatting to a mere little 'theatre buff', he gave it his all. I may only have stolen him for a lunch break, but an hour was plenty of time to feel the full force of natural talent, a cheeky grin and an intense desire to understand his character. More importantly, Marc Pickering seems eager to learn more about the everyday characters around him. That, fellow theatre buffs, will take him far.

The Elephant Man
Trafalgar Studios 2 - London
Wed 4 April - Sat 5 May
Mon - Sat 7.45pm
Wed & Sat mats 3pm*

*no mat on Wed 4 April

For more of Katie Spain's theatre interviews, visit her Theatre Buff blog

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