Interview: Harry McEntire, Star Of PUNK ROCK

Hi Harry, welcome to BWW:UK. How are the rehearsals going?

They’re going great, thanks, they’ve been really fantastic. They’ve been very challenging; it’s an intense production and has really kept us all on our toes, though it’s been a lot of fun too.

For those of us who don’t know what Punk Rock is, can you sum it up for us?

It’s about teenagers preparing for their A-Levels in a school in Stockport. A new classmate arrives at the school and the play looks at how the dynamics and the relationships between the students then change. It’s also an examination of the power of intelligence, the good and bad aspects and how it is able to destroy.

What kind of a character is yours, Chadwick Meade?

There are a few different ways in which he can be described. I think he’s complicated in simplicity - that’s a good phrase to use! In some ways he is your stereotypical geek, with an interest in maths and physics, but on the other hand he’s able to see the beauty in things, even equations he studies. All of the characters in the play are like this, they’re all paradoxes at heart and they’re all quite different.

Punk Rock appears to have similar themes of teen rebellion to your last project Spring Awakening but seems to be much darker.

Yes, Punk Rock is definitely much darker. The characters are much more uncompromising and out to get what they want. There’s no sugar coating of the topics or of the characters' feelings and those towards each other. As well there’s obviously no music or movement, unlike Spring Awakening! Both of them do have a raw intensity and a bruised tenderness but they each have different ways to doing it.

Spring Awakening closing early must have been hard for all involved, especially as it received such good reviews and had so many fans. I saw the show and it was absolutely fantastic.  

It really did get a good reception. It was lovely to get so many fans coming to the stage door afterwards, telling us how much they had loved the show and in a way it softens the blow a little. The production was shortlived but incredible and it had an impact on the audience that came to see it. The most difficult thing was leaving the whole cast as everyone had become such good friends, especially as for the majority it was their first professional stage work or even their first professional project. It could have been a long journey but sadly it had to come to an end; it just was a fantastic experience.

You’re still just 18 - what kinds of training and experience have you have in the past?

I haven’t had any sort of formal training but I’ve done lots and lots of am-dram! I’ve been really, really lucky, in getting jobs at the right time. I’ve had lots of little jobs, in theatre, TV and radio and gradually they’ve grown, and I’ve grown in confidence and, without sounding corny, I’ve developed my craft! I do think that drama school is fantastic and it is something that I might have to look in the future but at the moment I’m just happy to learn on the job.

What do you think the main differences are between performing in a play as opposed to musical theatre?

It’s difficult to describe but whether it’s a play or a musical there’s the same approach to a character, you have to stay truthful. Song or dance doesn’t take away from it and you can’t hide behind it. Obviously with a play there’s much more focus on the acting and you don’t have to remember dance moves or harmony lines. The main thing with either is just to find the truth in the character.

What are you hoping to achieve in the future?

I just want to keep working and enjoying it and doing projects that are worthwhile, that I have a real connection with. So far I’ve been fortunate to get the right jobs at the right time, I haven’t chosen the projects to work on but I’ve been lucky to work on great ones with good people. 

Are there any dream roles you’d like to play in the future?

If I’m being honest I haven’t really thought about it. I think it would be wrong of me to think that there are roles that I would be perfect for. Of course there are so many great parts both in straight plays and musical theatre but I really want to just keep my feet on the ground - though Ernst and Chadwick Meade have become dream roles to me.

Punk Rock runs at the Lyric Hammersmith from September 3 to 26.

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