BWW Interviews: Daniel Buckley On LARDO and THE BOOK OF MORMON

He's running around in his Book of Mormon hoodie, but Daniel Buckley's new role is a world away from missionary work.

He's taking bumps and throwing strikes as wrestler Lardo in the eponymous play soon to open at the Old Red Lion Theatre - a whole new set of skills.

"The first week we did just an intensive week, and I put my back out," he admits. "I rested up, I took it a bit easy, I was fine - and now I'm doing all the really physical stuff, and feeling what it's like to take the impact."

Professional wrestling might not be "a real sport", but the pain is certainly real.

"It's a bit of a shock," he says. "You feel a bit dizzy, and your joints are ringing."

And professional wrestling incorporates a very different style of acting than any stage performer is used to, drawing heavily upon "selling" - the exaggeration of a movement and its impact.

"The selling is something we're trying to get," explains Buckley. "We're doing the fight, and you have to show what move you're going for. It's about displaying what you're doing, for everyone's benefit, and showing when you're injured. There are so many different layers."

The story is inspired by the path to stardom of Scottish wrestler Grado, a staple of Insane Championship Wrestling, star of soap opera River City, and recently featured on global television as part of TNA Impact Wrestling.

"He's such a great comedian - but he's so wordy, his delivery is brilliant!" he says. "People are going to be hearing this for the first time so I have to dial it down so they can tune into the style - and tune into the accent."

The role is bringing back a lot of childhood memories for Buckley.

"When I was younger, my sister watched wrestling, and I watched it because she watched it. We used to put the cushions on the floor and jump off the sofa. You forget how much you learnt about people like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock. When I was asked if I'd be interested in actually wrestling - I don't know an actor who wouldn't want to learn a skill like that!"

Audiences at wrestling shows are usually quite rowdy and involved - so how will a theatre audience, usually reserved and well-behaved, react to pro wrestling playing out in front of them?

"There are so many actors who love pro wrestling," reveals Buckley. "It brings out the child in them. People who don't know anything about it - it's our job to tell the story safely without undermining it. We're not taking the mick out of pro wrestling - Lardo is a fan, and we're taking it very seriously. We can't just do strikes - we need to do things to make it interesting. Even people who don't know much about it will still be entertained - it's a play about entertainment."

Lardo runs at the Old Red Lion Theatre from March 3.

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