Arran actor in Chariots of Fire heads for the West End

As we mentioned last month, Arran’s own Paul Tinto is in the cast of a new play, Chariots of Fire, based on the 1981 film about British sprinters in the 1924 Olympics. Adroitly aimed at this London Olympic year, the play opened at the Hampstead theatre on May 9th and runs until June 16th, and then transfers to the Gielgud theate in London’s West End.

It’s a physically demanding commitment. The Hampstead theatre has been impressively converted into a running track, and every member of the cast has been training hard in a converted warehouse. Eight shows a week is demanding enough purely in terms of athletic output, but the actors will need a level of fitness that permits them to deliver lines or sing a song without gasping for breath. Paul has been understandably busy, but found time to answer some questions about himself for the Voice, as follows:

I don’t think being Scottish in theatre is a disadvantage. More and more casting directors now are willing to audition actors doing accents other than standard English if they look suitable for the role. And if you are lucky enough to get a job playing in another accent, it quite often opens other doors. In fact, in Chariots of Fire, there are Scottish actors playing Englishmen and English actors playing Scots. An outsider looking in would be forgiven for thinking that there had been a miscommunication when dishing out the parts!

The UK is much more accepting nowadays of regional dialects. Gone are the days when all RSC Shakespeare leads and all BBC dramas had to be done in RP. Accents can give a different dynamic to a role and that is being capitalised on more frequently. if you can perform in other accents, it helps you a lot.
It was actually film that got me interested in acting, but theatre was more accessible when I was at school, and it was through Lamlash Junior Drama Club that I ended up being on stage. I’d originally asked if I could help with back stage work, but they weren’t actually rehearsing a play at the time, so I got involved in on-stage games – and realised I wasn’t afraid to make an idiot of myself. The rest is history.

My first two jobs were actually in TV, and I’d love to do more if the opportunity arose. I do love theatre and wouldn’t want to give it up, but there is something about the style of certain films directors that has always struck a very powerful chord with me. Film is something I’ll always be interested in.

I don’t feel experienced enough to give anyone advice on the profession. A tutor at LAMDA once said, ‘Your training is seven years long, three here and four out in the profession – then you’ll start to get a vague idea of what’s going on.’ He was right. All I can say is, if you want to get into theatre, you need to have an idea of why you want to do it – and more importantly, keep hold of that idea. Even if your reason is simply, ‘Because it’s fun and I seem to be able to do it a bit,’ hang onto that mind-set, and don’t start to feel you are in competition with others to be better. Such competition makes you lose sight of your enjoyment of the job and breeds bitterness and jealousy.

In reality the business is very cut-throat and you have to have a thick skin. You are not always going to be offered a role, people will criticise you, you won’t always be working and you might often have very little money in the bank. But, for me, it seems worth it for the times you are working. If you start to feel it’s not worth it, then it’s time to stop. There are plenty of easier ways to have a comfortable, affordable lifestyle.

Apart from things to do with acting, I like to meet up with mates and play football, go rock climbing, play music, I also really like going out and exploring London – some people hate the city but I quite like it. And when I do need a small break, Arran feels like heaven to come back to.