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[0:01] Dave Hearn: Hello, my name is Dave and this is Tom. And we both play, well you play Max in The Play That Goes Wrong and I used to play it, and we're just enjoying our elevenses here in the VIP room at the Duchess Theatre, where you can see The Play That Goes Wrong. And we've got some questions for each other, so we're going to ask those questions and hopefully you'll enjoy viewing those answers. I don't know why I've become so awkward and embarrassed all of a sudden. No, no, this is good. Tom, I want to begin by saying I like your shirt.

[0:29] Tom Wainwright: Thank you very much. I'm a big fan of your shirt as well and your little bag that is off camera.

[0:33] Dave Hearn: Oh yeah, you don't get to see the little bag. But that's a really cool little bag. You don't get to see the little bag. Hopefully this shirt isn't strobing. We were asked specifically not to wear anything that was strobing. I won't move. If I just remain very still. Hold on, give us a little movement. We've got a thumbs up, you decide viewer. Okay, so am I going to ask you first or do you want to ask me? Or should we alternate?

[0:54] Tom Wainwright: Let's alternate. Let's alternate, okay. Shall I go first?

[0:57] Dave Hearn: You go first, yeah. Mr. Dave Hearn.

[1:00] Tom Wainwright: I feel like I'm in a quiz. Yeah, no, don't get it wrong. What was your first role on stage?

[1:07] Dave Hearn: Is there multiple choice? No. Yeah. My first role on stage, my first role on stage was, I believe I was the six of clubs in Alice in Wonderland.

[1:17] Tom Wainwright: How old were you?

[1:23] Dave Hearn: I must have been like four. But that's it. I'll tell you what though, actually, here's a better story. So when I was like seven, I did, I was playing the Ghost of Christmas Future in Christmas Carol. And I had all my lines cut because I was, and I quote, messing about. And I believe the teacher said to me, if you don't stop messing about, I'm going to cut all your lines. And then obviously I carried on messing about and I had all my lines cut. Now I think, and if you're watching this, I think what happened was she realised that the Ghost of Christmas Future doesn't have any lines and was looking, I think she was out to redeem herself. And I think she was like, I've got to cut this kid's lines, but I'm going to blame it on him. That's classic nineties teaching.

[2:12] Tom Wainwright: Yeah. So let's say that, but I didn't really start acting till I was 17. So I didn't really do, yeah, I was never really thinking about being an actor. No. But yeah, six clubs, Ghost of Christmas Future. There's some pretty good roles I'd say.

[2:22] Dave Hearn: Yeah. How about you? Quite dramatic.

[2:26] Tom Wainwright: Um, my first role on stage, my first role on stage was, it was The Little Prince and I was in, it was year three and I played a King. I don't know if there is a King in The Little Prince. I've not read it since. Presumably he's got a dad. So yeah.

[2:37] Dave Hearn: Well, yeah, actually I was the dad obviously. Um, but the only thing I remember about that was that, um, I had to drink, I think he was like a drunk in this quite strange production.

[2:46] Tom Wainwright: You were like six?

[2:51] Dave Hearn: I know. Yeah. About six. And I remember he had to be sipping from this wine bottle, doing some drunk acting. And my teacher, Lisa, she made me drink cold tea. So the tea looked like whiskey or brandy in this wine bottle. And I was obviously a six year old drinking just like tea, bitter tea.

[3:07] Tom Wainwright: Did you go ballistic?

[3:12] Dave Hearn: I think I must've done. I can't remember. That's all I remember. It was like forcing it down. It was going like, this is so painful.

[3:15] Tom Wainwright: You can't remember it. That's how much caffeine you had.

[3:19] Dave Hearn: Yeah. It was quite a lot. You started messing about, had all your lines cut.

[3:23] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And here we are. That's what you got to do for Max.

[3:27] Dave Hearn: Okay. For Dave to ask Tom. Oh, I've just done that. What was your first role on stage? There we go. I'm ahead of the game. So you asked me one now. Right. How long have you been playing Max for?

[3:32] Tom Wainwright: Oh God. I actually don't know. Um, I think that's math. Um, I think, well, when we did Broadway, we hit over a thousand shows of just play that goes wrong. So that's like what? 2000 hours. That's like nearly what? 200 days or something. That's a lot of time.

[4:11] Dave Hearn: Um, since like 2012 and you've been doing it for like three months, right?

[4:16] Tom Wainwright: Three months. Rube. All right. Uh, okay. This isn't your first Mischief show.

[4:22] Dave Hearn: No. What was it like being in another hashtag goes wrong world?

[4:30] Tom Wainwright: Oh man. The first one when I first joined it was for magic goes wrong as an understudy. Yeah, of course. But it was the first iteration initially before COVID. Yep. Um, and so I did rehearsals for that. Then obviously COVID just stopped everything and then it was sort of rejigged a little bit and it was like the show's rewritten in certain places. Um, I was, I was overwhelmed. I'll be honest. It was, it was quite overwhelming because first of all, I'd never understudied before. Okay. And it was for all the male presenting characters. And um, I just, you know, we were talking about rehearsals just before this, the rehearsal process was like, it was full on. You know, you have to like be in that room and then that room and that's a try and track all these, what all the acts is doing where you're moving and jotting all down and getting multiple scripts.

[5:08] The main thing was really, it was everyone was just so lovely. So there was, it was nerve wracking, but also like everyone was just so lovely and um, made you feel sort of part of a little gang. So yeah.

[5:21] Dave Hearn: Cause we're notorious for changing stuff as well all the time.

[5:26] Tom Wainwright: Yes, indeed. But now I'm, I really like that. I'm quite comfortable with that world of, um, yeah. Being like, ah, let's, let's get rid of that. It's just like, we've just spent three weeks working on that one scene. That's it doesn't work, man. But also I think for us as well, like we love it when, uh, understudies are on just because it's like, we get to play and like, not that we don't get to play with each other, but we get to be like, oh, here's a new energy. And I, I personally, and I think most of us love it where it's like, oh, you only like sort of know this. But I remember Adele in Spies, we were, she was like, you guys are like sharks off the blood when like someone on stage, particularly her, she was like, if I have a glint in the eye or like crack a smile, I see like all eight of you like snipers. I was just like, let's make Adele laugh. So it's so much fun when we have understudies on to sort of attack it that way.

[6:15] Dave Hearn: Yeah. But it's, you know, as you've heard, lovely environment.

[6:18] Tom Wainwright: It is. Actually when we got one of our understudies, Ed, uh, who's wonderful. He went on in the first week, uh, quite quickly and, uh, yeah, as is the way. And it was so joyous cause A, he, I was expecting him to be like very nervous, but he got down, he's in his, in his outfit, in his Robert outfit and he was like, yeah, I'm all right, mate. And he was really chill. And he's also the youngest in the cast. He's 24 years of age. And I was going, how is he this calm? And we got on stage and he was absolutely smashing it. But then we got into act two and you could just see, he was slightly going, what's coming in and you're absolutely right. There was that glint of just that. But it adds to the play, especially this one as well. Where like, you're like, what's going to happen? That energy was so good. So fun.

[6:54] Dave Hearn: You don't know what's going to happen. I don't know what's going to happen. We'll just see what happens.

[6:58] Tom Wainwright: Let's see what happens.

[6:59] Dave Hearn: Hold on. Where do we get up to? How long is this? This is first. Okay. You, me, Tom Fox. What's it like returning to the role over the years, Devan?

[7:07] Tom Wainwright: Oh, of Max Bennett. Yeah, that's a good question. Thanks, Tom. I was really excited actually, because I think doing, because we came back in the play, like when was that? Not long ago.

[7:20] Dave Hearn: Yeah. Like a year, two years ago?

[7:21] Tom Wainwright: Last year.

[7:22] Dave Hearn: Yeah. We did play last year. And was it last year? For the 10th. It was the 10th.

[7:27] Tom Wainwright: Oh, no. I was away. I didn't do that one. But when we filmed it in Chicago, cut all this.

[7:34] Dave Hearn: It won't be the year before.

[7:37] Tom Wainwright: Yeah. But when I came back and did play, it was really interesting because I hadn't done it for like, it must be like five or six years or something. Surprised how much of it I can remember. I remember we had a week's worth of rehearsal. We came in and we did day one. And then by the end of it, we were like, should we just have the rest of the week off? And come back and do the tech? Because we were like, oh, we sort of know it. And we were just kind of coming in and just, we were just like hanging out. And then obviously, we didn't want to do any rewrites because the show is like settled in. But yeah, it was really fun to return to it. And it was really fun to speak to the actors who were in the cast at the time and speak to the director as well, Amy, and kind of get, communicate some of the more niche aspects of the character that hadn't been passed down.

Because they were just in our heads. And they were just like silly little things that we thought of. And then she was like, oh, this makes sense. And this makes sense. And this makes sense. And it's just like, yeah, but you know, you don't need that to do the show. But this is the nonsense that we came up with. But yeah, it was like returning to an old friend. And just having license, and I don't know if you find this, but play is a very technical show. And you have to be very judicious with when you engage with the audience. And when you let the show play out, because you can, Max does have the capacity to derail the whole thing. And I'm a fan of derailing. And so I found the discipline to like not disrupt the show too much.

[9:10] Dave Hearn: Yeah, definitely. But actually, it's interesting you say about the little things that you guys well created and then found, and it gets passed on. And one of the notes from Amy when me and when Max and Sandra are doing their like, everyone's it's just them in the next one.

[9:26] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, it was that she was like, Dave Hearn would say that Max really enjoys playing sexy affair, man.

[9:32] Dave Hearn: Okay. And that's what she would say to me. He really enjoys being sexy affair man. And that's the only note for that bit. Is that true?

[9:41] Tom Wainwright: I've never said that. But I think I think what was that? Putting words in my mouth. Maybe I did say that. Damn, I actually trust her more than I trust myself. But I think but I also that does make sense where he's just like, someone's just said to him like, Oh, you're sexy affair man. And he's like, Okay, yeah, I can do that. I think as well, my main thing for Max was that he just embraced he was the only character that embraced that he is in a comedy. And I think he doesn't quite understand like the technicality of how to do a comedy. But I think when they go out, the improv we would do backstage is Chris is running around going, why is everyone laughing? This is a serious play. And Max just gaps immediately and goes, Oh, we must be doing I must have got it wrong.

We're doing a comedy. Yeah. So let's just go out and do things that make people laugh. Yeah. And like, when they're laughing, and he's laughing when they're clapping, he's clapping. He's like, yeah, they're enjoying it. And the more he does it, the more they enjoy it. So he's like, I don't understand, Chris, like, this is going brilliantly.

[11:08] Dave Hearn: Yeah. But he's the only one in there that thinks he's like, he comes off at the end, we did this improv at the end with a q&a. When we're at the old red lion, we had to add a q&a because it was only 15 minutes long. So we made it up to an hour of q&a after the bow. And everyone would say, How do you think the show's gone? And Max always go? Yeah, I think we did pretty well. Like you guys seem to really laugh and enjoy it. Yeah. And all the other characters like you're an idiot. It's not meant to be a comedy. So that was the thing I always found with Max was just that he's actually so naive, but he's weirdly so adaptable.

[11:23] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, almost impenetrable.

[11:27] Dave Hearn: Yeah, this is great. In a bizarre way, quite good. He's got it's amazing how he can adapt. Like, yeah, yeah. And yeah, weirdly skillful.

[11:33] Tom Wainwright: Great. We're doing a comedy. Great. On the fly in the West End.

[11:40] Dave Hearn: Is that great? We're changing the genre. Done. Okay, it must be your turn.

[11:43] Tom Wainwright: Okay, Tom, how do you get into character? Any slash any pre show routines?

[11:47] Dave Hearn: That's routines. Oh, any get into character? Um, I don't think I'm very similar to Max Bennett. Okay. My wife disagrees. Sure. And she thinks that I am quite similar to Max. I tend to muck around a little bit backstage. I'll be honest, that is part of my routine.

[12:04] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, I think actually helps get me into character a little bit, not in a massively disruptive way. But just, you know, I'll sort of tease people a little bit.

[12:09] Dave Hearn: Yeah, before they go on. Disruption. Maximum laughter.

[12:15] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, that's it. And that's what I tend to do. But yeah, I don't have any sort of like things I need to do. I don't knock on this. I don't knock on the floor of the stage or who does that? People do that.

[12:23] Dave Hearn: Yeah. But few people. There's a few in the cast now who have little routines. They've got little rituals they do. Knock on the stage.

[12:27] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, knock on twice. Sounds like come in.

[12:32] Dave Hearn: Yeah, it's a bit. Yeah. But I don't have that. But maybe I should try and find one. I don't know.

[12:36] Tom Wainwright: Do you have anything like that?

[12:40] Dave Hearn: More weekly with Mischief Movie Night. So, um, with Mischief Movie Night, hug everyone in the backstage team, or shake hands. Just so that I find I was doing it at the top of Spies and then halfway through Spies, I got a bit sad and I stopped doing it and then I got happy again. But like we should have kept up the hugging. But I think because my thing was always particularly with play, because it is it can feel quite military. Sometimes it is very structured and like the last come in the same places. And there's actually not a lot of room until you've seen it in a much more comfortable.

[13:16] Dave Hearn: The first time I would see people would either be backstage or on stage and so you'd be like living your life, playing a character and then it's like oh I haven't seen Tom today and now we're doing a scene together pretending to be different people. So I found like hugging or shaking hands with people was just a way to be like hey we're in the building together before we go and do this thing. And also you can, because I've known people like Henry Lewis for so long, I can look at him and get his vibe that day in like a second and if the first time I'm doing that is on stage I'm like oh hence he's on one today or he's pissed off or whatever he's feeling. But like if you're discovering that on stage your brain just clicks off for a second and then comes back.

Actually you just get to do that before you go on. I suppose also the question, like we do play patty ball. Which is, well to be fair we thought you guys originated it. It's been passed down for like at least the last seven years in the Duchess. But it's four people on stage, the rest in the first three rows of the stools. It's basically don't let the ball drop. There's teams, there's loads of rules, it can get quite aggressive but in a good way, a competitive way. I suppose that's something that brings us together and we all warm up together as well which is really nice. We all do it and patty ball is an important part of the day.

[14:39] Tom Wainwright: Yeah I wish we had patty ball in Spies actually.

[14:42] Dave Hearn: Is it me to you now?

[14:43] Tom Wainwright: It must be actually yeah.

[14:45] Dave Hearn: What's the line people quote most at you slash your favourite line by Max?

[14:51] Tom Wainwright: I know this one. So that's two separate questions I think. The one that gets quoted to me the most is snap snap. From Peter Pan. And I remember on the BBC I was in that military sleeping bag which was what the outfit was. And I said to the director, am I mic'd up for this? And he was like no. And I said I'm not going to be saying snap snap. And he was like okay. And I went trust me you're going to want to get that. And he was like okay we'll mic you up then. And I was like yeah yeah. And just like so cocky and did it. And then I was like what do you think of my snap snap? And he went yeah I mean yeah we got it. And I was like yeah trust me man. And then like a year down the line I saw him and he was just like snap snap. It's gone global.

[15:47] Dave Hearn: It's gone global.

[15:48] Tom Wainwright: It's gone global man. You broke the internet with snap snap. But my favourite, I think my favourite, I don't know if it's my favourite line. My favourite routine that I've done was with Henry Shields in Harper's Locket where he's giving me the pound note. And he's saying take it don't take it. And he keeps taking it. And actually I watched that back and I was like oh this is just such a simple routine of two naive clowns and an old goose to the donut. Like the naive just doesn't get it. And it's the first time that you really see Max. Because he's not actually that stupid. But it's the first time that he's just really trying to help. And he's just confusion with Chris. He's like why do you keep giving it to me then?

Stop giving it to me if you don't want me. Stop it. And so that's for me that's a really enjoyable. And to do that with Jono as well as Dennis dressed as a horse. And then him taking it. And then just that whole thing. And then him smashing me in the head. Just there was so many beats to it. And I remember talking to Henry Shields about it. He was like there's like 15 beats to this. I was like yeah it's great. But all that's done up to the editor. So yeah that's my favorite bit. That's your favorite bit. But Snap Snap is probably the classic. Yeah yeah. Without a doubt.

[17:03] Tom Wainwright: Okay. You've been playing Max now for a few months. Yeah. Anything new you've discovered about him over the course of that time?

[17:08] Dave Hearn: Well we've sort of actually. You sort of mentioned it yourself. But you've got to be careful I think with derailing. In terms of like what. Why. Why does he think this is. What is it about the audience. That's something that I. I just had to get an audience in front of me. Rehearsals were like so enjoyable. Yeah. But there was a part of me just doing it to like an empty. Oh it's horrible. It's excruciating. After a while I started to doubt it. And I was going. I don't understand why he would look out. And then suddenly we actually before our opening night. It was a great set up. I don't know who came up with it. Maybe someone in the office. Like get the some of the casts from around here. Who like don't get to see shows because they're in shows.

They can have an open dress to watch us. And it was honestly it was so good. And I think it's going to carry on for the future. It's a great idea. And we had all these casts in. I've never been so nervous in my life. Yeah. Because you know it's like there's Les Mis. Lion King. Just there. Mamma Mia. There you know. Everyone was in. And they were so supportive. But it was the moment we started. And that first roar of laughter. Yeah. Or first little tickles. And like just hearing it. And I think that's something I've really enjoyed. Just in the first few months. Discovering is like. They actually are leading you. You're not like leading them. Yeah. So it first of all keeps it like fresh. It's different every night.

But it's really enjoyable to be led by them. And sometimes you've got a really like good audience. They're just quite quiet. They're just very polite. And they don't want to be. They're not. They're very polite. They want to give you space for the they're being very delicate. And therefore it kind of changes how Max interacts with them in a way. And I really enjoy doing that every night. Because I definitely rehearsals. I'd overcook it. And I'd be like. Oh yeah. Beaming out. And it didn't. It wasn't right. And it would make him quite annoying. Yeah. It doesn't land. I think the I've always said this to others ended up playing Max. It's like the hardest part will be the rehearsal. It's a nightmare.

Yeah. It's horrible. Because like you are getting advice from all directions about. Oh you'll probably get a laugh here. They'll probably be around here. And you go. OK. But how. Like the only time you can actually rehearse it is with 500 people or 1000 people in the audience. Yeah. And seeing what they do. And just reacting to that. And actually what ends up happening is you're in the rehearsal. And yeah you completely lose faith in it. And the way that that started was all improvised with me and shields. So we never had that process of we've got this idea of a character who's going to interact with the audience. It just said in the script Max is nervous. That's the only thing it said. And so the whole thing was born out of development over like two years.

Yeah. And so then when you get into these big Western stages where you're like. Oh wow. It's like it's even better because you've got loads of people laughing and loads of individual noises and laughs and silly things. Noises. Yeah. It's great. Yeah. And I think that you end up. Yeah. You end up kind of connecting in a different way. But it's when you force the connection. Yeah. Is when it's tricky. And that was the only thing I said to Amy when I came back in. I was like the audience should get this. Max's journey through the story or through the play comedically should be dictated by the audience. Yeah. By what we think it should be. And it was always the thing that Adam Aguirre who's one of our directors said it's actually about improv but it applies to Max in the play that goes wrong.

He says play the show that you have not the show that you think it should be. Yeah. And it's like if you don't get around if you don't get an applause then the audience doesn't get that reaction from Max. And that is a shame. And you're in your head going oh guys you there's so much there's so much richness here that you can get. Man I'll give you a bow man. And it's totally inappropriate. And you just don't get you're not going to get that. No. But that's the thing I think that makes that part so fun. Because then when you get stuff in places that you know you do five six hundred shows and it becomes clockwork. But then your certain audiences will give you different things in places you don't expect and you're so ready for it.

And you just have the confidence to build it. Yeah. So yeah I'm glad you're discovering that. And it's also okay as well I think to not get those things. Like it is a shame if you don't get that first round you don't get to join them. You have to kind of wait till later. Yeah. Hope to get another round. Build the game there or whatever it is. But actually it's just like okay this is what we're doing today and it's sort of a release of control. Yeah. Like here's the show. Laugh. Well I'm glad you've learned that. That's wonderful. It took me a long time to learn that.

[21:33] Dave Hearn: Okay hold on. Is it my turn? It is your turn. I was too excited talking to you. Okay. Favourite funny memory from the time. Let me say that again. Favourite funny memory from time playing him. Max. That sounds like you put that through Google Translate. Favourite funny memory from time playing him. Max. Max. Favourite funny memory from time playing him Max. Okay. That is really tough from playing Max. Oh I tell you what actually. Right. So we did the show in Dubai Abu Dhabi and this was in the same year we did it in Bombay. It was mental. It was so mad because we booked it before we booked this tour and then the West End and then Kenny was like yeah. Yeah. You want to go to Dubai for like three days.

Yeah man. But when we got there they built the set and they built it all like all over the show. And so on the play that goes wrong set in the West End you have the picture fireplace the door the window the upper level. We didn't have an upper level so we just we were doing like an amalgamation of both acts but without the upper level. It's like a 90 minute show basically. But what they'd done was they'd put the fireplace over here. They'd put the door the window here and then the door here so that the phone and the door were like as far away from each other as they possibly could be. And in the show obviously you know you're holding up all the stuff and then you hand the phone to Robert and that whole section happens like this distance away.

But we were like 10 feet apart. I got there and I said I'm not gonna get the phone to you while I'm holding up this picture. And so we were like okay what are we gonna do. And so what I did was I put the phone back on the receiver and I held it and then I launched it off. So I held on to the base and the receiver flew across the stage. And the problem we had then was that Hen's face is against the wall so he can't see. So he's got his hand out like just like that. And we tried it and it just kept hitting the floor. I said I'll tell you what Hen we've got five shows right. I'll give you like a grand if you catch it once. And I said I'll tell you what I'll make three attempts without you looking.

If you can't catch it on the third one I'll get someone out of the audience. And he was like okay fine. First show first attempt bang catches it. I'm like unbelievable we're in let's go. Massive round. Even I was like I put the phone I put everything down. It was just Dave. There was no action required. I was like that is unbelievable. And the Hen was laughing and I grabbed the phone and I was like yeah. Second show drops it. Third show drops it. It was a train wreck. But when we did it in Abu Dhabi I looked out into the audience and this guy was really enjoying the show. I pointed to him and I was like yeah you come up. And he was just like yeah. And he was dressed in quite like a regal outfit like a kind of it was quite it was a lot.

And I saw all these guys around him suddenly like stiffen. And I was like oh the vibe shifted the vibe shifted and this guy's coming up. And I think he was he came up and he was laughing. And I was like yeah come and I said can you hand give him the phone. And he went yeah. And obviously it's on elastic so he's getting tighter and tighter and tighter. And everyone's like oh my god oh my god oh my god. He gets the phone over to Hen and then he gets around and he goes to leave the stage. I go no I can't I haven't had enough. I was like come back come back. And I was like take hold this. And he holds it. And I was like hold that. I was just seeing what I could get this guy to do. And then he held it and I went down and sat in the chair and just watched the show and just watched Hen do the save.

I was like this is great. All happens finishes. We do this little routine where I'm trying to he's trying to hand the receiver back and I'm trying to shake his hand and I take it and go and we keep handing it back. And he's like doing really well. Then the lady who organized it after the show was like you must never do that again. And I went what. And I think he was one of the Sheikh's sons. He was like a prince. And all the guys that had like stiffened were security.

[26:20] Dave Hearn: Oh that's so good. I was like oh he's just you know he just wanted to come up and have a laugh. And then she was like yeah you can't do that. And I was like well I did. So what's okay I promise I won't get another prince up. And then no more came anyway. But like it was that thing of just being like oh the reason I chose him because he was beaming. Yeah. And he was just like loving it. And then I was like yeah let's get him up. Let's do it. And he had a great time. We had a great time. And yeah it's just finding I could have it could I could have been shot or something. I don't know. But nothing bad was happening. And it's a comedy show. And he was in a great time. But yeah that was one of my. You have been on the run ever since. Yeah yeah I can't I can't. I can't go back. Yeah yeah. I'm not even allowed in the airspace. But yeah that was one definitely one of my favorite. Have you heard it yet?

[26:32] Tom Wainwright: Oh, nothing as good as that. Nothing as good as that. This, I think the smaller, the smaller things for me can set me off. And I think in our first ever week, we just opened, and it was about, I think it was our fourth show. And there were still those nerves there of going, right, we want to hit these beats and make sure it's all going well. And it got to act two, and it was the telephone scene was about to happen. And I'm communicating up there with Robert, who's up on the platform. And the little, what's it called, the plant has a mind of its own. And it just fell at the wrong time. It just fell at just the least funny moment of the show. And me and Robert, it was our first time, we just looked at each other, locked eyes, and it was so small, it was so nothing.

And it sent us and I could barely breathe. And what was bad was the audience had no idea what we were laughing at. They were not with us. Yeah. And the shame, guilt going through both of us. And this is our first week on this job. And this is a port that was happening. And we just found it so funny. And we managed it was only, you know, to be fair, a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Very unprofessional. Very unprofessional. I endorse it. I endorse it. Actually, I've endorsed it. That's good. Hold on, give me that. What's the lines before? Before we do the first big mime speech, were you with the inspector? The one with the inspector.

[28:00] Dave Hearn: So the window lifts just happened. Yeah, that one. Yeah, yeah. And so yeah, Crispin and Max, right downstage left. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Like shout trying to like cover shouting over. Yeah. And I can't remember. It was you. It was you. It was you. Did you hear of that? Oh, no, that's the start of the speech. Oh, you've done it over 1000 times. I'm currently doing it. It goes. He's like, I would never do such a thing. And then it's like, you know about that. And you knew about that. That's it. He's cute. That's the line I'm looking for. Right. So lean in a bit closer. So you're Crispin. I'm me. I'm Max. And I got Henry Shields so bad. But I got myself because I was like, we were screaming at each other.

And I don't know why I just wanted to wind him up. And I went, you knew about that. I just poked him really gently in the cheek and Shields, his eyes just went wide. And under that little mustache, his mouth just curled up and he just shook his head at me. And I was just poking him in the face. And then I laughed so much. And then I went to do the big speech that's like, you've got to have a lot of breath for and I was just coughing, spluttering my way through the speech completely killed the moment. Shields just turned his back to the audience and was just smiling at me upstage while I fumbled my way through the speech. I completely destroyed that entire section of the show. And then I didn't get around at the end of the speech and Shields laughed again.

And I just I literally just went. I just walked off. I just left. I was just like I'm done. Um, this is we've had enough. But yeah, that was Facebook. That's that can be a little Facebook. I might steal that. Yeah, a little Facebook. It's got to be really gentle or just like on the end of the nose. Yeah, just a little like you knew about that. Yeah. Right. Hold on. How long we got? We're really milking this only 31 minutes. Oh, you wanted 20 minutes. Okay. Oh, no. Right. We've done favorite audience response. Funny moment so far. We've covered your funny moments so far. Yes. Okay. And then this is the fan question now. Yeah, let's do fan question. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Okay. Fan questions. Should I ask you the fan question? Okay. Yeah. Cool.

[30:23] Dave Hearn: Hardest joke slash gag in the show to nail from katie underscore grace underscore Musgrove. Thanks katie underscore grace underscore Musgrove. I hardest joke in the show to nail for Max. It's probably the little mini slip. The mini slip is that still in that might have been cut. There's a little mini slip where you're upstage by the door and you're about to walk downstage. It's just where the whiskey's been spit out onto the floor. Go on. And you do you do a little slip on the line. I think it might have been cut. I think the problem was this is about to be a non humble brag. I think the problem was was that I was doing it. And this is actually this is Henry Shields. Henry Shields said this to me.

He said you're doing it so well that people think it's not part. It's not a joke. Yeah. You're actually slipping. And it would either get a really big laugh. But then it got to the point where in order to get the laugh. It was so weird. I do I do the line. And as I was walking and I'd be saying the line and then kind of do that. And he was like, it's not getting it. Everyone's tensing up because they know the show is dangerous. And that act is actually just slipped. Yeah. So it ended up me just going completely to ground in order to get the laugh. I had to just slip it and be like, well, it's like fall over and then recover. And then the director came in and was just like, I love it. It's funny, but it just it just kills any momentum we have in that space.

People are scaring people. Yeah. So it's just like we this is the that's hard. But either that or the big first big mime speech. Yeah. I need to ask you. I need to ask about the mimes. Yeah. That's off camera. You can't have those secrets. What? How? How did they come about? Oh, that's a great question. I I've heard rumors. What are the rumors? You tell me. You tell me.

[32:20] Tom Wainwright: So the what happened was we were in rehearsal and Henry Lewis did something, as he always does, that really made me laugh. I can't remember what it was, but the laugh that went over like three scenes, like seriously, like I was in a scene, I was like, I was just there like and I couldn't I was getting lines out and I'd go off, compose myself, open the door, come back on, immediately start laughing. And it got to the point in that scene with Shields where the mime section comes up. And that was just originally a big speech that was covering the exit. It was the exit was still happening. And while we were rehearsing it, we didn't have the window. So the director just kept saying, keep going, keep going, keep going.

And I was laughing so much I physically couldn't say the lines. And he said, just mime it, just mime the lines. And so I just started miming the lines. And everyone started everyone came round off stage and just watched me do this big speech, miming the lines, kind of improvising it. And then he said, Oh, I don't know if there's something in that. There's something in that that's quite fun that he and so what it transferred into was that he was so overwhelmed that the way he'd remembered his lines was through this series of mimes. And he just restored to factory settings when he was panicking. And that he just mimes all the lines. And then he gets around and it kind of brings him back into the room.

And he's like, Oh, yeah, we're doing a comedy. Yeah. But what is that? The way it's been translated, translated down to me through the years is that you're you're corpsing you're laughing was actually you were not told to mime you were shouted at to mime.

[34:02] Dave Hearn: Oh, yeah, that's probably which may be no, it's probably more accurate. I think the director was just like, Come on, Dave, we're trying to rehearse. But no, that like it probably is more accurate, actually. Okay, final audience quick. I'm just aware that we're just gonna get cut down. So shut up. The two part series could be three parts.

[34:28] Tom Wainwright: Okay, this is a fan question. What is one bit about your character that you made up and follow even if it's not true? That is from Laurie dot on underscore.

[34:43] Dave Hearn: That's an interesting question. So which part? What's the thing that I've made up about the character? Yeah, yeah. It doesn't even you know, you follow it even if it's not true. The we found this in our rehearsals in the first week and actually could be really similar to what you guys created. I don't know. But we found that me and Dennis, Max and Dennis have known each other since we were little kids. Oh, cool mates. But best mates more. Dennis doesn't really. I sort of look after Dennis a little bit. And I helped him learn lines. And we did. We just talked about the mimes just then we learn all the lines together through physical. Oh, that's very. So the what triggers the first nonsense is because Dennis did it he out of his nerves.

He did like come on his land accused that but he ends up doing this. And that makes me go Oh, yeah, my next one's that triggers that and then that then that throughout act two mean mean there's a little moments together. The audience wouldn't even notice it. We have little moments when we sat in the shades together in act two with Arthur. And we have a little moment when he's upset because he got the word wrong. We just check in with each other a little bit. That was my favorite scene. That was really lovely. Yeah. And we have a little moment and I'm doing great. We don't say it even but it's just like that's the energy. That's our little backstory, which is quite cute. I always used to do a full hug with John.

So like when he gets the line wrong, and then the lights go back upstairs, I'd always like hug him. And then we'd be like, and then he comes up and then he's is it kind of he is that the thing on the thing? Yeah. And he like cries into the thing. And I'd always turn I turn us away from the audience. Yeah. And then walk him upstage and be like, Hey, man, you did a great job. And John and John would be like, thanks, man. And but then on some days, I'd be like, this audience is great. And we just be chatting. Yeah, have a quick chat.

[36:34] Tom Wainwright: And then like, turn back to and then the idea would be that I Max is like, pet Dennis. It's like, let's get back into the show. But yeah, no, that is a really fun moment. My one was that Max had been offered Hamlet at the National to play Hamlet.

[36:48] Dave Hearn: No. And so the idea was, happened in an improv where Robert was doing like, you know, some of his Robert Grove. And he was like, asking Max, he was like, What are you? What are you up to? And he was just sort of so many, so many years around Robert Grove. And he would say there was this whole thing where I was just trying to make him laugh in this improv. I was like, Yeah, I've just been offered to play Hamlet. And he was like, where? I was at the National and he was like, the National Theatre. And I was like, Yeah, yeah, the National Theatre. And he was like, what else have you got? And I went, Oh, yeah, Tom Cruise called me about Mission Impossible and like, wanted me to play and it was that he'd been offered all these like, massive parts.

But he, he was like, scared of them. Or he didn't really get it. So he was just like, Oh, I like hanging out with my friends. And I like doing this play. And I like doing this community theatre. So why would I, why would I want to go to a big theatre with loads of people I don't know? Yeah, I play a big part. I love that. And so he, he's like, he doesn't realise he might not even be that good an actor. But I think he walks into a room and people are like, this kid's got something because he's so fake. He must know something. Because there's no way anyone in their right mind would give this performance. But the idea that he, yeah, that he'd been offered all these massive parts and turned them all down so that he could come and do the Murder at Abyssal Manor. That's lovely. I really like that.

[38:22] Tom Wainwright: Yeah, it's a cool thing to just like, occasionally just bring out backstage if you're doing improv. Yeah. And just like, especially with Robert, because it winds him up. It's really fun. We should sign off. We should sign off. Hold on, what's your like, max face? Do you do like, yeah, do you do like a...

[38:39] Dave Hearn: Well, when he's playing Cecil and Arthur the Gardener, I have the same face. Okay, yeah. And it disappears quite a lot because he gets distracted quite a lot. Yeah. But there's an eyebrow raise. Okay, nice. And I think I've copied it from you, from pictures of you doing it, but I always hold the jacket. Oh, yeah. Play with the jumper. And I think there's been a few times I've seen clips of you and you just hold it quite unnatural, but feels nice way. Yeah, yeah. It's quite like, as someone who's not quite comfortable on stage, who's just like, I'm doing acting now. Yeah. Chris has told me to do this. Yeah. And I'm doing it. Yeah, I find that's coming into my normal life, even like, I just, it's quite nice.

[39:19] Tom Wainwright: Hold on. So we should, Nathan gives a countdown. We'll go here. And then you do three, two, one, and we'll look at the camera until max look. Whichever one you want. Okay. Ready? Three, two, one.