Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back!
Before theatres closed their doors in March 2020, Callum Evans was eagerly awaiting to start another performing job. He was due to open in the international touring production of Cats, with an opening night that would have been in May 2020, almost exactly a year before our shoot day. But it's not all sad: it has recently been announced that Callum will play the role of Rocky in the touring production of The Rocky Horror Show, a role he is very familiar with, having played the part back in 2019. Our shoot with Callum took place at the Harold Pinter Theatre, formerly known as the Comedy Theatre. This was one of the many London homes of The Rocky Horror Show.
As well as having done The Rocky Horror Show previously, he played Troppo and covered Nigel in Salad Days on tour, he has also played Eugene in the UK tour of Grease, was in the revival of Chess at the London Coliseum, played Sportacus in Lazytown Live, was in Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre and appeared in Cool Rider at the Lyric Theatre. As well as a successful career in theatre, he is also a hugely accomplished acrobatic gymnast, having won the Welsh championship and coming 2nd in the British Acrobatic Gymnastic Championships, as well as competing in the international arena.
Callum is a man with many talents - not only is he a wonderful performer and gymnast, but he is now, thanks to the time off from performing over the past 12 months, a fully qualified fitness instructor, personal trainer, nutritionist and is also even doing a course in yoga! He has certainly not wasted any time, training in other areas he feels passionate about has clearly helped him get through his pandemic and, as he tells us, has helped him continuously work on and build his craft.
Callum obviously cannot wait to get back on the road with The Rocky Horror Show, but we wanted to know which show he can’t wait to go and see! Even though he won’t be able to physically see it (as he’ll be in it!) his answer was, of course, The Rocky Horror Show! He tells us he is a fan of most musicals but this one just has a very special place in his heart, which is completely understandable.
We spoke to Callum about how theatre has had to adapt and the way it has translated onto our screens at home. Of course, its been vital for its survival but Callum makes a very good point that it just doesn't hold that same magic that it does live in a theatre, “The industry has changed dramatically from when we went into lockdown, the physical magic of theatre has been lost due to no sort of actual audience! It’s been changed to more virtual performances and has had a more visual take on it. This involves workshops, masterclasses and any sort of performing job there is. It just doesn’t feel the same.”
But we won’t have to wait too long for all that to change! With theatres reopening their doors very soon and Callum opening in The Rocky Horror Show in July, it's within reaching distance! We asked Callum what he’s most looking forward to and to put it pretty simply he said “Just being on stage and getting that audience gratification, that's the whole purpose of performing!”.
The Rocky Horror Show launches its tour in Southampton on the 16th July 2021 and goes through to June 2022, if there is any show that will help us forget our troubles, have a great night and just enjoy being back at the theatre again, it's this one!
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