Theatre
The Exonerated
Martin will be joining the cast of The Exonerated for one week only, alongside the excellent Kate Mulgrew (Captain Janeway, Star Trek Voyager). His short run in this hit production is from Tuesday 25 April to Sunday 30 April 2006, but the show will continue far beyond that, with an ever-changing star cast. The show is staged at The Riverside Theatre, Hammersmith. Full details at The Exonerated website.
Blue Eyes and Heels (Soho theatre)
The play was writen by Toby Whithouse, who also wrote the excellent Jump Mr Malinoff, Jump, which Martin appeared in at the same theatre. Wonderful three-hander set in the world of unscrupulous TV producers trying to bring old-style wrestling back to the small screen. Excellent role for Martin, a serious part with space for some of his brilliant comic skills to shine through. 2005.
Kosher Harry (Royal Court Theatre)
Directed by Cathy Burke (no, I didn’t know she directed either) this small theatre production tackling many forms of prejuduce and bullying sold out it’s run after excellent reviews. Incredibly challenging for the audience, one can only imagine what it was like to perform. Martin’s pivotal character, himself the victim of teasing, takes every opportunity to take the upper hand. Superb acting.
The Comedians (Exeter)
I did see it, and it was bloody excellent. One day I’ll have a few minutes spare to write more about it. Sorry!
Jump Mr Malinoff, Jump (Soho Theatre)
Martin played a bad essex boy returned to his old stomping ground recruiting a friend off the straight and narrow. A frightening character, in an excellent play.
Silence (Birmingham Rep)
Martin played King Ethelred, metamorphosing from a decrepit good for nothing confined to his bed into a tyrannical, bloodthirsty ruler.
The Dispute (RSC and Lyric Hammersmith)
Translated by Neil Bartlett, artistic director at the Lyric. First played in Brighton. Martin played one of the group of 18 year olds released into the world after being brought up entirely alone, apart from their nurse (played by Adua Anjou, now nursing on Casualty).
Angela Carter’s Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith)
A beautiful show, one of the highlights being the cast creating a dancing figure from newspaper. Martin played Buttons, and as the show was largely improvised he never knew what the cast might spring next. By its second week he had already made up 14 songs on the fly.
The Woman In Black (Stephen Joseph Theatre)
This two-hander was an excellent part for Martin, allowing him a luxurious amount of stage time in this spooky play about a young man who attains his inheritance only after spending a night alone in a haunted house…
Jump To Cow Heaven (Hull Truck/Edinburgh/Riverside)
Winning a First of the Firsts at Edinburgh, Jump told the story of a Kray associate’s release from jail and subsequent housing in a flat owned by Martin’s young character. He is only just up to the job, aided by a worldly prostitute kindly supplied by the Krays to keep their associate off the street.
The Wasp Factory (West Yorkshire Playhouse)
The book that launched my favourite author’s career, this Iain Banks classic was performed in an adaptation that, while not to all tastes, maintained much of the original’s strangeness. Martin played the central character, Frank, but this produciton’s main twist was having Frank played by two actors at once.
Dealing With Claire (Stephen Joseph Theatre)
[ Synopsis not available ]
A Going Concern (Stephen Joseph Theatre)
[ Synopsis not available ]
Swamp City (Birmingham Rep Studio)
[ Synopsis not available ]
Mother Courage And Her Children (Royal National Theatre)
[ Synopsis not available ]
Volpone (Royal National Theatre)
Martin’s first job on leaving Central, this Ben Johnson play was executed with absolute assuredness by leading man Michael Gambon and his second, Simon Russel Beale. Martin had some lines, but mainly he carried the proverbial spear, albeit with great aplomb! Gambon was an absolute joy, somehow weaving Tommy Cooper into the ad-libbing.
