Ben Forster On … Going from Jesus to Rocky

How do you go from playing
Jesus to playing Brad in one step?

It was just one of those decisions
really. I was offered the role and I really wanted to do something
different after playing Jesus. After being in Superstar,
which was so emotional, I wanted to do something was just completely
different and Rocky really is that.

The show is a complete contrast. I have
a totally different character, and role, and it’s something that I
can have a lot of fun with for a few months. I really want to do that
after spending so long dying, and getting strung up, and stuff so,
for me, it will be a really nice change and it was really appealing
when I got offered it.

Performing in Jesus
Christ Superstar must have been very emotionally
taxing.
Oh yes, it’s all to do with the place
you have to take yourself to every day. It’s like going to the
deepest, darkest place that you can go to when you play a role like
that, especially towards the end of the show. It was really hard,
emotionally.

But now you get to play a
nerd!

Yes, I’m going to be a nerd and get
heckled a lot, but we all get heckled in this show.

How do you prepare for the role of Brad?

Well, I’m using Oliver Thornton a
lot to give me my stiletto lessons and, because he’s an expert, I’m
doing quite well there. To be honest, I’m more worried about
getting the American accent right. I’ve played Doody in
Grease before and he’s kind of a nerdy, geeky,
funny, version of an American guy, so I’m just preparing as much as
I can like I did for that role.

I am very worried about dealing with
all the heckling though. I’m wondering if I should try and prepare
some answers or if I should just get used to all the abuse. I like
the idea of being abused like that so I’ll probably take it all in
my stride after a while, but I think I’ll need a thick skin. It’s
a very exciting prospect.

And after you leave the
tour of Rocky Horror, I understand that you’re
back to being strung up on a daily basis
Yes, it’s been announced now. I am
playing Brad until we finish in Glasgow, so I’ll be in it until 2
March. Then Superstar starts its 2013 arena tour
on 10 March in Nottingham, and I’ll be back playing Jesus. 

– Ben Forster was speaking to Paul Lucas-Scott