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What's in my dressing room? – The Grinning Man's Louis Maskell

The actor who plays Grinpayne takes us backstage at the Bristol Old Vic

Guest Contributor

Guest Contributor

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21 October 2016

Louis Maskell in rehearsals for The Grinning Man
Louis Maskell in rehearsals for The Grinning Man
(© Jon Craig)

Louis Maskell's credits include Flowers for Mrs Harris at Sheffield Crucible and My Fair Lady also at the Sheffield Crucible. He played Tony in the UK tour of West Side Story and starred in The Fix at the Union Theatre. He has just opened as the lead role in the Bristol Old Vic's brand new macabre musical The Grinning Man.

Louis took us backstage to see what he keeps in his dressing room.


The Scripts

LM: "Working on a new musical, there’s lots of tweaks and rewrites during rehearsals and previews to get my head around! I keep track of everything in my dressing room, ready for the evening’s performance."

The Wardrobe Manager

LM: "Our brilliant wardrobe manager Emma Cains comes to my dressing room pre-show to help with my makeup. There’s lots to do to get the Grinning Man show-ready!"

The Costume

LM: "My beginners costume is hung up in my dressing room, ready to get into for the half."

The Gifts

LM: "Some press night gifts from my family and friends. Photographer Seamus Ryan gifted me a copy of the press shots we took before the show even began rehearsals – it was the first moment that being in The Grinning Man felt real. My cast mate Audrey Brisson gave me a handmade mini Grinpayne!"

The Prosthetic

LM: "This box holds my prosthetic that transforms me into Grinpayne. I wear it for most of the show. I would show you, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise!"


Click here to read our review of The Grinning Man

The Grinning Man runs at Bristol Old Vic until 13 November

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