Not since Charlize Theron played serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 true crime movie Monster has a casting announcement triggered such a mass double take.
Russell Kane? Playing the romantic lead in Romeo and Juliet? Yes, that Russell Kane. The fast-talking comedian and presenter. The one who turned 50 last year.
Bizarre as it may seem, it’s all true. Alongside Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps actor Natalie Casey, who plays his doomed lover, Russell is part of a radical retelling of the Shakespeare tragedy – and, boy, is he excited.
In this version, they play a couple in their 40s who’ve never found love before. Their respective families run different aspects of construction, with Juliet under pressure to marry Paris to seal an important deal. If she doesn’t, she’ll be cast out.
‘I can’t believe nobody’s done Romeo and Juliet like this,’ says Russell. ‘We’ve had different religions, genders and sexes loads of times, but nobody’s had the star-crossed lovers as people in later life.
‘I think 40 is a good age for them because “young” has just finished, but “old” has not begun. And if you haven’t genuinely known true love, at that age, how tragic is that? If you ask people who are 30, 40, 50, 60 if they’ve ever been in love and they say, “I think so, I’m not sure,” you know that means they haven’t, and that is really sad.’
He’s seen productions of the play that lasted three hours but this one will be no longer than two hours. ‘You should be on the edge of your f***ing seat,’ he says. ‘It’s a combination of sharing time with a man, discovering who he is, and also voyeuristically watching a love story play out.’
He’s hoping he can depict his Romeo as the sort of party animal who flits from woman to woman, never settling down or feeling real love. ‘Maybe he doesn’t love himself enough,’ he says.
He’s glad Juliet is also 40 because, dramatically, he thinks it’s a fascinating age for a woman who’s never found love or given birth.
‘And we’re down to the countdown with the last egg. All the patriarchal pressures from her side will be fascinating to explore.
‘It’s the last two people on the dance floor as the club closes, kissing each other and hoping for the best.’
Russell, who won the Edinburgh Comedy Award in 2010 after having been nominated three times, did some acting when he was younger, but this is his first proper straight role since becoming a household name.
‘I always get sent for ugly, funny best friend parts in Richard Curtis-type films. And when I get there, I do well in the audition, but the other uglier, funnier-looking bloke always gets it. I would like to do more substantial parts. Not necessarily the love interest, but villains or addicts or all these people I’m obsessed with.
‘Romeo and Juliet is basically a comedy trapped inside a tragedy. It’s all funny until Mercutio gets stabbed. The first three acts are pretty much a rom-com.’ The role of Romeo came up for Russell after he was spotted in the audience watching Les Dennis smashing it in Not Too Tame Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night.
‘I was clapping at the end, crying, and someone from the team saw me. Then I got a message from the company’s boss, Jimmy Fairhurst, and we met for a coffee.’
When Jimmy asked Russell what kind of role he’d like to play, the comedian replied: ‘Before you suggest Bottom or Puck or Malvolio or any of the other funny parts, I don’t want to do that. I want people to go, “Oh my God, I did not expect you to do that.”
I want to do Romeo in later life.
‘He called me on the Monday and said, “Let’s f***ing do it!”’
Inspired by the work ethic of US actor Matthew McConaughey, Russell’s spent the past year immersed in the craft of acting, including a course with vocal coach Patsy Rodenburg, who has worked with everyone from Ian McKellen to Daniel Craig. He’s also studied the Meisner Technique on how to respond to other characters’ behaviours and emotions; the Uta Hagen Technique, aiming for realism, and the Ivana Chubbuck method, to inhabit characters more deeply.
‘It’s been like a Rocky montage,’ he says. ‘It’s not going be a comedian going into the West End and doing quite a good job. It’s going to be me taking it too seriously and horrifically failing, or doing something more than you would ever have expected.
‘And then, hopefully, we can take it on tour.’
Romeo + Juliet, Sep 17-Oct 10, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, nottootame.com/shows.