Mercury’s Marshall is just a ‘local’ boy on a Euro trip (From Gazette)

He brings theatre’s play to Bulgaria and Macedonia after run

9:00pm Wednesday 15th September 2010 in Leisure By Neil D'Arcy-Jones

Mercury Theatre actor Marshall Griffin is a local lad. It doesn’t really matter that he was born and raised in Rochester, Kent, or that as most actors do, now lives in London.

We also don’t really mind that Marshall only first came to the area in 2007, when he got his first job with the Mercury Theatre in the company’s production of Death of a Salesman.

No, his mother was born in Harwich, his nan’s family are from the same area and he even has a grandfather who once lived in Colchester – he’s local alright.

“So for the purposes of this interview,” Marshall smiles, “I’m a local lad done good.”

Local might be stretching it a bit much, but when it comes to good, there is no doubt.

He recently appeared opposite Mercury chief executive Dee Evans in her long-awaited return to the stage in last year’s Through the Leaves. It was Dee who discovered Marshall after a performance of Twelfth Night in Bolton alongside another Mercury Theatre regular, Kelly Williams.

“When Kelly spoke to me about the Mercury and, in particular its community work, I was interested,” Marshall says.

“It’s very unique to have a regional theatre doing what the Mercury does and since I’ve been working here, I’ve tried to get involved in as much of that work as I can.”

That includes working with Act V for the over 50s, the Mercury youth theatres and doing a number of school residencies.

But Marshall has always been fascinated with how theatre works and not just in terms of its role within the community.

“In 2000, I formed a little company to put on my own plays,” he says. “It started out after drama school, first of all putting on showcases.

“I’ve always been interested in creating my own work and I like how the Mercury involves the actors in the creative process.”

After appearances in Coriolanus, King David and Through the Leaves, Marshall is now about to star in Stockholm, the next production in the Mercury’s International Programme.

The first, Romeo and Juliet, took place earlier this year with Argentinean tango band Astillero, achieving sellout performances.

Now through Interact, a consortium of 26 theatre companies and festivals from across Europe, North America and Asia, of which the Mercury is a founding member, Stockholm will be touring to Bulgaria and Macedonia.

In return, the National Theatre of Macedonia will bring its award-winning new production of Hamlet to the Mercury.

Marshall says: “We finish here on the Saturday and then go out on the Sunday.

“I’ve never been to either country, so I’m quite excited about it.

“We don’t really know what to expect, so if there are any problems, we’ll just have to sort them out when we’re there.”

In Stockholm, Marshall, along with Mercury actress Clare Humphrey, are a couple in a destructive relationship.

Written by Bryony Lavery and directed by Janice Dunn, the play uncovers the secrets of their stifling relationship through beautiful, confrontational and adult language.

Taking it’s title from Stockholm Syndrome, in which hostages have positive feelings towards their captors, Stockholm seeks to question why we want to destroy the things we love, while stating the things that are usually left unsaid.

Marshall adds: “There are so many different aspects to their relationship. Although it is on the extreme side, I think a lot of people will recognise some of what they are going through.”

l Stockholm runs in the Mercury Theatre Studio from tomorrow until October 2. Tickets are £9.75, £6 for concessions, available by calling 01206 573948 or at www.mercurytheatre.co.uk