Five questions with Richard Fleeshman

The Broadway and West End actor has starred in everything from Legally Blonde to Ghost the Musical and Company. Now he’s performing in Sondheim’s final musical Here We Are.

Richard Fleeshman is currently starring as the unnamed Soldier in Stephen Sondheim's final work Here We Are at the National Theatre. The musical follows a group of privileged friends on their hunt for the perfect brunch spot — until things start to take a dark turn in Act II. He is cast alongside an all-star cast that includes Jane Krakowski, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Rory Kinnear.

What is Here We Are about and who do you play?

Here We Are is certainly not your typical musical. The source material was two films by surrealist director Luis Buñuel. In its simplest form, it’s about six friends who want to go to brunch but their plans are continually thwarted due to increasingly bizarre happenings and encounters. In essence, this show is a comment on many things: class, status, society, relationships and, like a Salvador Dali painting, it poses more questions than it gives answers. I play a character who remains nameless throughout the play and is only known as the Soldier.

How does it feel to star in Stephen Sondheim's final work?

It’s a huge honour. I was lucky enough to work with Stephen on Marianne Elliot’s gender-swapped Company in the West End. It was a bit like doing a Shakespeare play, but with Shakespeare actually in the room! I think this show feels like a huge heartfelt tip of our collective hats as theatre lovers and performers, with so much gratitude for his lifetime of genius work.

You're working with an incredible cast in Here We Are, from Rory Kinnear and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, to Jane Krakowski. What has it been like working with them?

It’s been an exceptionally lovely experience working with this cast. Most productions would be lucky to have just one member of this company, but the talent and experience on that stage every night is something to behold. It’s a moment in time. Casts like this don’t come around very often.

Who has had the biggest impact on your career?

Without a doubt my parents. They are both actors, and made me fall in love with the arts while I was still too young to even know it was their job. I spent most of my childhood, when not at school, in a green room of a TV set or backstage in a theatre. Those core memories, and getting to witness great plays and performances so young, ensured I never really had plans to do anything else with my life.

What has been your career highlight?

I honestly wouldn’t know where to start. I’ve been insanely fortunate to have worked on amazing jobs with the best people, and have enjoyed a variety of work whether it be straight plays, musicals, touring as a musician, or TV and film work. That said, I think when I look back in years to come, Sondheim's final show at the National Theatre would have to be up there.

Book Here We Are tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Richard Fleeshman. (Photo by Faye Thomas). Inset: in Here We Are. (Photo by Marc Brenner)

This article first appeared in the June 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.