Rising star Oliver Stockley on starring in 'Oh, Mary!'

This gifted young actor is having the time of his life starring in the hilarious hit play Oh, Mary!.

Summary

• Oliver Stockley is playing Mary's husband's assistant in Oh Mary! in the West End
• His previous credits include Cabaret and Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration
• Oh Mary! is in performances at the Trafalgar Theatre

Oliver Stockley's West End credits include Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club and Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends: A Celebration, but now he is turning his attention to Cole Escola's hilarious smash-hit play Oh, Mary!, performing the role of Mary's husband's assistant and keeping the US President very, very happy...

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Congratulations on all the success of Oh, Mary!. You must be having an amazing time. How is it?
It’s fantastic — kind of otherworldly. It’s so cool to be involved in something that’s travelled across an ocean. There are busy, important people involved — [writer] Cole Escola, [director] Sam Pinkleton — and the cast are just wonderful. It’s such a homely little bunch of five. A beautiful building, beautiful people. I feel very lucky.

Tell us a little about the show and your character.
I play Mary’s husband’s assistant — and that’s very important. Mary’s husband [US President Abraham Lincoln] is a very important man doing very important things in America, and it’s my job to stop him from falling apart. I must do whatever must be done to keep him together. Meanwhile, Mary is doing everything she can to achieve her dreams.

What’s it like performing with such an incredible cast?
It’s inspiring — but in a way that doesn’t make you feel terrible! Everyone depends on each other. You can feel how what you’re doing gives someone else the platform to take off. It’s a very precise, well-oiled machine. Mason Alexander Park is a whirlwind. She’s fearless, and my job is largely to witness that and look appropriately bewildered — which isn’t difficult. She makes it very easy. Giles Terera [as Mary’s Husband, now played by Scott Karim] brings extraordinary Shakespearean gravitas to something completely ridiculous, which makes it even funnier. Watching someone so brilliant treat something so absurd with total seriousness is a gift.

Kate O’Donnell has incredible comic precision — she can land a look with pinpoint accuracy — but she’s also warm and generous on stage. And Dino Fetscher has this nurturing, excitable energy that lifts everyone. He’s completely in command up there.

I watched the cover run recently and, for the first time, saw the show from the outside. You suddenly notice how striking the blackouts are, how detailed the design is, how tightly constructed it all feels. It gives you a real appreciation of the scale and precision of what you’re part of.

You’re a multi-skilled performer, playing instruments and also singing. Which of those disciplines do you enjoy the most?
Playing instruments is a huge part of what I do. I find music really helpful in discovering the rhythm of a play — it adds another layer. I’d love to keep doing plays and I’d love to sing more. It’s been a while. I’m greedy — I like doing it all. This show gives me a few of those things, and I’ll happily chase the rest.

And finally — any dream roles or shows on your wish list?
Operation Mincemeat is such excellent theatre. It’s top-notch — the way everything stacks so precisely, the layers of detail, the intelligence of it. It’s incredibly funny, but it’s also meticulous and well-built. I love work that’s that detailed and that sharp. Comedy that’s crafted that carefully is very exciting to me. If I get to be part of something that smart and that funny, I’d be very happy.

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Photo credit: Oliver Stockley in Oh, Mary!. (Courtesy of production)