Fra Fee on Cabaret, Beauty and the Beast prequel and Eddie Redmayne casting criticism

Words: Simon Button; Image: Jason Hetherington

Fra Fee has been a staple of the British and Irish theatre scene for more than a decade, but the Northern Irish actor’s screen roles in Cinderella and Marvel’s Hawkeye have seen his star ascend on both sides of The Atlantic in recent months.

Now, Country Tyrone-born Fra is back on the West End stage, taking over the coveted role of The Emcee in Cabaret from friend and former Les Misérables co-star Eddie Redmayne.

We caught up with Fra, 34, to find out more about the seven-time Olivier Award-winning revival of Cabaret, his role in the now on-hold Beauty and the Beast prequel series, and why, as a queer actor himself, he doesn’t believe criticism of Redmayne’s casting as The Emcee was justified…

Fra Fee as The Emcee (Photography: Marc Brenner)

You’re following in the footsteps of the Olivier-winning Eddie Redmayne as the Emcee in Cabaret. Is that a daunting prospect?

Yes and no. This whole thing sort of happened very out-of-the-blue and it wasn’t something I was anticipating. I was fully aware of the production and when it was first announced about two years ago I begged my agent to get me an audition for [the role of] Cliff. I saw that Eddie and Jessie Buckley had been cast so I thought ‘Is there anything else I can do in this show, to be a part of what is going to be an amazing production?’ It didn’t happen for various reasons but I met Rebecca Frecknall [the show’s director]. The Emcee wasn’t on my radar at all, so it was a lovely surprise to be asked to do it. At the time I hadn’t seen Eddie doing it so I wasn’t building on his performance, plus the wonderful way it is directed means you have these iconic roles – like the Emcee and Sally Bowles – that you can put your own stamp on. That’s particularly true of the Emcee because he doesn’t have a backstory, he doesn’t have a name, he comments on the action of the piece, and you can very much create your own version of it. 

Did Eddie give you any advice about playing the part?

I thought he was amazing in it and it’s lovely to be able to call him a friend. We worked together before in the Les Mis movie and he was so supportive of me getting the part. He’s been a real rock but as for advice it was all extremely practical. For example, when we reveal the Kit Kat Club girls I really struggled getting the clips onto the robes. Eddie drew me a little diagram showing how to do it and after that I’ve been doing it in record time. He was also always there at the theatre when we finished rehearsals, just to check in on how my day was going. 

What’s your own take on the Emcee?

I read this amazing book called Cabaret FAQ and one of the reviews of Joel Grey in the original production said that his Emcee lured the audience into his world and then trapped them there. I was really taken by that idea of luring the audience in and there’s many ways you can do that. You can entrance them or threaten them and I thought ‘If I make this as fun an experience for them as possible and as playful, once they’ve realised they’re somewhere very dark it’s too late because they’re already completely invested in the fun and they’ve laughed at the jokes’. That was my initial starting point. You draw them in with this sense of fun, then in the second act they realise they’re in too deep somewhere they shouldn’t be.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fra Fee (@fra_fee)

Eddie got some criticism for tackling a character who is traditionally played by queer actors. What are your views on that?

I don’t personally understand the argument for this character in particular because he is so enigmatic and nothing is written in the book to suggest that he is inclined one way or another. Every production of the show has been so different and I don’t want to give away too much but where he was a queer Jew in the Sam Mendes version, ours is very different. It’s important for these roles to be interpreted in different ways and seen through different lenses. I know he’s been traditionally played by queer actors but I certainly don’t think he has to be.

That said, do you think only queer actors should play queer characters and vice versa?

I do worry that there’s a danger in that, a danger of losing a sense of nuance. As a queer actor myself, I personally don’t find it offensive when someone portrays a queer role with integrity, having done the research, with an emotional truth and depth to their performance that is respectful of me and my sexuality and the queer community. When that happens I’m quite happy for anyone to portray those roles. I guess selfishly, I would hate to only play queer characters myself. I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to play an array of characters and I certainly didn’t feel as though there was any need for Eddie getting any criticism for playing this part at all. 

Rebecca Frecknall’s revival features a fabulously diverse cast, doesn’t it?

It’s so, so wonderful. What I find really inspiring about it – and again it goes back to the idea of inviting the audience in with this sense of play – is that you’re inviting them into a wholly, wonderfully liberated environment in which all types of people are welcome. ‘Willkommen’ says everyone is welcome here. These clubs existed in Berlin at the time, even when the most oppressive forces were coming up against them.

 

Fra Fee as The Emcee (Photography: Marc Brenner)

The story is set in 1920s Berlin and the musical premiered in 1966, but does it feel timely now?

Although it might feel we’re becoming more and more liberated, there are still oppressive forces in the world at the moment and it’s important to fight against them. Me and Amy [Lennox, who plays Sally] were rehearsing a scene using that day’s copy of The Evening Standard as a prop. The headline said ‘Ukraine invasion imminent’ and we were like ‘What is going on here?’ The parallels just seem so absurd and you can sense an extremely palpable reaction in the show every night because of that. There seems to be a striking resemblance between what was happening then and what is happening now, and clearly there are still lessons to be learned. 

Historically the gay scene in Berlin in the 20s was open and welcoming. Do you think you’d have enjoyed spending time there back then?

[Laughs] It certainly seems very fun. I haven’t shared this too much because sometimes you don’t necesarrily need to share the process, but when thinking of the Emcee I don’t think he has to be a queer character at all, yet I did wonder if my version of him was absolutely queer, sexually fluid and explorative. Then in the wake of these forces, rather than being deported or whatever, he has to assimilate as a means of survival. But yes, the scene certainly was decadent, wonderful and freeing. I’m not sure if I’d love to press a button and go back there but I’m intrigued by it. 

We recently saw you as Kazi in Hawkeye. How was it becoming part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

That was a dream come true. I had my final meeting with the director and one of the executive producers of the show, and once I gathered that it was going quite well I then revealed just how massive a Marvel fan I am. I said ‘Guys, I genuinely could have answered this Zoom call wearing my Spider-Man onesie’ but I decided to play it cool. It was a real thrill. I’m such a fan of the Marvel storytelling. I think it’s ingenious the world that Kevin Feige has managed to create and I had the most amazing time. Everyone who is involved in those projects, from the crew to catering, are all huge fans. It felt like getting to play as a kid.

Fra Fee at The Kit Kat Klub (Photography: Jason Hetherington)

Will you be back for season two, if indeed there is going to be one?

Well, it’s very Christmas-themed so you’ll have to wait til next Christmas. Erm, I’m not sure. If I told you, I’d have to kill you.

You were cast in the since-scrapped Beauty and the Beast prequel. Who were you set to play and do you have any idea why it was cancelled?

I was going to be a character called Prince Benoit and I was very excited for it to start. I was cast last October and it was meant to start in April, but I don’t really know what happened – something about scheduling and some creative stuff but I don’t know the ins and outs. Josh Gad got in touch with me and he was very keen for it to happen at some stage but now I guess it’s just wait and see. But if it hadn’t have been pulled I wouldn’t be doing Cabaret now and I couldn’t be more thrilled than being back in the theatre, which I absolutely love. I have always loved musical theatre. When it’s done right and all the elements are fused beautifully together it can be one of the most powerful things in the world, one of the most powerful ways of expressing ourselves. This is the first musical I’ve done in four or five years and it’s lovely to be back doing it. [Laughs] But I’m reminded of just how exhausting it is. I forgot that singing eight shows a week is really tiring.

Do you have any dream musical theatre roles?

There are a few shows I’d love to get my hands on. I always wanted to play George in Sunday in the Park With George and I wouldn’t mind playing Franklin Shephard in Merrily We Roll Along. I’m a Sondheim freak. 

Fra Fee as The Emcee, Amy Lennox as Sally Bowles (Photography: Marc Brenner)

Pardon the trivial question but how come you don’t go shirtless in Cabaret, as Eddie did?

[Laughs] I was well up for that. I wouldn’t have hesitated at all. I believe it was just a costume that they wanted to try that they hadn’t gotten around to making work because the tech period first time round was so chaotic as it was a brand new production. When I stepped in there was a bit more time to try some ideas and that’s why I’m wearing this outrageous onesie instead. Not the Spider-Man onesie unfortunately but it still goes down very well with the audience.

You have a wonderful singing voice. Are you a trained vocalist?

Yes I am. I’ve always sang. I did a lot of youth opera when I was a kid and a lot of classical singing. I did a music degree before training as an actor. At one time I didn’t know what I wanted to pursue fully. I thought maybe I’d go to a conservatoire and do classical singing but ultimately I was so passionate about storytelling rather than being a concert performer. I feel as though I’ve found my niche, which is nice, but it’s lovely to be singing again and what amazing music this is to be singing every night. 

You act, sing and dance. What can’t you do?

[Laughs] Oh I’m shit at dancing! I don’t think I’m a good dancer. I did a taped audition for the West Side Story film, the Spielberg one, where I sang ‘Maria’. They came back to say the part of Tony had gone but I was being considered for one of the Jets. My agent in the States said ‘I’ve basically told them that you’re like the new Michael Flatley’. Yes, it says on my CV that I can do Irish dancing but I quit that when I was nine years old. I went through three or four weeks having nervous sweats waiting for call to come in and dance. I was shitting myself but thankfully it just petered out because I would have made an absolute fool of myself with all those amazing lads dancing. I much preferred watching it to Irish-jigging my way around the set. And there are many other things that I’m shit at, like cleaning the house. 

Cabaret is at the Kit Kat Club, London. For more information visit kitkat.club and for tickets click here.