Irish actor Gavin Drea stars in the current series of Surface on Apple TV+ and has an impressive body of work that includes Daisy Jones and the Six, Baby Reindeer, Love/Hate, Rebellion and Wedding Season, for which he was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Actor at the National Comedy Awards. He’s currently playing John Proctor in The Crucible at Shakespeare’s Globe, which opens May 8, and marks the first modern classic drama to be staged at the Globe Theatre. He shares his life in culture, from the album he has to listen to in full to the overlooked TV show everyone should have on their radar.
The last thing I saw and loved… was Inside No. 9, my friend performed in it on the West End recently. I’m a massive fan of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton and their TV show, but it worked so well on stage. The show had a guest performer, who started with a bag over their head before the big reveal. We had Danny Dyer. It was incredible watching them improvise around it!
I’m reading… Arthur Miller’s autobiography, Timebends: A Life at the moment. It’s our director’s copy too – I’m hoping I don’t have to give it back!
I find inspiration in… My daughter. She’s the best.
My favourite film is… I hate this question so much! It’s not my favourite of all time as I can’t answer that, but during lockdown me and my partner watched an IMDB list of 90s thrillers. Not my favourite, but that’s my recommendation!
My career highlight is… Disney let and paid me to jump over a building. I was shooting an action-comedy TV show in Manchester, and after I saw the stunt performer do it, I asked if I could! It was terrifying, but definitely a highlight.
The song I listen to to get in the zone is… ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah’ by Allan Sherman. It’s an old-fashioned comedy record. Maybe not to get into the zone, but I’ve been singing that a lot to my daughter recently.
I always tell people to watch… Treme. It’s about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and people living in New Orleans, and is co-created by David Simon, who wrote The Wire. Not many people have watched it, but it’s so nuanced and has so much love and humanity in it.
I never leave the house without… A very boring answer, but my headphones. And also my keys, so I can get back into said house!
Gavin Drea is currently playing John Proctor in The Crucible at Shakespeare’s Globe, which opens May 8, and marks the first modern classic drama to be staged at the Globe Theatre.
The work I still think about is… I feel like I should give a profound answer, but if I’m being honest, The Simpsons. I quote and think about The Simpsons all the time, especially the early seasons!
My dream role would be… Right now, it’s John Proctor at Shakespeare’s Globe. It’s a cheesy answer, but I can’t really think about my job in any other way. If someone is letting me act and I can pay the bills, then that’s as good as it gets!
The best advice I’ve ever gotten… Mind The Gap. I swear those trains are getting smaller.
The art that means the most to me is… The End of History which is the first album by Irish singer-songwriter Fionn Regan. If I put that on, I’ll have to listen to the whole thing.
My favourite moment in The Crucible is… There’s a lovely line that Rebecca Nurse has: “A child’s spirit is like a child, you can never catch it by running after it; you must stand still, and, for love, it will soon itself come back.” It’s just beautiful. As a new parent, it’s a lovely moment.
The most challenging thing about being on stage is… Doing it every day. You really have to look after yourself because you can be performing most days for weeks or months. Voice is the obvious answer, but you are doing something very physical and emotionally draining every day. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
After a performance, I… love to catch up with a friend who has come to see the show. You have so much adrenaline, so it’s nice to hang out with a pal or the cast to decompress.
If I wasn’t an actor, I would be… When I was 12, I wanted to be a marine biologist. Most kids want to be something silly and then get serious, but I went the other way. I think I’m getting sillier year by year!
The magic of acting to me is… Getting to explore different worlds, different viewpoints, and different parts of history! The Crucible is a great example of just that.
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, directed by Ola Ince (Othello, 2024), is the first modern classic drama to be staged at the Globe Theatre and runs from May 8 to July 12. Book tickets here.
Photography by Marc Brenner and Shakespeare’s Globe.
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