We’re big fans of Mason Alexander Park here: many will be familiar with Mason’s work on hit Netflix series The Sandman, and we’ve also caught them on the West End, starring in Cabaret as the Emcee in 2023 and, more recently, in The Tempest, starring Sigourney Weaver. Mason is currently appearing alongside Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell in the new Jamie Lloyd Co revival of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing which we reviewed recently – it’s an absolute blast. We caught up with Mason a few days after the show opened for a quick chat.
How’s the new show going so far? “Beautifully! We’re all on cloud nine, every single person in this show feels immeasurably lucky to be a part of it. There’s just something special about doing Shakespeare in this venue, and it receiving the fanaticism and the unadulterated joy that audiences are bringing to it. That makes it feel so once-in-a-lifetime so I’m really, really pleased!”
In this show you play Margaret. For those unfamiliar, can you tell us a bit about the character and your interpretation? “Margaret is described as Hero’s waiting gentlewoman – she’s sort of a part of the family, I believe she would think she is, in regards to how close she is to this family and how long she’s been around them. So it’s quite fun to develop this lovely relationship with Mara [Huf] and with Hayley [Atwell] because they’re who I have most of my scenes with. We’re the girls of the play, the ones who amongst all of the chaos are bringing the femme energy!”
“It’s cool that Jamie [Lloyd] thought that I would be a good Margaret,” Mason continues, “she’s kinda dry and witty, but in this version we’ve definitely bumped up her presence quite a bit. There’s a lot of music in the show, so Margaret’s taken on this ‘entertainer’ role – you think about the people that you would have at a party that everyone begs to sing, or to keep the energy up. That’s where our Margaret has led throughout the rehearsal process – so she’s a bit of a fun, witty, silly person and it’s a great joy to do something that’s just pure camp!”
We still see very little in the way of trans representation in major roles in theatre… is it right that you were the first trans actor to play the Emcee in Cabaret? “In the West End yeah – actually, in any major production, Broadway or West End. It’s a bit of a shock when you think about how far we’ve come!”
That is quite surprising – and while it’s been great to see you in so many prominent roles recently, there’s still very little trans representation on the West End, or within the arts generally. Do you think that theatre can help address this? “I think so yeah, I think theatre is such a moving experience because you’re sharing space with people who are literally feet away from you… it’s a religious experience, you’re in community with other people experiencing a story in an art form that’s been around longer than most. There is this heightened nature, a higher level of consciousness when you’re in the audience of a play or a musical. That can truly change the molecular structure of a person.”
“I think that’s a big reason why I keep coming back to theatre,” Mason adds. “The more risks that theatre makers take to tell stories that push boundaries and humanise various experiences – I think it has the capacity to move the needle forward and to affect the public consciousness. Art always reflects the human condition, it has the ability to change how people see themselves, their neighbours, their family members… there is something special, feeling like you can almost reach out and touch a situation that’s happening in a room. There’s a magical tangibility to it that doesn’t exist in any other art form.”
Have you faced any challenges or setbacks in the theatre world? “I got into this business to have fun and stay busy and I’ve been so fortunate to be able to have that consistently as an actor. Obviously, it is a struggle as any marginalised performer to really find those breakthrough moments, to find those opportunities in a film or on a TV show or in a musical or a play. I’ve been so lucky to get to do all of those things, that’s such a big win for me. Growing up I never saw anyone that publicly identified in the way that I do – I never got to see a film where a trans role was played by an openly trans person until I was an adult.”
“Obviously there are so many roadblocks,” Mason continues, “but mainly it’s a lack of creativity from people who are casting or writing or directing things, the people that are creating stories have to create more opportunities for trans artists to be involved in that storytelling. Whether the character is trans or not, that’s a whole other thing, we should be able to play all kinds of people. I think it’s all moving in the right direction, slowly but surely – I feel very lucky and optimistic in what I’ve experienced as an actor as I’m getting older.”
Thanks for sharing that. Back to Much Ado About Nothing – what drew you towards this play? It’s quite a departure from Cabaret… “Yeah it’s not something I ever imagined I’d be doing, there were a lot of reasons to say ‘no’, like being terrified of doing Shakespeare for the very first time in maybe the most important place you can make your debut as a Shakespeare performer! There were some parts of me that were a bit nervous, but The Tempest (Mason’s previous show) went well and that really filled me with a lot of confidence in the language and in my interpretation of the language.”
“I never imagined a world where I would be in a West End show,” Mason adds. “I feel incredibly lucky that someone as brilliant as Jamie [Lloyd] wants to collaborate with me, that’s one of the highest compliments I’ve received as an actor because I love his work and I love how he sees actors, how he sees you and your essence, and tries to harness that energy and utilise it, rather than retrofit individuals into a vision of how characters should be played.”
Jamie Lloyd is something of a superstar director in the theatre world right now – he’s probably best known for his Sunset Blvd revival, starring Nicole Scherzinger, which has been a big hit on both Broadway and the West End. He also recently staged new productions of Romeo & Juliet (starring Tom Holland) and The Tempest (starring Sigourney Weaver). How has it been working with Jamie on Much Ado About Nothing? “So much of the process of rehearsing something is failing, and being brave enough to fail spectacularly. I think Jamie has this really magical quality about him, he makes you feel like you are in that room because you are remarkable at what you do and you’re incredibly trusted with what you do.”
“He’ll guide it and he’ll shape it and he’ll come up with some of the silliest and best ideas that anyone can come up with. But for the most part he’s just creating a space where you get to play, and discover, and figure out how you want to do your work. The end result is just this unadulterated joy, and this group of people that I feel so close to and just cherish so much.”
And with that we have to let Mason get back to work – they have a show tonight! You can catch Mason in Much Ado About Nothing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 5th April.
More information can be found here.
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