THE RENDITION MEETS PHILLIP OLAGOKE
Mara Huf (Hero), Phillip Olagoke (Friar Francis) & James Phoon (Claudio). Image Credit - Marc Brenner.
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing is a play filled with wit, romance, and deception, but in Jamie Lloyd’s latest production, it takes on an even bolder and more contemporary edge.
At the heart of it is Phillip Olagoke, who steps into the role of Friar Francis, a character pivotal to the play’s dramatic twists.
In this interview, Phillip shares his thoughts on the complexities of Shakespeare, how this production reimagines the classic comedy, and why accessibility in theatre matters now more than ever.
From his journey into acting to the challenges of performing Shakespeare’s language, he offers a fresh and insightful take on making this work feel alive and relevant for today’s audiences.
“Everything comes from self. It’s important to work from a non-judgmental place and not have premeditated ideas of the characters.”
QUESTION: Would you rather play the role of a hero or villain?
Phillip: There’s more motive to villains.
If a hero isn’t written well, then it lacks substance because it's too easy to be the good guy, but when you’re the bad guy, you have a story.
QUESTION: Shakespeare comedy or Shakespeare tragedy?
Phillip: The comedy is really, really fun. I've enjoyed doing Shakespeare comedy more, because I find the tragedies quite dark.
QUESTION: What was your journey of getting into theatre, and was acting always a passion of yours?
Phillip: I initially wanted to study Game Design at university because I grew up playing video games on my PC. The course I did at college wasn't great, and acting was my only other interest.
I always loved acting, but no one ever talked about it as a career path. I had that typical first-generation immigrant worry of wanting to make your parents proud. Luckily my parents were so supportive; they just wanted me to have some form of higher education.
So, I auditioned for drama schools, found one that I liked and have been acting ever since. It's been one of the most rewarding and tough experiences.
QUESTION: You play Friar Francis in Much Ado About Nothing. What drew you to this role and how did you prepare for it?
Phillip: There was a lot of preparation in terms of the language, and being on top of our lines. Friar Francis became an extension of me, rather than me trying to become a character that I didn’t know, which was really exciting.
He's a character that comes in at the midway point and says “you should pretend to kill yourself”.
But for this production, he’s been incorporated from the beginning. He’s a significant part of the family, like a family doctor or close family friend. I’ve never had to work overly hard to create a character that doesn't exist from who I am, and that’s aligned to how Jamie works - work from self, and the rest will come.
Forbes Masson, Mara Huf, Hayley Atwell, Mason Alexander Park & Phillip Olagoke. Image Credit - Marc Brenner
“Shakespeare only feels inaccessible when people make it feel sneery and academic”
QUESTION: Jamie Lloyd's productions are known for being bold and contemporary. How did his vision influence your performance as Friar Francis?
Phillip: Jamie works in such a calculated but freeing way. He gives actors the space to work and develop themselves. He talks about this thing called “drafting” your character, in the same way that a writer drafts multiple versions of one script. As an actor, you're drafting every time you're doing a scene. Sometimes it’s a good draft and sometimes it's a bad one.
We've been working really hard on the text in an analytical way. With Shakespeare, it’s about upward and downward inflections and if you don't carry the energy through to the end of the line, it feels like a dud.
This can be part of the reason why some people don't understand or relate to Shakespeare. I have found Shakespeare inaccessible because it's not been acted with the intention for people to truly hear or feel. It's been acted with the intention of ego, where people are focused on themselves rather than the story they’re telling.
Shakespeare isn't an opportunity that should be given to everyone. With Jamie, it's always been about making sure you're being true to self and keeping the language at the forefront.
QUESTION: You mentioned that Shakespeare can feel inaccessible to certain people. Part of the reason for this could be due to the longstanding preconceptions about who these plays are made for. What do you think makes this production of Much Ado About Nothing feel different or more inclusive?
Phillip: This has been going on for years within theatre in general. I watched Nine Night a couple years ago and it was amazing. The theatre was filled with people that looked like me, acted like me and had the same experience as me, sharing a space and saying “we relate to this”. If you see more people that look like you doing the things that you feel like you shouldn't be in the room for, then you start to feel accepted.
Theatre has to be inviting. Shakespeare only feels inaccessible when people make it feel sneery and academic. I watched a production of Othello by Frantic Assembly at the Lyric Hammersmith in around 2014. That was the first time I saw Shakespearen language being said and acted in such a modern way. I was like “oh, so it's not just people in tights!”
There's a million versions of Much Ado About Nothing, but I think ours celebrates diversity in an exciting way. The cast for Much Ado About Nothing includes people of different backgrounds, races, genders and sexualities. We all exist and the play is reflective of the london that we live in. I hope it feels accessible to people. The only thing I ever want is people to come to a show and feel seen and have a connection to it. I hope that brings in a greater variety of audiences.
QUESTION: You’ve worked across a range of productions, from Oklahoma! to The Glass Menagerie and The Tempest. How has your experience in different genres and styles influenced your approach to this role?
Phillip: Everything comes from self. I can find a connection between someone who is the worst person in the world and someone who is the best. It’s important to work from a non-judgmental place and not have premeditated ideas of the characters. I wouldn't say a character is a really good person, or another one is just evil. It's the same gratitude and grace you give to yourself or others.
This is all just about people experiencing dilemmas, and sometimes they handle those dilemmas well, and other times they handle them awfully. Sometimes it hurts other people. And sometimes it makes others feel great.
There's no one way to skin a cat, but I think everything goes back to the text. You learn these lines and you might forget the actual meaning of what you're saying. As actors you can get so lost in your own ego and start watching yourself, rather than watching the story. And that's when you can lose focus. You have to keep the story at the core.
QUESTION: What’s been the most exciting or surprising part of tackling this Shakespeare text?
Phillip: Much Ado About Nothing has always been a big Shakespeare comedy. But in a way, it’s so dark.
It’s like going to a party and then something happens at the party that just kills the whole vibe. Like someone losing their phone and everyone’s getting accused of stealing, and it just turns to madness. But we sort of save it by the end.
The incorporation of dance was exciting for me. I suck at learning choreography, but with this show, it felt like dancing at a party. Like doing the Candy dance, and you don't feel like you’re being watched. Movement tells such a brilliant story that words sometimes can’t, and this is brought to life in the second scene of the play.
One thing that I need to keep reminding myself is to keep my mouth shut. I’ve eaten about five pieces of confetti throughout the run so far, just from running across the stage with my mouth open. So yeah, I didn’t expect to have to focus on keeping my mouth closed so much.
QUESTION: Looking ahead, are there any dream roles, Shakespeare or otherwise, that you’d love to take on next?
Phillip: One of my favourite plays of all time is Lungs by Duncan Macmillan, and I'd love to play the character of M. If it was Shakespeare, it would have to be Edmund in King Lear. That would be a great role as well - but, sometimes it just boils down to; if you're paying me, then I’ll most likely do it!
It’s clear that Phillip passion for theatre goes beyond just performance—it’s about storytelling, inclusivity, and bringing authenticity to the stage. Whether he’s tackling Shakespeare, contemporary plays, or dreaming of future roles, his thoughtful approach and dedication shine through.
As he continues to carve out a remarkable career, one thing is certain: his performances will keep audiences engaged, entertained, and, most importantly, feeling seen.
