Starting dance training late doesn’t have to be a barrier to success. In spite of only beginning formal dance lessons at 18, Marc Antolin has carved himself a fabulous niche on the professional musical theatre stage. Growing up in Wales, UK, Antolin was involved with local stage schools and youth theatre projects. But without many dance opportunities available nearby, it wasn’t until he began attending ArtsEd in London as a fulltime student, that he had dance training formally on his timetable.
Fast-forward a couple of decades: Antolin was headhunted and currently stars in Mel Brook’s musical The Producers at London’s Garrick Theatre (derived from the 1967 film of the same name) following a hugely successful run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Here, we chat about dance training, making roles your own and bringing dance to Antolin’s character Leo Bloom in The Producers.
We begin by lifting up the big Broadway-style show number “I’m a Producer”, where we see Leo Bloom, a shy, nervous accountant, revealing his dream to be a producer, and letting himself bloom before our eyes in a glitzy feel-good tap dance. Bloom goes on a great personal journey throughout the show, which Antolin acknowledges gives him, as an actor, plenty of scope to develop in his role. Physical theatre is his natural forte; think Mr Bean and you’ll be on the right lines.
“Bloom has a lot of anxiety and nervous energy. Maybe that’s why I play these kinds of characters well – I am not the most confident all the time,” Antolin says, offering perhaps a surprising insight when we enquire how he thought his character would be relatable for audiences. Bloom’s decision to thrown caution to the wind and follow his wildest dreams is also likely to strike a chord with audiences. It is hard to leave what is safe and familiar and to step out into the unknown.
Antolin describes watching a lot of musicals during his training, arriving early for dance classes and staying late, in order to catch up, but also because he was hungry for it and wanting to improve. There’s a lot to admire and aspire to here. Not having much of an early dance education, not always being filled with self-confidence, but determined to succeed anyway. Ultimately, undertaking that eventual dance training led to being viewed more as a dancer than an actor for the first few years of Marc’s career, and was to be a fundamental part of building a fresh take on Leo Bloom’s character in The Producers. “I tried to forget what I’d seen previous actors do in this role,” Antolin recalls. “I approached it fresh from what the text told me.”
The relationship with his love interest Ulla was intentionally made very real and soft, which Antolin explains differs to how it was portrayed in the film. The initial stage of their romance is explored through an entertaining and informative lyrical duet – Ulla bold and confident, Leo nervous and hesitant. The universal language of dance shines through here, showcasing its ability to reveal feelings and emotions that words just can’t express.
“The Producers, as a show, has so much to offer,” Antolin says. “We have so many messages from people who’ve seen it saying it offered them escapism, a chance to sit back and laugh, to enjoy the risqué humour and cheeky romantic storylines. Joy is what I’d like audiences to experience when coming to watch. Comedy in the theatre is an incredible but possibly undervalued artform. It’s harder to make people laugh than other emotions. The world is a sad place; we need to laugh.”
An acute observation, and the need to laugh must be part of what keeps audiences pouring into this extended run. Antolin is refreshingly open, praising his fellow cast members as phenomenally multi-talented. But sometimes a danger with a long run is that it can become flat. What’s Antolin’s trick to keep things fresh each night?
“Week to week, even day to day and show to show, things can change so much. With a long run, people can be sick or on holiday, so having lines fed differently can change the role for you,” he says, observing that as a person, how you feel each day can also affect your performance. “We do have a lot of fun onstage; it’s a very playful cast, so it’s like a big discovery for us each night.”
Relationships are definitely key to success both on and off the stage. Antolin touches on his offstage friendship with onstage co-star Andy Nyman, who plays loveable crook producer Max Bialystock, and reveals how the two of them created backstories together for Max and Leo. “You don’t see male friendships played out much on stage,” he says. “The sense of the paternal relationship that develops between Max and Leo is an important connection for me as I lost my dad six years ago. Andy and I have an amazingly close bond.”
The Producers is an incredibly energetic show. How does Antolin switch off in the evenings? “I love to scroll TikTok watching cleaning videos,” he confesses. “I’m also a massive reader, so I read on the tube on the way home after shows. That helps me unwind. I’m a bad sleeper and I wake early, so I try to force myself to get to bed as early as possible.”
And what about the future, beyond The Producers? “I’d like to get back into dance training myself. Probably tap classes – to learn some more modern tap technique,” Antolin says. Would he like to be a producer himself? “Before the show, I’d never thought about it. But Andy and I think we’d make a good team. I’m the more sensible one, and Andy is more of a risk-taker.”
We’ll watch this space! Antolin further reveals he’d love to play a similar role again — there being so much joy to be found in reinventing old musicals and using your own strengths to make the character your own. He finds himself looking at other roles, considering if they could be made into a dancing one. An interesting idea and one that could spark all kinds of inspirations when watching films, plays, musical theatre…. Are there any roles that couldn’t be enhanced by dancing?
Keep inspired; keep dreaming and, of course, keep dancing!
By Louise Ryrie of Dance Informa.
