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Tom Ryder is an actor from Manchester. He has appeared on screen in The Bay (ITV), Waterloo Road (BBC) and Everything I Know About Love (BBC).
On stage he has appeared at the Royal Court and Soho Theatre, as well as 53two in the brilliant production of Caryl Churchill’s thought provoking play, A Number. He is also a writer and in 2024 performed his self written show Ava at the Golden Goose Theatre, London.
He is very excited to be playing the role of Typey in a new play by Stewart Campbell, which opens later this month. We caught up with Tom to find out more.
What does Tom love about performing?
When it comes to performing on stage, what does he love about it? Tom says: “I love knowing that for two hours I’m going to be fully immersed in something other than everyday life.” He also enjoys the fact that it is about connection.
He adds: “It’s a collective thing the performers share with the audience; we all say, ‘okay at this time we’re going to switch off our phones, stop thinking about work or our personal lives and be fully present with a story’. And when it’s a good show, it can feel like time’s moving differently.”
In short, he says: “It’s the purest form of entertainment.”
Working in the industry isn’t always positive
There are downsides to working in this industry, as many creatives in Manchester will tell you, so what does he think are the worst things?
He says: “Not getting to practise your craft. I have friends who do amateur dramatics and in any given year they might appear in Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, The Caretaker, Private Lives… Whereas when you’re a working actor the work is few and far between and the opportunities to do the classics are even fewer and further between.”
So, how does Tom keep his hand in during those quiet periods? He says: “You have to keep yourself sane by practising acting in any way you can, whether it be in your bedroom, in a class or making your own work.”
Tom’s favourite Manchester show to watch
With so much to choose from in Manchester, what was the last great thing he saw on stage that made him go ‘wow?’ He does not hesitate and says: “Mojo by Jez Butterworth which played at the King’s Arms in Salford last year.”
He adds: “It was a perfect example of when brilliant writing, acting and directing comes together. I was just transported for the two and a bit hours, and I also think it’s quite rare to see a play that’s so full of dangerous energy and testosterone.”
New play Kind of Love is next for him, so what attracted him to this piece? He says: “I read bits of the script before auditioning and I was immediately drawn to the character of Typey. He’s the sort of character that just jumps off the page. Also, it’s the nineties.”
A glimpse of Tom’s character, Typey
A glimpse at Tom’s role in Kind of Love at Hope Mill Theatre
So, who is Typey and where do we find him when we see this play? Tom says: “A lot happens him in the play so we meet him at different stages of his life. The play really is a coming-of-age story and one of the things that is so exciting as a performer is to take this character on a real journey from start to finish.”
He loves the depth and breadth of Stewart Campbell’s writing and adds: “But when we first meet Typey he is brash, loud and cocksure, and as the play develops we see his vulnerabilities bubble to the surface. He’s someone who feels a lot of emotion but struggles to articulate any of it.”
What will audiences take from the show?
As an actor, it must be great to see audiences react to a play that you are in. So what does Tom hope audiences get from this play? As a performer he likes the fact the characters are not one note.
And he says: “I hope audiences enjoy the messiness of the characters. There is no preachy ‘good vs. bad’ element to this play, all of the characters are highly flawed in their own way, just like in real life.” He adds: “I hope audiences can relate to that.”
Tom’s appreciation of great writing
It is no coincidence that Tom appreciates great writing, as he pens his own pieces, too. He wrote a show called Ava, which was staged in London. So, does he have any plans to do more writing?
He smiles and says: “Yes, I’m writing all the time. That’s one of the things that keeps me sane as an actor. “ And he has some good news and tells us that he recently did a research and development session for a new play entitled Frank & Nancy at HOME Mcr.
He adds: “I can’t reveal much at this stage, but hopefully Ava will be coming to Manchester in the autumn. I also recently submitted a one-act play called SLOP to the Bill Cashmore Award at the Lyric Hammersmith.”
Why should you see the show?
New work often gets overlooked by people, as they want something familiar to spend their hard earned cash. So why would Tom tell them to come and see this new work instead?
He says: “I think it’s a great example of grassroots theatre in Manchester.” On the topic of new writing and the work that goes into these piece behind the scenes, he says: “At a time when theatre is becoming so hard to make, it’s so important to try and support the small venues and independent artists.”
He adds: “I think audiences that usually only go to watch bigger venues or more mainstream stuff will be very impressed by the level of writing and directing, and all the actors are young, up-and-coming Northern actors. It’s so exciting to be a part of!”
Kind of Love at Hope Mill Theatre
Kind of Love is at Hope Mill Theatre from 24th February-1st March and can be booked here.
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