Oliver Savile & Stephen Kirwan On…Monkee Business

Monkee Business The Musical, opens on 3 April 2011 (previews from 29 March), in Manchester and will feature “a cast of 20, a live band of eight, fabulous costumes and sets, a madcap ‘Austin Powers-style’ plot featuring all new characters and a score packed with iconic hits of the swinging sixties.” We caught up with Oliver Savile and Stephen Kirwan who play William, posing as Peter and Andy posing as Micky.

How do you all feel about the Manchester Gets It First Campaign and the launch of Monkee Business?

Stephen:
Brill – it’s given us an opportunity to do this!

Oliver:
Also, I’ve always wanted to be in a band – I did have a go briefly at college. It was good for a while, but I didn’t really take to it. But I liked that buzz.

How are the early stages of the production going?

Both:
Rehearsal wise, we have literally just had this week. But we are definitely already having such a good time. It’s a quick piece, with fast conversation, and it is a page turner in itself.

How nervous were you all when it came to the competitive audition process?

Both:
Auditions are something that we do every day. But the fact it is an original cast makes it exciting in itself. We are only in the early stages, but we can already see that it is going to make lots of progress.

Would you say this opportunity is the highlight of your career so far, and if so, why?

Both:
Absolutely, and we would say that for all the boys as well. This is the most exciting thing we have done to date. We are creating a role, and it is what every actor dreams of.

Have you studied The Monkees for your parts?

We have lived with the Monkees via YouTube for a while! The characters are so iconic that we have got a big responsibility. The audience members would feel cheated if we didn’t sum up the characters of the boys.The Monkees were a manufactured group, and we can take a lot from that. We’re going on a very similar journey to what those guys did.

How do you feel to have been selected for the roles?

There is a lot of competition in this business as it is, and even more so because of the recession. We are very lucky to have been given the opportunity.