Kevin McNally as Bernard
in Boeing-Boeing
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He’s best known as the bountifully bewhiskered brigand Joshamee Gibbs in the stupendously successful Pirates of the Caribbean movies, but there’s more to actor Kevin McNally than just a hearty yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum, as his upcoming tenure in the West End’s smash comedy Boeing-Boeing testifies. McNally steps into the role of philandering playboy Bernard in the groovy ‘60s farce on 3 September. It marks another significant theatre role for the versatile thesp, who has been a fixture of stage and of screens both large and small for over 30 years. Bristolian McNally got his first acting job aged just 16 at the Birmingham Rep, and the following year embarked on a scholarship to RADA. He made his movie debut in 1976 in the James Bond adventure The Spy who Loved Me and, prior to his high-profile Pirates role, has played numerous lead and supporting parts in movies since then, including The Long Good Friday, Enigma, Not Quite Paradise, Cry Freedom and more recently, Johnny English and The Phantom of the Opera. McNally has scarcely been off the box in all that time too, with appearances in the classic BBC drama I, Claudius alongside Derek Jacobi and Patrick Stewart, Doctor Who, and the BBC’s outstanding drama show of the last two years Life on Mars among his many telly credits. And now Boeing-Boeing sees him touch down on the boards once again, adding to an estimable West End resume that includes The Lady in the Van opposite Maggie Smith, Naked with Juliette Binoche and a starring role in Terry Johnson's Dead Funny at the Savoy Theatre. Read on to see if this star answered your question!
From Jonathan Crump: Why do you think this production of Boeing-Boeing has been so successful with audiences?
Kevin responds: Good question. Primarily I think it is because it "does what it says on the box." It is funny. Very. All the way through and an evening of laughter in the theatre is very therapeutic. I've only been involved in three such hysterical evenings in my career and have seen even less so I know how rare they are. I also think (being set in the 1960s) it harks back to a simpler time, before political correctness and vicious sexually transmitted diseases, which lighten the spirit of the evening. Also it's true message (if it has such a thing) is that the love of one person is better than polygamy.
From Frances: Did you do any “research” to get ready to play the part of a philandering playboy?
Kevin responds: In my youth, yes. I had to do it from memory!
From Katherine: If they decided to do a Doctor Who musical and they wanted you to play the doctor, would you?
Kevin responds: In a heartbeat. But I think the trend now and for many years is to have a young doctor. As John Simm has already taken the Master, I would like to lobby to play The Brigadier (From UNIT) in the Pertwee Doctors. If he was in it. And if he had a good song!
From Liam: Do you ever get scared or nervous before you go on stage?
Kevin responds: Oh yes. Big time. And it gets worse as I get older. I think as a young man, I just couldn't wait to get out there to show them what I could do. As the years go by, I am more aware of how much I have to learn. And what can go wrong. On the upside, as a run of a play goes on, I feel less nervous and work harder at developing the role.
From Sean: If you could play any female role which would it be and why?
Kevin responds: Another goody. I have always played in new, or at least 20th century plays. So I'd want to look in that area. Also I am beyond the young roles now. So perhaps I'd like to give Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire a crack. With Nicole Kidman as Stanley Kowalski!
Kevin McNally and Johnny Depp in
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
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From Rebecca: Please share a Johnny Depp story with us. Please!
Kevin responds: Well, there was that night in St. Vincent when he told me... No I shouldn't really.
From Will: What made you want to take on the role of Bernard?
Kevin responds: I really wanted to go back on the stage as I hadn't done any for four years. When I was asked I didn't really, at that point, want to go back, as I had some film projects I wanted to do, but they sent us some tickets and afterward my wife said, "Well, you've been going on and on about waiting for the right offer, if you don't do this you are a *******. She had a point. I think there is nothing better than laugh-out-loud theatre and this certainly is that. I also wanted to know if at the age of 51 I could still do such physically demanding work. With a strict regime of no wheat and little alcohol, I have maybe pulled it off!
From Catherine: Please share a little gossip about your Boeing co-stars.
Kevin responds: Neil Stuke and Elena Roger are terrible gigglers. Amy Nuttall can't eat molasses without getting it all over my shirt. Doon MacKikhan keeps stealing from my dressing room and Rhea Perlman is married to Danny DeVito.
From Carlton: How do you keep from laughing during Boeing-Boeing? Any major stage mishaps?
Kevin responds: Unfortunately, I don't manage that well to keep from laughing in the show. Farce is so precise that if anything goes wrong it is very easy to be caught off guard and on occasion I have been reduced to tears on stage. On one night, as one door closed, another was supposed to open, but it got stuck, trapping Doon MacKichan offstage. (Cause for much laughter from the audience and the cast.) In my attempt to rescue the scene, I put my shoulder to the door and broke a rib. I'm still suffering!
From Lynette: To heck with Johnny Depp! What's it like to spend so much time with Jack Davenport?
Kevin responds: Pretty good. He's not my type, but I did play a lot of golf with him in the Bahamas and even bought his old set of clubs. He's a lovely man.
From Joan: What's next for you?
Kevin responds: It's Boeing-Boeing all the way for a few months but after that I hope to be returning to the West End to play Uncle Vanya in an adaptation by my old friend, genius writer Terry Johnson. And look out for me in Rubicon, the new Tom Cruise film next year!