AN actor has swapped his job selling phones bring to life one of literature’s best loved characters.
Ben Sherlock is playing Ratty in a touring production of Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel The Wind in Willows.
The show, which comes to Walkden Gardens in Sale on July 17, is a breakthrough for Ben, who has juggled his work at an O2 shop in Warrington while developing his performing career after gaining a degree in acting.
The 20-date tour will see Ben perform at different open air locations from Dumfries to Barnstaple through July with the Folksy Theatre company. The high-energy performance, with plenty of audience interaction, tells the tale of Mole, Ratty, Toad and Badger as they set out to find adventure.
The 23-year-old said: “I am quite a relaxed person and don’t normally suffer with stage fright but when I read the script through I realised how big a part it is.
“In the first act in particular it’s pretty much just Ratty speaking.”
Not only that, Ben will have to sing on stage too – something he has done before at college, even if it is not his main talent.
He said: “I did sing at the audition so it can’t have been too bad.”
Ben is hoping the role of Ratty leads to more acting jobs, but does not have a defined idea of how he would like his future to develop.
* Anyone interested in visit folksytheatre.co.uk
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