Sholto Morgan makes his professional debut as the late great Spike Milligan in the stage adaptation of Milligan's Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall which tours to Chichester.
Playing the Festival Theatre from October 21-24, the show brings to life Milligan's celebrated war memoirs – an anarchic odyssey charting Gunner Milligan's progress through the second world war.
High comedy and tragedy collide, as the audience fol
lows Spike and his jazz quartet, adrift on the tide of great historic events.
For Sholto, who graduated from LAMDA two years ago, it's a great way to start his career.
"For the past two years I have been doing what every young actor does – professional waitering, professional reception work. And I have
been doing a bit of work at the Haymarket Theatre in their workshops scheme.
"You just have to accept it is not going to happen overnight. It does require a lot of hard work.
I am in it for the long haul.
"I have had two years which have been quite difficult. Now I have a great year ahead. It's just swings and roundabouts."
The key is simply to pay attention to what is around, says Sholto: "I saw that the casting director for this was looking for a trumpeter
for a play about Spike Milligan, but obviously I didn't know I would end up as Spike Milligan."
After the first audition, there was another. And then another. There were six in all before he got the part – by which time he'd been sucked into the zany world of Spike Milligan.
"I was aware of Spike Milligan as the godfather of alternative comedy and being called the funniest man for the last 1,000 years.
"I was aware of him for his work with The Goons with Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers and I was aware of him having been in things like The Life Of Brian. But I was not really aware of the background."
But now he is, he's joined the converts: "He was absolutely wonderful.
He was thoroughly progressive and imaginative as well as being incredibly funny.
"He thought outside of the box. He was a very difficult man, but he had a wonderful sense of humour."
Tickets on 01243 781312.
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