From being Leamington's Carnival King to playing Charles Dickens with the RSC: Gavin Fowler on his life on stage and at home

Gavin Fowler talks about the enduring appeal of A Christmas Carol, the importance of theatre and his fondness for Warwickshire
Gavin Fowler as Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol (photo: Manuel Harlan)Gavin Fowler as Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol (photo: Manuel Harlan)
Gavin Fowler as Charles Dickens in A Christmas Carol (photo: Manuel Harlan)

Life is certainly not dull for Gavin Fowler.

The actor is playing Charles Dickens on stage in Stratford night after night in the RSC’s production of A Christmas Carol, currently winning widespread acclaim at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. All this with a baby daughter at home, too.

And although he was born in Portsmouth, he has deepening connections to Warwickshire – even taking on the role of Leamington’s Carnival King after his wife was Carnival Queen in 2014.

Gavin Flower with his daughter, Mamie (photo: Lucy Barriball)Gavin Flower with his daughter, Mamie (photo: Lucy Barriball)
Gavin Flower with his daughter, Mamie (photo: Lucy Barriball)
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gavin took some time out to talk about playing Dickens, why theatre is so important and how he balances his home life with his work.

How are you feeling about playing Charles Dickens?

I’m feeling very privileged to be playing such a great genius, and a responsibility to do him justice. I’m also having a lot of fun playing the part! Like Dickens, I was born in Portsmouth, so I grew up very aware of him. There are echoes of the characters from his books scattered around Portsmouth, as well as the house where he grew up, so he’s always been in my life in some way. He wanted to do a lot of good, and play his part within society, which in many ways marks him out from other writers and contributed to what made him great.

How did you get to know the story - was there a particular film or TV adaptation you liked when you were growing up?

My first memory is the 1999 film featuring Patrick Stewart with a stocking on his head! And I think Michael Caine is wonderful in the Muppet version. And although I never saw it, I was very aware of the one-man play Simon Callow did a few years ago. It’s a story that’s always around, and, given what’s going on in the world, it feels very apt that we’re telling this story now.

Why do you think the story remains so powerful?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I think it’s the humanity in it. And I’m realising that I’m finding different things in the story every time we perform the play. The other night I was thinking about how the story makes us think about how we look back on our life and wish we’d behaved in a different way, or treated people better. And that’s something Scrooge has to face up to. The journey that he goes through, and the opportunity he has to right those wrongs makes it very moving. There’s also a real sense of Dickens’ love of family and children. At the end Scrooge gets the chance to let those closest to him know what they really mean to him.

What research have you done for the part?

I went back to Portsmouth and retraced Dickens’ steps there. I also went to see where he lived in London when he was made to work in the boot shop when his father got in to debt. I retraced the steps that Dickens made every day from Camden to the South Bank where Charing Cross is now. They were areas I was familiar with but not in the context of his life, so it was great to have a real sense of these places.

It was useful to reflect on what London was like in the 19th century. I spent some time in Camden when I was studying at RADA, but back in the 19th century Camden was like being in the countryside.

I also took part in a Zoom presentation by one of Dickens’ great-great granddaughters. She told us that Dickens had a room where he came up with his ideas and characters. His children were banned from this room, but one of his daughters overheard him – it seems he created his characters by initially ‘performing’ them like an actor, doing the different voices. And by coincidence this daughter was called Mamie, which is the name of my daughter.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The play runs until January 1 - how will you keep your energy up throughout the run?

I have a small concoction of nootropics, which are supplements that seem to keep my brain agile. I’m a bit of a geek with all of this, as I’ve done an advanced nutrition course. And of course physical exercise is great for body and the brain, so I’m working out, fitting in mini workouts.

Obviously, money is tight for a lot of families at the moment - what would they get from a visit to the theatre that they might not get from staying at home and watching a film?

It’s the spontaneous moments that happen in theatre – laughter and other reactions within the audience, sometimes they can be quite vocal. You just don’t get that anywhere else. It does something to you when you share that experience, it heightens it, makes it more memorable. It’s something only theatre can give.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

How will you juggle your work on stage with your own family Christmas preparations and celebrations? I gather you have a 16-week-old daughter too!

I’m very lucky that my wife, Rachel, is very supportive. She’s brilliant, helping me juggle being in the show, whilst being a dad with a young daughter, who of course wakes up in the night!

Rachel is from Leamington, and was a Princess at Warwick Castle when we first met. She worked there from 2011 to 2015. We’re currently living with our in-laws in Leamington before we move to the town permanently. My in-laws used to run a grocers shop – Barrie John’s Fresh Foods on Bedford Street. So, yes it’s been a bit of a team effort, with my mother-in-law making me coffee in the mornings to get me through the day!

What drew you into acting?

I think it’s the idea that you can transcend where you’re from, and your upbringing. And it taps into something much bigger and deeper about life, which as a kid I just had a vague instinct for. Alongside the sheer thrill of doing something that can terrify you. Because I do find acting terrifying! Every night before I walk on to that stage, I’m still saying can you do this?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

I graduated from RADA in 2010, and did my first show at the RSC, The Taming of the Shrew, in 2012. I had one of the best times of my life on that. The RSC has a massive place in my heart, helping me nurture my career and craft as an actor.

What do you like about living in this part of the country?

I find everyone in the Warwickshire area very welcoming and friendly. My wife has a great network of friends she grew up with from school, and I’ve always felt very welcomed here so it feels right now to bringing up our daughter, Mamie Rose, here.

Tell us more about being Leamington's Carnival King - when was that, what was it like, how did it happen, and what's the story about your wife being Carnival Queen?

My wife, Rachel, was chosen as Leamington’s Carnival Queen back in 2014. She went for it because her mum, Carol, was Carnival Queen runner-up in 1965 so it was something Rachel was encouraged to do for fun. And she won, and they were struggling to find a Carnival King, so it fell to me. We were on a float on the Parade – it was a great day even though looking back on it I question the haircut they gave me. I looked like Jim from American Pie. My mother-in-law still has the sash!

A Christmas Carol runs until January 1. Ticket availability is limited. To check availability visit rsc.org.uk daily for returns.

Related topics: