spill the mtea x jon robyns interview -the leading man of figaro; an original musical
Figaro: An Original Musical will receive its world premiere in London with two fully-staged concert performances on Monday 3 February & Tuesday 4 February 2025. Tickets are on sale now at lwtheatres.co.uk or at figaromusical.com.
Playing the title role of Figaro, Jon Robyns has taken to the stage in some of the most iconic roles in musical theatre including The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera (His Majesty’s Theatre); Jean Valjean and Marius in Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre), King George in Hamilton (Victoria Palace) and Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q (Original London Cast, Noel Coward & Gielgud Theatres).
Join me for a wonderfully stagey time with Jon Robyns; the leading man of the title role in Figaro, in addition to a ridiculously impressive CV, full of fine theatre protagonists.
Q: With such an original, exciting new piece of theatre, what are you hoping to offer and channel through the role of Figaro? Tell us a bit about what the show covers, as well as your thoughts on the creative process so far!
A: The story follows a young girl, called Sienna, and it is set in Italy. Sienna grows up on a farm with dreams of being a performer, when she one day runs away from home and gets swept up in this mysterious, circus-like, showmanship world. Her family has a secret that haunts her - she doesn’t find out what it is until later on (trying to not give any spoilers!). What the audience has to decide is whether the story is real or part of her psychosis and dealing with this secret. That makes it an incredibly interesting psychological thriller with an awful lot of sensuality, sexuality and darkness. It has a lot to do with how we process trauma and it is just so clever.
In terms of the process, it is sort of just waiting to get on with it really! The show is only in its infancy right now and it will properly begin early next year when we get together with our incredible cast - which was announced this week! I am so excited to start working with this company, the casting department for this show has really outdone themselves… Kudos to them!
What do I hope to bring to the show? Well, it is a brand new show so with every new writing, it is constantly developing as it goes. Each conversation I have with Will (Director), brings up fresh ideas! What I am hoping to be is part of the creative process. When you work on a new show like this it can’t be about one person, it has to be about the collective. When you get to work with really talented, intelligent artists; that is why we go to work.
Q: You have an incredibly rich CV of past roles and beautiful contributions to musical theatre; How has that been different for you in terms of doing roles in the past that have been done before, with bringing a brand new character to life?
2. A: That is a great question! One of the principal skills of musical theatre is the recreation of other people’s work. A lot of it is not so much creation, as it is recreation.
What is important to know is that just because you didn’t come up with the idea, does not make it the wrong idea. It takes us all to put our egos to one side and say ‘Well, a group of people back in 1995 came up with this story and this way of telling it; They have decided to pass it down through the generations’. It is important to honour the work that happened before you. Additionally, it is a very different mindset; you come into a rehearsal room with parameters that are already set for your performance and it is important to pay your respect to the people that did it and their artistry.
Q: Do you have a set character development process or does it differ completely depending on the show? Do you use stimuli or take inspiration from other sources?
3. A: If I am coming to something that has a long history, like Les Miserables - For example, I have done Les Mis a lot, from 4 different character parts too, and so you get to see it from different angles. I have a general way of approaching work, particularly if it exists and has a legacy to it, I will dive into that. I will have a listen to different incarnations and watch past performances of that role, I try to surround myself with as much of the show’s material that exists as possible. I have been involved in a couple of shows that have been transferred from Broadway and it is always important to research what that production was. You have an honest conversation with the director and whether their West End vision is a replica of Broadway or a completely different take. But with new writing, there is no starting point; it’s throwing stuff against the wall and seeing what sticks.
Q: Do you feel like there is any of yourself and personality that you can relate to the character of Figaro?
4. A: Aha! He is an incredibly deep and interesting character. I am trying to not give too much of the plot away because there are so many twists! I mean, yes, he is a showman and I can absolutely relate to that! On the contrary, he has aspects of his character that are very far away from me, such as being quite manipulative. Although, it is interesting to play characters that are far away from you because you get quite creative. I have played characters that are greatly close to me and that is, I think, significantly easier because you don’t have to think as much with all your similarities. I mean, when I did Legally Blonde? Emmett Forrest, with the glasses and the geek-erry, is practically me with an American accent! With Figaro; I haven’t really found who he is yet because I haven’t started rehearsing it but I am really looking forward to digging in the dirt and exploring this character to the fullest.
Q: How does it feel to be preparing for such a limited run (2 shows), compared to a long-term performance contract? How do you have time to settle into the role’s delivery and find different pockets of depth in the role with such limited time?
5. A: I am doing a lot of homework! We only have 7 days to put it together I believe…There won’t be as many opportunities for discovery but it does mean that the decisions that we make are going to have to be good and quick. I trust everyone in that room to do that, and I hope they can trust me to come along with them. That’s fun in itself; being up against the clock is super interesting and fun. I am absolutely convinced that what we produce and show on the 3rd and 4th of February is going to be entertaining, to say the least. I think it will inspire many and everyone is going to have a really great night. As for a life after, for the show, that is not for me to say but I am hoping it does!
Q: Is there anything specific you are looking forward to during the rehearsal process of the show?
6. A: Singing the score! Nothing’s as it seems, is one of my favourites that I have been working on recently. It is incredibly complex and there is so much to play with; It is like being let out into this metaphoric musical theatre toy store and being free to try out different games and explore how they work! That’s the fun bit!
I have only heard the cast recording they made a couple of years ago and there is a real gift for melody. Being able to let loose with some of those melodies is going to be really, really fun. But first and foremost, the reason I go to work is the people; It is mainly the people and then the story and then the entertainment and all of those things. Being in a room with all those great people is going to be really magic.
I am beyond excited to follow this show’s journey, from a limited run in February to hopefully a lot more exciting ventures. A massive thank you to Jon Robyns for offering his wisdom, intellect and true leading man insights to the Spill The MTea platform!
