In our profile series, Tell Us In 10, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions. This week we have Mischief Theatre‘s very own Henry Shields, currently in their new production; Groan Ups. This farcical romp follows a group of toddlers through their painful teenage years all the way to the all-too-familiar awkwardness of a school reunion.
Charlie Russell, Henry Shields, Nancy Zamit & Jonathan Sayer in Groan Ups. Photo by Robert Day.
1. My route into theatre was…
Drama School (LAMDA).
2. My West End idol is…
Andrew Scott.
Andrew Scott. Photo by Kevin Cummins.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
A nerd.
4. My favourite show present or past (that isn’t one I star in) is…
Present Laughter.
The cast of Present Laughter. Photo by Manuel Harlan.
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Appearing in The Royal Variety Performance.
6. The hardest part about my role is…
Only getting one week off a year.
7. If I didn’t work in theatre I would be…
Writing novels.
Henry Lewis and Henry Shields in Groan Ups. Photo by Robert Day.
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I am also a hot-air balloon pilot.
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
You can rewrite bad pages. You can’t rewrite no pages.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
No one else knows what they’re doing either.
You can still catch Henry Shields in Groan Ups, which is playing at the Vaudeville Theatre until 1 December. But don’t worry if you can’t make it! He’ll be back along with the rest of the Mischief Theatre troupe at the Vaudeville from 14 December with brand spanking new Magic Goes Wrong.