First-night nerves is not something you would expect former Emmerdale actor, Ian Sharrock to suffer from. But when he appeared at The Theatre in San Eugenio a week last Sunday night, it was the first time he had taken to the stage for EIGHT long years. And Ian, who became a very familiar face on our TV screens as heart-throb farmer’s son Jackie Merrick, didn’t set himself an easy task either.
Ian SHARROCK (Emmerdale actor)
There was no cast to support him, not even one fellow actor. For an entire hour, Ian had only himself to rely on as he performed a chilling monologue based on the true story of mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer. “I have never been so scared in my entire life,” he confessed afterwards. We were scared too. Not for Ian’s debut performance in what could well be a revitalised career but because he played the sinister character so well.
Every twitch of the neck, every strange hand movement, every wipe of the nose and, even more unnerving, the licking of the lips when he spoke about his corpses sent a shiver down our spines.
Ian Sharrock is back to what he does best – acting – and Tenerife holiday-makers and residents can see for themselves how talent has never left him and why they need to see this stunning new show.
Encouraged by his wife Sarrie, Ian has formed the English Live Theatre Company and chose It’s Not Mutton Jeff by Chris Kaoran for the first in a season of four short plays. For the launch party, the performance was complimented afterwards by singer Ian Anderson who performed songs from Broadway and beyond in his Showstoppers set. However, from now on, the show will only include Ian Sharrock’s play which you can see for 15 euros.
But why such a macabre topic for this debut, we asked Ian? ”I was trolling the internet looking for one-man plays and it just seemed to strike a chord,” he explained.
Jeffrey Dahmer was found guilty of 15 counts of murder on February 17, 1992 and was sentenced to 957 years in prison. He only lasted around 18 months, however, as he was killed by a fellow inmate.
It might seem impossible to raise a laugh as Dahmer talks to one of his victims about his childhood, alcoholism, his first homosexual rejection, his parents and hated brother but Ian managed just that. With bitter irony, his character tells us “I didn’t ask to be born” and reveals how he kept a window display dummy in his wardrobe as his “first friend.” He even kept the skulls of some of his corpses, painting one grey so it would look like a hospital specimen just in case his mother popped her head around the door. He kept other parts of his male victims too – too delicate to mention here – which also reminds me that the play does contain a lot of swear words and cursing so it’s definitely not one for the children.
What this play does give you, however, is some cracking drama delivered solely in words with just a stool as a prop. It’s the sort of one-man show you can imagine going down a storm in the smaller theatres of Britain and now Ian has taken the plunge, it could well be the start of something big.
He already has plans for the rest of the season here on Tenerife with the plays chosen and all very different. They will include No 21 which is about a bus. “I get to play eight different characters,” says Ian.
Beginning his acting career at the tender age of eleven, Ian was a professional actor in the UK for more than 28 years and has worked in theatre, TV, film and radio with big names like Jodie Foster, Danny Kaye and David Niven. He has been in mysteries and romances, horror and sci-fi, crimes and comedies.
However, he became a household name when he joined Emmerdale Farm in 1980, playing Jackie Merrick for nine years before being killed off in a shotgun accident. His on-screen father was Jack Sugden, played by Clive Hornby, who would have been delighted to see his old friend back on the stage. Sadly, Clive died just recently.
Ian says he found rehearsing for It’s Not Mutton Jeff quite difficult and different as when on the professional circuit, he would have had the company of others to help and support. Nevertheless, he is grateful to his friends and wife Sarrie for their encouragement and assistance as he learnt his multitude of lines over a period of three weeks. It was the first time Sarrie had seen Ian on stage and when she met him eight years ago, she had never ever seen an episode of Emmerdale! Ian knows he wasn’t word perfect on the opening night but that was nerves, not lack of knowledge, which is understandable after eight years on Tenerife when he and Sarrie became stalwarts of K9 before sadly parting company with the animal rescue charity.
He hopes to take the English Live Theatre Company on the road around Tenerife and would love to hear from any venues who might like to host the show. They do need to have total black-out facilities and be quite happy for the bar to be closed for one hour during the performance. If you might be interested, do ring Ian on 628 616 607.
Similarly, he would be happy to hear from any other professional actors on the island who would like to get involved. It would be his dream, for instance, to set up an Agatha Christie group. The famous crime writer’s stories might be a bit twee but they are still as popular now as ever before.
Meantime, you can catch It’s Not Mutton Jeff, at The Theatre every Sunday night from 8pm, with doors opening at 7.30pm.
Ian ANDERSON
Tickets are available at a number of selected excursion booths or at The Theatre itself. The Theatre is actually a show bar but has been decorated to look just like an old-fashioned theatre complete with stage, dramatic red drapes and chandeliers. You could easily be in Harrogate, North Yorkshire where Ian Sharrock was born and where, who knows, he might well be performing on its stage sooner rather than later. Rita Sobot
Source: by kind permission of Nick Johnson of the Tenerife News
Embraces Change, Challenges Traditions