Danny Sapani: Advocating For Complex Characters

In a decades spanning career, Danny Sapani has become one of the most revered actors of his generation. After recently starring in the titular role of King Lear at the Almeida Theatre, he is currently playing Walter "Pops" Washington in the UK premiere of Between Riverside and Crazy at the Hampstead Theatre. Having previously worked on the Hampstead stage in Anderson's English, Danny tells us about the full circle moment of getting work opposite his drama school: Central School of Speech and Drama. Having gained considerable success on screen in dramas such as Killing Eve, Harlots and The Crown, we also get to hear him talk about his love for theatre and the excitement around getting to work during a particularly exciting time for the industry.

In our interview, Danny Sapani talks to us about the parallels between Lear and Pops, and his love for the intellectual challenge of getting to play unlikeable characters. Between Riverside and Crazy sees him playing a retired policeman struggling to maintain control of his home, estranged from his son and dealing with demons from his past. The Pulitzer Prize winning play was first performed in 2014 in the United States and we hear Danny reflect on how the themes of the play are just as relevant now in a British context as they are in America. We also hear him talk about how the themes in the play speak to him in his current stage of life and share his gratitude to Stephen Adly Guirgis and Michael Longhurst for developing such a relevant piece of drama.

Between Riverside and Crazy runs at Hampstead Theatre until 15 June.