Thomas Coombes: Crafting for Screen and Stage

For many people, Thomas Coombes will be best known for playing Officer Daniel in the hit Netflix series: Baby Reindeer but Thomas Coombes has had a truly remarkable career prior to the show. During his career, he has tacked Shakespeare at the Globe, playing Gratiano/Prince of Arragon in The Merchant of Venice and has also played Oswald in King Lear at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. On screen Thomas has also taken on roles in Eastenders as well as Star Wars spin-off The Acolyte. Now, he is returning to the stage for the first time since lockdown began in the West End transfer of the Death of England plays, playing Michael, a role that was originated by Rafe Spall at the National Theatre. This also marks the first time he's performed in a one-person show and he talks to us about the challenges of playing in the round in Clint Dyer and Roy Williams' fast-paced thriller on Modern Britain.

In a remarkable new interview, Thomas Coombes reflects over the last few years which has seen him take on roles in Baby Reindeer, Slow Horses and The Acolyte. Now as he continues his run as Michael, he sits down with us to talk about the importance of representation of working class people and their stories. Early on in his career, he won an Offie for his performance as Paul in 'Barbarians', a revival of Barry Keefe's play about youth unemployment and the consequences of that. As Michael now, Thomas Coombes is once again exploring how society influences a man's beliefs and how one's ideology can manifest itself into violence and prejudice. The plays very much reinforce some of the harsher realities of Modern Britain and the divisions that exist, but Thomas also tells us about the humour the show carries and how he hopes that audiences will be able to have a laugh as well as a think about the state of the nation today.

Death of England: Michael is currently running at @SohoPlace and will run in rep with Death of England: Delroy and Death of England: Closing Time this Summer.