Dharmesh Patel is playing Lincoln (above right) – a new recruit flying with Kong and Jefferson, caught between the two when things go wrong.
“He just wants to do a good job and follow orders so he can go home to his girlfriend Ellen,” said the British Indian actor of his West End debut ‘Dr Strangelove’, which opened to rave reviews this week.
More familiar with Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) productions and television shows, Patel is excited about being part of the theatrical adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 classic by award-winning political satirist Armando Iannucci and comedian Sean Foley. Actor-comedian Steve Coogan takes on the multiple personas depicted by Peter Sellers in Kubrick’s commentary on the Cold War and the arms race it ignited around the world.
Patel said: “There are so many reasons I wanted to be involved in this production. I was introduced to Kubrick films when at university by my flatmate. We watched ‘A Clockwork Orange’ late one night and I was fascinated by the world he created. The following day was spent going to blockbusters and hiring out his films.
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“We need dark comedies. History is filled with mistakes that human beings never seem to learn from and if we don’t laugh then we cry. A dark comedy allows us to look at situations and sheds light on the absurdity of it.”
Patel spent his childhood helping out in the family shop before being drawn to the art of dressing up for stage and screen.
“My parents came to this country with very little but created a life for us that we embrace. They worked very hard and instilled that work ethic into us. My siblings and I spent our childhoods working in a shop and helping the family business, so I now spend my adulthood dressing up and entertaining people,” he said.
Now set for eight shows a week in London until January 2025 before ‘Dr Strangelove’ goes on tour to Dublin in February, the talented young actor is looking forward to immersing himself into each performance.
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“I never want to stop learning. It’s a privilege being an actor. When you are in the presence of great professionals it makes you better. You learn new things, you adapt what you know and you present something that you are proud of. We laugh a lot as a company, but we support each other both on and off stage and each night we give the best we can.”
*Info: Dr Strangelove