Having garnered critical and popular acclaim, the award-winning production Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical is set to run on the West End until 2023.
The show charts the incredible life of Marley through song, from his troubled childhood in rural Jamaica to his music career, fame, and political activism.
Michael Duke, who recently took over the role of Marley, talks with Grace Graham-Taylor about his connection to reggae music, getting to know Bob Marley, and the importance of making art.
You’ve had an amazing career so far, performing as Young Simba in the lion king, appearing in The Inheritance, West Side Story, and now Bob Marley. How does this role compare to the others? Has it challenged or excited you in a different way?
Yeah, I mean it’s a completely different thing. I think firstly, it’s a real person. It’s not a made up character, so there’s a certain amount of truth and authenticity that you have to bring to the role.
Bob Marley is such a massive icon, but in a way, being so famous can obscure the real humanity of a person. How do you find that real person behind the image?
Well, you have to think about the relationships he has with people, not who he is in public. So I do a lot of research about his connections with his wife, or his children, or his friends. Those give you a good insight into who he is.
And how do you see him now, having done all this research?
I would probably describe him as, a deep person. Someone who’s quite a visionary, and focused. A very focused person.
I heard in another interview that you said you don’t want to impersonate Bob Marley, but rather translate that character through your own experience. Could you elaborate a little on how you do that?
Well I sort of feel like you can never really be someone else. And I don’t think you should ever try. And I think that, I’ve done a few different things where I’ve had to impersonate, or be someone real. And what I’ve found connects with people is when you can see (and I’ve seen people doing this as well) parts of that actor, that person’s self, in that role. Because it does then, also, humanise that character. It makes it more relatable.
And I think actually what it does is makes that role, less of a character. And so that’s how I approach it, that’s how I look at it.
A huge part of the success of this show is the music. Did you have any personal connection to Bob Marley’s music before you joined this production?
Yeah, absolutely yes. Well, I’m Jamaican heritage myself, so listening to Reggae, and you know, Lover’s Rock, was kind of like (laughs) normal, I think, you know. Especially on a Sunday, you know, cleaning, hearing Bob Marley, Beres Hammond, all these kinds of people, in the house. So it was all around.
Has the relationship changed, now that you’re so deep into this production?
I think I probably listen to reggae more than I did before!
The play’s won an award now for the orchestration, which is amazing. Do you think it’s important to have that kind of recognition?
Yeah, I mean, I guess so! Yeah, I mean, it’s always great to have recognition for art that you make. It means its seen and it means its heard. But again, art is subjective, so, it really only matters to the audience.
Bob Marley was also important as a political activist. In what ways does the play grapple with this side of his life, and what lessons do you think we can learn from his activism?
Well, I think it grapples with quite a lot actually, in the space of two and a half hours. But I think his message of unity, and pan-africanism, really comes through within the performance. But also, I think the challenges of that are quite clear as well. It’s not portrayed in a very linear way. He experiences so many adversities on his journey to achieving those goals. And I don’t think the show shies away from that.
After this is finished, what roles do you think you’d like to go into next? Do you have a dream role?
No I don’t have a dream role. But I do want to make a lot of my own theatre, and… I want to deconstruct a lot of existing ideas of what theatre and experiencing performance and entertainment is. That’s really interesting to me. Sort of mess things around a little bit.
I know you’re already working on your own projects at the moment, you’re doing something at the arts depot. Could you tell us a little bit about that?
Well, I’ve got a residency there, and I’m going to… explore a new theatrical project that I want to create, so I’m going to be working with different collaborators... a sound designer, dramateur, movement director, to just play with some ideas. And the show is going to be focused on the themes of showmanship and entertainment, and what it means to experience live entertainment as an audience member, and what parts can you play in a performance as opposed to just being a spectator.
That sounds fascinating! Why do you think it’s important to examine that now?
Because I think that…empowering people to create and reach their creative potential is really important. And I don’t meant that people need to make art, or make stuff, but I think that people should be inspired to… do whatever it is that makes them feel alive.
Book tickets to Get Up, Stand Up! here
