Interview: James Hameed on THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13 3/4 at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
Photo credit: Zbigniew Kotkiewicz
Based on Sue Townsend’s best selling book, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 is an outrageously funny tale of teenage angst and unrequited love, and features one of the most endearing comedy characters of all time. We spoke to James Hameed who plays the title character in this new musical production at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch.
For those who may not know of The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾, what is the story about and who is Adrian Mole, your character?
So it’s exactly what it says on the tin! It’s a story about Adrian Mole who is 13 ¾ as he navigates his life, his friends and his family whilst dealing with puberty, heartbreak and the trappings of being an intellectual adolescent. It’s set in the early 80’s and has many homages and pastiches to do with the popular culture of the time whilst also giving a “few” nods here and there to other musicals which, if you know what they are, can be very satisfying moments. If anyone notices all of them, I’ll be very impressed!
The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ is a hugely popular book and has been for decades. What do you think makes it so popular?
I think it explored a point in our lives that is rarely explored in literature. There’s a lot of fiction around the later years of being a teenager/young adult but not that many set during our early teenage years, a point where we’re experiencing a great deal of change and starting to become hyper aware of ourselves. So I think that allowed it to be so relatable for teenagers during the 80’s and as there were also a lot of jokes and bits that parents would enjoy, it felt like it could appeal to people of all ages - quite similar to what Harry Potter did in the late 90’s/early 00’s.
Why do you think the book has adapted to a musical so well?
Musicals lend themselves perfectly to that intersection where melodrama and naturalism meet and this show doesn’t just toe the line between them, it leaps over them frequently, which allows for us to explore these larger than life characters in such an expressive art form as musical theatre.
This is the first production of the musical in which Adrian Mole hasn't been played by a child. How are you approaching creating a character so much younger than yourself?
I have some very clear memories of my experience being 13-14, I suppose trauma will do that to you! I think we can all relate to feeling like Adrian does at times in the book/musical where he’s ostracised and is on the outside, and discovering your place in your family and the world around you.
What is it like to work at the Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, a venue that's known for reinventing hugely popular musicals?
It’s been lovely returning the the Queens, it’s a local venue for myself having grown up not far from Hornchurch, and I even performed a couple of times here as a child so it really feels like I’m coming back home!
Audiences may know you from performing in Be More Chill in the West End in the summer. How does working in the West End differ from working on a regional production?
I think they’re both completely different entities really, they’re both intrinsically important to our industry and need to be protected at all costs, one cannot exist without the other and they’re both constantly feeding each other with new work, hopefully now that theatre is coming back all aspects of our industry will thrive again.
What can audiences expect from the show and why should they come to see it?
You can expect an extremely talented cast of actor-musos who have really blown my socks off in the short time I’ve worked with them, 80’s nostalgia and throwbacks, catchy tunes and a wonderfully written script that delivers a full range of emotions that have been so much fun getting to play with. It’s a short run so I really recommend booking as soon as possible to avoid the disappointment of missing out on an extremely unique take on this fantastic British musical.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 runs at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 28 April-21 May, with tickets available here.