Nicholas Burns Interview

January 15, 2025

Nicholas Burns Interview

This week, we interviewed Nicholas Burns who is appearing in The Gift at Park Theatre from 22nd January 2025.

Q. Nicholas, you have enjoyed an extensive and successful screen career including Nathan Barley, Benidorm, The IT Crowd, Black Mirror and The Mighty Boosh – which shows have you enjoyed working on the most, and why?

A. Nathan Barley was a fantastic kick start to my acting life and one I absolutely adored working on. It’s arguable that my whole career was built on that foundation – and certainly the shows mentioned here would not have happened without it. But I adored working on all of the shows in your question.

Q. You are also no stranger to theatre, with numerous stage credits, at both high-profile regional, and West End theatres – having worked on both screen and stage, how do the two genres compare and is there one that you prefer?

A. They are very different disciplines, as I am rediscovering while in rehearsals!! They are both rooted in the same process, though, they just require different technique. I love both, and don’t think I could pick one over the other.

Q. You will be, or course, appearing in The Gift at Park Theatre – can you tell us how this particular project came about?

A. I first read a draft of it about 6 years ago – and loved it. I adored the premise, thought it was very funny. When it came back and the opportunity arose to play Colin, I couldn’t say no.

Q. The show has an intriguing concept – can you tell us more about the plot?

A. All I can say is that a man receives an unexpected and unwelcome gift, that sends him into an existential mid life crisis. His sister and her boyfriend try to get him back on track, with very erratic results.

Q. It looks like you and the cast are having enormous amounts of fun – can you tell us how the rehearsal process is going?

A. It is great fun. Laura and Alex are a dream to work with. We make each other laugh a lot and trust each other implicitly. We’re having a ball.

Q. It must be a great pleasure working on a World Premiere at Park Theatre, but what else does 2025 hold for you?

A. Nothing yet!! Hopefully something will crop up…

Q. Park Theatre provides a wonderful intimate space for audiences to enjoy live theatre – what do you think people will enjoy most about The Gift?

A. It’s very very funny, first and foremost! But also full of heart. Hopefully uplifting enough to take away those Winter blues.

Q. You starred in the iconic Nathan Barley which aired in 2005. Twenty years on, which career path do you think Nathan has taken and do you think he still lives in Hosegate?

A. His life could have gone in myriad different directions. I imagine he’s left London and lives somewhere like an Ayhuasca retreat in Mexico, where he DJs and offers extortionately priced self help workshops to naive, young, well heeled travellers.