Mark Brailsford

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Tuesday 5th April 2022

One random comedian, eight random questions; it's the ultimate test of funny person and fate. This week we journey back to East Cheam, with Mark Brailsford, who's doing his bit to reclaim the word 'Hancock' from the forces of dirty darkness.

Later this month Brailsford is playing Tony Hancock in Roy Smiles' play The Lad Himself, at London venue Upstairs at the Gatehouse, a portrayal once praised by the late, great Barry Cryer, who knew his comedy onions.

The Brighton-based Brailsford has been a professional actor "since I was 15," he reveals. "My first films were Pink Floyd: The Wall and P'Tang Yang Kipperbang - the first Film on [Channel] Four - written by Jack Rosenthal and directed by Michael Apted way back in 1982."

He first worked with Roy Smiles decades ago "when we did sketch comedy shows in Brighton. It was an honour when Roy sent me The Lad Himself and said it was about time I played Hancock. In fact, I'd portrayed him in my sketch comedy show The Treason Show which I've been doing regularly in Brighton since 2000, but this was different gravy - which at least moved about a bit."

Now there's a tasty old Hancock reference. Away from Cheam, Brailsford has worked with Steven Berkoff in the films Tell Tale Heart and Brighton in recent years, and "with Timothy Spall as his acting double for his multi-role film Stanley; playing Hancock got me the job."

Stone me - Mark Brailsford, your Random 8 await.

Who was your childhood hero?

Peter Ward, striker for Brighton and Hove Albion. He was amazing. I also had the humbling honour of Peter asking to have his photo taken with me, after seeing me at the Theatre Royal Brighton in a play about the Albion called Brighton Til I Die.

Ever gatecrashed anything interesting?

In Berlin, I wandered accidentally into a private lunch of an American under-secretary of State who kept eyeing me in fear. I later found out he thought I was a Russian come to kill him.

Which TV show would you love to have been in (and which part)?

The West Wing, President Bartlet. I was doing a show in New York when a director auditioned me for a part with an American accent: he said I sounded just like Martin Sheen, which I loved, as he's an amazing actor and I feel I have his range.

Who's the most interesting person you've ever met?

Harold Pinter - who I turned down. Pinter was directing a play called Vanilla with Joanna Lumley and Sian Phillips, I was asked to understudy a marvellous actor called Ron Cook. However, I'd just been playing juvenile lead in To Kill a Mockingbird at the Mermaid in London and my agent felt it would be a step back to understudy.

I chatted to Harold Pinter at the opening night and we had a brilliant conversation about his good friend Vaclav Havl whom I admired. I wished I'd taken that opportunity.

When were you most embarrassed?

When I realised I'd turned down Harold Pinter.

What's the worst job you've ever had?

Jack the Ripper the Musical. I found out half my part had been given to another actor but only discovered in the first day read-through. The actor was still in drama school and the director and writer forgot to tell me. I walked out but I was young and we shared the same agent so I was coerced to go back; the cast hated me as they didn't know why I went. Humiliation on a daily basis.

I did a play at The Tron in Glasgow, an adaptation of Dostoevsky but the director spent rehearsals faffing about instead of delving deeply into the language and the story, or basics like actually blocking. We once spent a whole day just learning how to climb out from under a fur coat.

What's the weirdest thing in your wardrobe?

Yellow tights from playing the annoying character from a Southern Rail poster campaign, which I satirised in Southern Fail, the Musical.

Your favourite bit of furniture, ever?

The coffee table I made during early lockdown. I call him Terry.