Libertines star at Riverside

Tuesday January 26, 2010

A musician with chronic stage fright isn't the most obvious choice to star in a new Hammersmith theatre production.

But never underestimate Carl Barât, whose appetite for a new artistic challenge clearly outweighs his on-stage jitters.

The indie rock musician, formerly co-frontman of the brilliant-but-volatile Libertines alongside Pete Doherty, said he had jumped at the chance to tread the boards opposite Sadie Frost in Riverside Studios' new play, Fool for Love.

"I've known Sadie for years - we're drinking buddies - and she needed a fool so she gave me a call," he laughed. "It's a rare opportunity to be asked to be in a play when you're not an actor, and it's good to find out whether I can do it. I'm up for a challenge."

Despite spending two years studying drama at Brunel University, Carl admitted he often suffered from pre-show nerves but liked to tackle the problem head-on.

"Therein lies the challenge," he said. "I find a lot of things like that quite daunting. I'm petrified right now. But it needs to be channelled and limited in some way."

The versatile artist, 31, who has launched a successful solo music career since the demise of the Libertines and his subsequent band Dirty Pretty Things, will make his stage debut in the Hammersmith production on January 26.

He plays rodeo rider Eddie, whose tragic love-hate relationship with Sadie Frost's character May simmers in a motel room on the edge of the Mojave Desert.

"Eddie is a bit footloose, and he's quite fiery and a little bit wild," he said. "There are definitely aspects of myself in him, but the way he deals with his problems is completely different."

Carl also seems to be relishing the chance to see his mate Sadie's thespian side come to the fore since rehearsals began.

"It's good to get to know Sadie in a different way. There is a lot of natural chemistry there, so much so that it's been a bit awkward in one spot where we kiss," he added cryptically.

Carl was born in Basingstoke and grew up mainly in Whitchurch, Hampshire. But he is no stranger to Hammersmith & Fulham, having both lived and worked in the borough before hitting the big time.

"I used to live in Fulham in the late 90s, just near the King's Head pub by Putney Bridge, and I also worked at the Reed employment agency in Hammersmith as a temp. I'm still quite familiar with the area," he said.

Carl also hopes the universal themes in Fool for Love will have wide appeal among the borough's audiences. "I think it will appeal to anyone who's familiar with love and relationships, so I figure that's a pretty big catchment," he said. And does he expect to see a few of his music groupies in the stalls on opening night?

"Undoubtedly there will be a few of the usual faces but I hope they don't start requesting songs halfway through the play!" he laughed.

"I just hope people enjoy it and don't keep getting distracted by the fact it's me and Sadie. And I hope people aren't too hard on me, because it's my first time doing this. It's definitely a bit of a gamble."