ZACHARY HART

Blazer by Dries Van Noten. T-shirt by Sunspel. Trousers by NN07. Jewellery by Giovanni Raspini.

“I knew straight away it was going to be a huge challenge, not just technically, but emotionally

and physically too. It scared the life out of me, and that’s always a good sign”

.

Zachary Hart brings a unique intensity to every role he takes on. Currently starring in

Stereophonic at the Duke of York’s Theatre, the show has landed in London following its

acclaimed Broadway run, earning 13 Tony Award nominations - the most of any play in history.

Set in 1976, the audience follows the dramatic journey of a British-American rock band trying to

create their latest album. Here, Hart speaks to 5ELEVEN about what drew him to this project,

the creative process behind the show, and the power of taking risks in performance.

Words by Salomé Tucker.

Photographed by Alex Johnson. Styled by Ava Domina. Hair by Travis Nunes. Zachary Hart appears courtesy of Public Eye.

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What first pulled you towards the world of performance?

Honestly, I didn’t even know this kind of life was an option. Growing up, acting felt as out of

reach as becoming an astronaut…no one around me did anything like that.

I took drama at A-level as there was simply something freeing about being on my feet and using

my body. One project involved us creating an original piece, and I wrote a 45-minute play about

Charlie Chaplin. I got obsessed with his mannerisms and stayed up all night, stacking pillows so

I could practice his falls. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I felt alive in a way I never

had before.

After college, I pursued what most people around me did - factory work. But, my partner at the

time secretly submitted an application to drama school for me and I got in. So, I finished my last

shift in oil-stained overalls on a Friday, and by Monday I was in a leotard, trying to do a

downward dog with a bunch of 17-year-olds.

By third year, I had an agent and booked Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre with Ben Whishaw

and David Morrissey, and I’ve been lucky to keep working ever since.

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Do you see yourself more as a musician or an actor, or do those two worlds just blur

now?

They definitely don’t blur, I’m an actor.

I didn’t learn guitar to be a guitarist, I learned it to write. I can go months without picking up a

guitar, and then suddenly I’ll feel my emotions build up, so I’ll sit down, write something and

express the things I can't say out loud. As soon as I’ve put it into a few chords or lines, for

whatever reason, that helps. It’s just how I make sense of myself when I need to.

So no, I don’t feel torn between two creative paths. I know exactly what I am. I’m an actor - who

sometimes needs a guitar in a quiet room, just to get the noise out of his head.

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When you first read the script, what resonated most with you?

When I read it for the first time, I remember thinking: this guy is nothing like me. Reg doesn’t

have my physique, nor my mindset, so I knew straight away it was going to be a huge challenge

- not just technically, but emotionally and physically too. It scared the life out of me, and that’s

always a good sign.

I had a sudden realisation that I could massively fail, and realise I'm nowhere near as good as I

thought I might have been, but that’s exactly why I said yes.

The show had a huge run in the US. What’s it like stepping into something with that

kind of energy around it?

That was a huge part of it. Friends of mine had seen it and said it was the best thing they’d ever

seen, and then the Tony Awards were all over the internet, as well as just how good Will Brill

was, who played my part. I kept trying to figure out how I was going to play a part when

someone before me had already smashed it.

I’d be lying if I said there isn't a part of me, after every single show asking “Was there something

more I could add?”

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The role sounds incredibly demanding, both physically and emotionally. How do you

navigate that?

The best moments I’ve ever had in theatre are when the air shifts and no one coughs or rustles,

because the whole audience is holding their breath - they almost want to jump up on stage and

help the person in front of them.

To get that kind of response, you have to throw yourself into it completely, physically and

mentally. With this role, that means coming on stage in a crunched-up body, living inside Reg’s

chaos, as though I've downed a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, and it can be dark.

Right now, I’m still working out how to keep that intensity up without burning out completely,

because at the moment, I haven’t found a way to not give it everything.

What’s the most unique aspect of performing in Stereophonic?

There are some scenes when we’re playing instruments and performing as if we’re

mid-recording session. So, we fake getting the songs wrong intitially, until we get to one take

which has to be right because it gets recorded and then played back to the audience later in the

show.

It’s a strange technical tightrope we’re walking on. You’re never just playing a character - you’re

also a live musician, a sound engineer, and a performer balancing between real mistakes and

pretend ones. That’s what makes it so unique and honestly, so stressful. But when it clicks, it’s

magical.

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Do you think the themes explored in Stereophonic still resonate today?

Yes, creatives especially have come up to me saying, “Oh my god, I’ve been through that,” or “I’ve had that exact conversation”. It’s like they’re seeing moments from their own lives reflected

back at them, so they leave a bit stunned, rethinking things they’ve said or done in their own

creative processes.

At its core, the play taps into something timeless: the necessity of creation. Whether people like

it or not, creativity will never go away, and I think that’s why Stereophonic still feels so relevant.

What has surprised you most about working on this project?

The whole process was completely different from anything I’ve done before. We started with the

physical - what we’re doing with our bodies and heads - instead of diving straight into the script,

which threw me at first. It felt like doing the last part first.

Daniel Aukin’s approach is fascinating. At first, you’re left a bit in the dark until, suddenly, it all

clicks. The surprising part has been learning to trust that process, even when it feels unclear.

What do you hope people say or feel as they leave the theatre?

What I really hope is that people who have it in them to create, walk out wanting to do just that.

People often feel like there isn’t a place for their body or their voice, and I’ve felt like that – I

often still do. But, if people come and feel a buzz, or a little spark, that’s an amazing thing.

I know a lot of people back home who are deeply creative but don’t know they’re allowed to try,

or don’t have the confidence. So, if this gives someone even a little nudge to take their shot, that

would mean everything.

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