On the UK & Ireland Tour of Grease, Marley Fenton is starring as Danny Zuko alongside Hope Dawe as Sandy, which opens this Friday (12th April) at Churchill Theatre in Bromley, continuing around the country before their last show currently booking in Sheffield in November. Having made his professional debut at The London Palladium last year in The Wizard of Oz as understudy The Tin Man and Scarecrow, Marley made his tour debut with the musical, taking on the role of The Tin Man full-time, and he was part of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre. Whilst training at ArtsEd, which Marley graduated from in 2023, he performed in A Chorus Line and Catch Me If You Can, and alongside his acting career, he plays drums in his band ‘good company’ and they will be releasing new music very soon. Marley recently chatted to us about starring as Danny Zuko on the UK & Ireland Tour of Grease, his time as The Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz and being part of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends.
You are starring as Danny Zuko in the upcoming UK & Ireland Tour of Grease, what do you think Danny will be like to play?
Playing Danny Zuko is hard and not to be underestimated! He’s such an iconic character and making sure I do it justice is something I think about often. He’s such a cool and collected dude to everyone but inside he’s quite vulnerable and emotional. Finding that balance has been challenging but very fun!
How are rehearsals going so far and what are you looking forward to for opening at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley on Friday?
Rehearsals are going very well! We have been put through our paces and pushed to our limits, however, I’m having so much fun! Opening in Bromley will be so much fun, being close to London and having friends and family in the audience will be amazing before we start our tour of the UK and Ireland.
How was it meeting the rest of the cast for the first time and how is it working alongside Hope Dawe as Sandy?
Meeting the rest of the cast was crazy, scary but also so exciting for what’s to come. Everyone is lovely and ready to make a great show. Hope is incredible, she has everything Sandy needs to have and has been such an amazing person to be playing opposite.
Was there anything that drew you to the role of Danny and had you seen the musical on stage before auditioning?
Firstly, as a black man, being a lead role in a classic love story has been a dream of mine since very young and quite frankly Danny could be the most iconic leading man ever. So, to be black and playing this role is a dream come true and I hope aspiring black actors can watch this production and see themselves playing lead roles. I had seen the musical at the Dominion in the West End and enjoyed it so much. It’s such a feel-good show and I could just tell everyone who comes to watch Grease has such a good time.
Who do you think will enjoy watching Grease and why would you recommend booking tickets to see the show?
I think everyone will enjoy Grease! For the people who had Grease as such a classic film in their household while they were growing up, they will be able to come and watch this production with nostalgia and reminisce the amazing times they had with the film. Of course, the film is so well-known, however, our production is a much grittier version and people will be able to come be engrossed into a version of Grease they have never seen before.
How did you find the experience touring for the first time with The Wizard of Oz as The Tin Man?
It was so much fun! Again, The Wizard of Oz is such a cult classic that the audiences are always amazing around the country! Playing The Tin Man was so cool as I grew up watching the film and always tried to recreate the moves, so to be able to play that role in front of audiences up and down the UK was an amazing feeling.
How was it getting into costume/character as The Tin Man and what was the musical like to be part of?
The costume was crazy! It had 14 pieces that all connected together to create the costume and getting it on was definitely an interesting experience. However, as soon as I had it on, I felt like I could embody the character to the max! It made my movement stagnant and helped me really hone into what it meant to be made from tin! The Wizard of Oz was such a cool experience simply because the people were absolutely amazing.
What was it like making your professional debut with The Wizard of Oz at The London Palladium last year and what was it like understudying the roles of The Tin Man and Scarecrow?
Making my professional debut at the renowned London Palladium was a feeling I can’t describe. I’m just so humbled and grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and to be able to perform in that iconic building was a dream come true. I had never covered before so learning the roles of The Tin Man and Scarecrow definitely put me through my paces, however, I had so much fun doing so. The day I made my Tin Man debut was very nerve-racking. Ashley Banjo played The Tin Man at The Palladium and he also choreographed a lot of The Tin Man’s dance sections. I just wanted to make sure I did his movement justice and to the best of my ability.
What did you enjoy most about being in the cast of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre and how was it performing the music?
Performing in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. Being surrounded by this industry’s greats and being able to perform on a West End stage with them was epic and moments I will never forget. Sondheim’s music is the most intricate and satisfying music I have ever come across and being able to perform that music was a privilege. Working with British theatre legends that I have looked up to for the longest time and also Broadway theatre legends that worked with Sondheim throughout their career had an immense impact on me and I can’t quite believe I had the opportunity to perform with these people.
Was there anything that encouraged you to attend ArtsEd and what was it like graduating in 2023?
I knew ArtsEd was renowned for its musical theatre training and that made the decision to train there very easy. I started in the musical theatre course in 2020 which was, of course, during COVID. This effected my time there massively, with 50% of lessons in first year being online. Dancing in my kitchen and singing in my bedroom was definitely difficult, however, I believe it shaped the performer I am today.
During your time as a student, you performed in A Chorus Line and Catch Me If You Can, can you tell us about these?
Catch Me If You Can was a crazy cool experience as it was a brand-new workshop production of it. This meant new songs, an updated script and just a cool, new energy to it. A Chorus Line was a huge moment in my journey as a performer. The love we received from industry professionals for a third year drama school production was immense. The original London cast of A Chorus Line even came to watch on our gala night.
How did you get into performing and was it something you always wanted to do?
I was always into dancing and singing. Since I was a kid I’d be mimicking people on TV like Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars. I then got into TV acting as a teenager and before I knew it I was doing musicals. Performing was all I ever wanted to do (when I realised I wasn’t good enough at football).
What are some of your favourite theatre shows to watch?
Some of my favourite shows at the moment are Guys & Dolls. I always always loved this show since doing it at 14 in secondary school. Cool music, cool story and cool characters! I also love a lot of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musicals, especially In The Heights and Hamilton. Miranda’s inclusive shows always make me feel seen as an actor of colour.
How do you like to spend your free time?
I have lots of hobbies outside of musical theatre. I love playing and watching football, it’s been a passion of mine since I can remember and I love that I can keep that up for fitness and love for the game. I also play drums in a band! We’re called ‘good company’ and we have some new music coming very soon!
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