Young actor Samson Marraccino shares his experience performing in ‘The Sad Club’ at the National Theatre and how he got his role in ‘Good Omens’.
At the age of 18, Samson Marraccino already has an exciting acting CV. He’s worked alongside Spotlight members Michael Sheen and David Tennant in Good Omens, performed in Keith Richards: Origin of a Species as the rockstar’s younger self and appeared in gothic horror The Nun.
As a former theatre kid, it’s the stage that has Samson’s heart. He was a member of the Bush Young Company, performing in several plays on the theatre’s main stage over the years. Most recently, he took part in the National’s youth theatre festival, Connections, where he played ‘David’ in The Sad Club – a musical that tackles teenage mental health issues.
We caught up with Samson to find out more about youth theatre groups, the importance of finding your tribe and his audition journeys.
Hi Samson. How did you first get into acting?
I’ve been doing community theatre since I was seven. I was lucky enough to go to a lot of shows when I was younger as both of my parents are really into theatre. I went to all the classics like Wicked and Billy Elliott. Those inspired me and I wanted to get into it.
Do you think being part of a youth theatre group helped shape you into the performer you are today?
The Bush Young Company is very reputable. They put on fantastic plays like Misty. I loved them, so when I heard that they were doing a youth company, I jumped right in there. We did an intensive week and then they said they’re going to make it a yearly thing.
Going to a school that isn’t specifically for acting, you don’t find that many people with similar interests, but with these youth groups, you are able to find and connect with like-minded people. There’s so many people who you instantly create a bond with.
The teachers there, like Katie Greenall, who runs it, and Lynette Linton, who’s now the head of the Bush Theatre, are amazing. [Linton’s] doing a bunch of directing at the National and being able to create with so many people high up in the field gives everyone in these groups a massive head start.
Would you recommend that young performers join a youth theatre or acting club?
Of course! It’s not only that you meet people, but the experience you get from being out there and doing stuff is vital. You can think about it all you want, but you won’t get better if you don’t actually do it.
It’s hard to get roles [as an actor] and you don’t have that constant influx of doing stuff, so you need these sort of places where you can just go and act.
You’ve had a number of roles on stage and screen. Which is your favourite to act in?
I’d say stage because it’s so spontaneous. When you’re up there, anything could happen. You could mess up and to be honest, that makes it more fun. It’s constantly different every single time.
I remember doing All My Sons at the Rose Theatre and I was meant to pass a ball. I’m not the most athletic person and I would accidentally throw the ball into the audience. At the time, I didn’t deal with it well, but now thinking back, it’s just the magic of theatre where anything could happen.
What has been your favourite role so far?
I recently did West Side Story where I was very lucky to play ‘Tony’. I love that musical so much and it’s a dream role to be able to play ‘Tony’. I put so much work into that role and to see the results was gratifying. He’s a modern-day Romeo! It’s so fun to play that sort of character who is so in love with someone and so passionate about what they love that they would die for it.
You appeared as ‘David’ in The Sad Club, a musical dealing with teenage anxiety and depression. How did you get the part?
The community theatre in my area was lucky enough to get the opportunity to do National Theatre’s Connections, which is a nationwide contest. [The National Theatre] gives new musicals and plays to theatre companies in schools for us to perform.
[The Sad Club] is a touching musical because it’s got so many highs and lows. One minute, it’s hilarious; the next, it’s heartbreaking and I think it is so real to us as teenagers. It touched so many young people.
On the day that we did the show, Jess, who is incredible, did the final monologue and she just unlocked something in rehearsal that in that moment was so special. Everyone was surprised. It was so beautiful and she carried that on into that show and really elevated it.
You played ‘Warlock’ in Amazon Prime’s Good Omens. Could you tell us how you first became involved in the project and what the audition process was like?
I have an agent who got me the audition. I remember going in and the casting director was Suzanne Smith, who I’d done some auditions for before. I remember coming out of the audition room and thinking that I made them laugh. That’s all I could do. And so I left and then later that day, I found out that I got the recall.
I couldn’t go to the recall because I was visiting family and so I thought, ‘It would’ve been fun, but I can’t do it and that’s fine’. Then, weeks later, I was lucky enough to get a call saying that I got the part! It was kind of hectic, but that’s how it is. You won’t know how you did, but all you can do is try to make someone laugh or make them cry.
What advice would you give to other young performers starting out and doing their first auditions?
You have to be nice because no one wants to work with someone who isn’t a joy to work with. But more than that, just be yourself. It’s so cheesy and I’ve had it said to me so many times before. I hate it, but it’s true.
So much of yourself goes into these characters, especially for young actors, because we don’t have that training to transform into someone else. If your personality is right for that role and you show your personality, you have a better chance of getting that role.
Who would be your dream character to play?
Because of the recent Elvis and Bohemian Rhapsody rockumentaries – this is such a stretch – but I really want to play Frank Sinatra. My grandfather absolutely loves him and I love to make my grandfather happy.
[Sinatra] is such an interesting person. I just remember hearing stories of him being possibly bipolar and getting so angry at nothing and yet there are other situations where he was the most generous man alive. And then there’s also those interesting links with the Mafia and the political side… I’m definitely probably not ready for that role yet, but it’d be so amazing. That would be my dream.
A huge thanks to Samson for taking the time to chat with us!
Find out more about the Connections youth festival.
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