The Offies judges have announced a string of new nominations which include a Best Supporting Performance nomination for Karl Theobald. The nomination is for his role in last month's Hampstead Theatre production of 'Grud' which sees a young college student coping with caring for her alcoholic father. Karl played the title role of troubled, alcoholic father Grud, a nickname given him by his daughter.
The play is set in a school and follows Aicha, a passionate (and the only) member of the school's Space Club when she is joined one day by Bo, a mysterious new girl. The girls quickly bond through their project of building a model satellite. The play charts their growing friendship, but Bo's alcoholic father Grud is determined to eclipse their efforts and pull them off course, despite Bo's best efforts to keep her difficult home life a secret from her new friend. Despite the play's gritty plot, it is described as a 'coming of age comedy', with the interactions of the two girls creating many laughs.
The play, written by new playwright Sarah Power, has also been nominated for Best New Play.
★★★★ "It’s to Karl Theobald’s credit that he transforms Grud into a believable, almost sympathetic man, whose love for his daughter is never entirely eclipsed by his drunken rages. Set aside any preconceptions of what you expect Theobald to be like in this role: this is not the engagingly funny, elfin sidekick of Green Wing and Twentytwelve fame, but a man with a vicious beast inside that brings him so low, you fear he will never get up again." The Arts Desk
★★★ "A hugely charismatic cast. Karl Theobald’s Grud is a fragile, tragic figure, unpredictably lurching between emotional states – silly and smiling one moment, grumbling bitterly the next. In brief moments of self-awareness, when he realises how badly his addiction is impacting Bo, he defaults to telling daft dad jokes, conscious that his daughter is no longer a young child, but knowing no other way to connect." The Stage
Karl Theobald is available for voiceovers from Anthea Represents. Click his image for his profile page and voiceover showreel.
