Casting has just been announced for PROUD: a queer love story all about conflict, connection and overcoming the debilitating effects of our past.
Taofique Folarin will take the main role as Roland. With a two year stint in West
End’s Avenue Q, his own company Folarin Fitness and named Men’s Health Best Coach of 2020, Taofique is passionate about wellness in the queer community.
Joining Toafique on stage will be Andrei Maniata as Roland’s lover, Amir, and Kaine Hatukai who play the role of Roland’s son, Gary.
Andrei is of Romanian and Moldovan descent and moved to London at the age of 14. As an actor, his work is highly influenced by Michael Chekhov and Bella Merlin. Andrei’s aim is to create work that acts as a catalyst for change in society. He approaches his work with respect and care, aiming to represent each role he plays with sincerity.
Ahead of the run we’ve spoken with Andrei about how the performing arts can act as a catalyst for change and what they hope to achieve with PROUD.
For those who aren’t familiar with your previous work, could you introduce yourself?
I’m a working-class actor from Romania – I left that rural lifestyle and moved to the sophisticated city of London to develop my individuality and creativity. I began acting at 16 when I joined Theatre Royal Stratford East’s company and later trained as an actor at London College of Music.
I recently finished filming a feature film called One Shot, produced by Ben Jacques and directed by James Nunn, where I play a young man (Adamat) who gets radicalised into joining ISIS. I have also just finished a stage project with Temporal Horizons Theatre Company, where we adapted Cyrano de Bergerac and in which I played Cyrano. I am about to begin filming Dani(el), a short film directed by Linda Cairns, which will explore mental health and transgender rights in Romania.
What would you say initially drew you to this brand new production?
What drew me to Proud initially was the difference between each character’s life experiences and how these affect their relationships and interactions. Furthermore, I haven’t seen many plays/films that raise awareness of the experience of refugees, particularly those that depict queer relationships, so I was excited by the opportunity to portray this on the stage.
What does it mean to you to be part of such a beautiful new show?
I have already found myself feeling challenged at times by the demands of the play, which is why I wanted to be a part of the project in the first place. It means I am taking a risk – and especially recently, I want to take more risks creatively to discover new ways to approach a role and build my toolkit as an actor. When I am too comfortable, my work tends to stagnate, and I become blocked, so I am pumped to walk into the unknown as I trust Marlie, (our director’s) skill, and I trust my fellow actors.
Could you tell us a little about the character you play?
Amir is a 21-year-old young man who has left Aleppo, Syria and fled to London, due to the Syrian Civil War which started in 2011 when he was only a teenager. As a result, he suffers from PTSD and finds it difficult to accept help. In the play, we witness Amir’s struggle to face the reality of his trauma and to relinquish himself from the shame he feels around his sexuality. We see the negatives effects of toxic masculinity in Amir’s character, which is something I have also observed in Romania.
PROUD will cover some important and perhaps difficult topics. Why do you think it is so important for new productions to tackle subjects which are sometimes seen as taboo?
I think it’s so important as artists to use our craft to raise awareness of stories that are often left untold. I know that the history of each character in Proud is based on the lives of numerous real people, and I feel I have a responsibility to give voice to the experiences of the marginalised individuals that have informed this play, especially since I myself am a proud member of the L.G.B.T.Q.I.A. + and B.A.M.E. communities.
When I watched Euphoria, written by Sam Levinson and God’s Own Country, written by Francis Lee, I deeply resonated with the themes explored and felt validated on a human level – I’d love to be able to offer this to those that come and see my own work in Proud. Ignorance needs to change, and the world needs more inclusivity and love right now.
What would you say “wellness in the queer community” looks like to you?
I think, ironically, there’s a lack of acceptance of diversity within the queer community. I come from a walk of life where I was not accepted for who I was and although I found coming out liberating, I also discovered the opposite. When I joined the queer community, I was faced with loads of pressures: pressure to look a particular type of way, act a certain kind of way and so on. After reading Matthew Todd’s Straight Jacket, I began taking an honest look at how I myself bought into those toxic stereotypes and I started to work on how I could change. I feel that wellness in the queer community is about accepting and valuing each and every one of us for who we want to be, because each of us is in our corner of the world are still fighting the same battles.
What message do you hope audiences will take away from a trip to see PROUD?
I hope they take away the message that change and deep connection is possible, regardless of how complicated our past has been. I hope that audiences will leave feeling that one day at a time, one moment at a time, through honesty, trust and intimacy, we can move toward a more refined version of our authentic selves.
PROUD will run at The Kings Head Theatre in Islington between 22nd February and 12th March. Tickets are on sale from ÂŁ10 – ÂŁ22.50 and can be purchased online at https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/proud or
by contacting the box office on 0207 226 8561 or at boxoffice@kingsheadtheatre.com.
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