The Royal Shakespeare Company’s new work programme at London’s Soho Theatre this month features rising star Kevin Trainor in the title role of Eric LaRue in Brett Neveu’s disturbing study of a US high school shooting.
“It’s quite odd playing a killer but ever since leaving RADA I’ve played a lot of them,” says Kevin. “I was Robert Stewart in Gladiator Games at Stratford East - a really troubled young man in Feltham Young Offender Institute. Before that, I played a young freedom fighter in Solstice for the RSC’s comedy season. And in Fishbowl, at Theatre 503, I played Fish - who killed his best friend and ate him. So it seems to be my lot.”
His other work with the RSC includes Valentine in Twelfth Night and Messenger in Comedy of Errors at the Novello but he says this role has been notable for the amount of research required.
“We did a lot of research into these kinds of rampage shootings and how they come about, to try to understand where the characters were coming from,” says Kevin, whose character is just 16. “It’s really important to approach them as people first. I suppose we all have it in us to kill.”
He is now looking forward to having the chance to play some less murderous roles in the future.
“I have been really lucky though - killers are by far the most interesting parts.”
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