Benidorm Live

Theatre Royal, Brighton

Monday to Saturday

RUNNING for ten seasons across 11 years, Benidorm was ITV’s hugely popular programme about a group of holidaymakers who frequent the Solana all-inclusive hotel in Benidorm, Spain, every year. Now the show, with its TV cast, has been revamped for the stage. Jamie Walker spoke to Jake Canuso, who plays Mateo Castellanos, to talk about the show and the transition from screen to stage.

Hi Jake, how has the tour been going?

It’s a great tour and it’s been very successful so far.

It’s been amazing really because coming from a TV show we didn’t know what to expect.

We are quite a way in now so we are more used to it but before we even got the script we didn’t know how it was going to translate to the stage.

We knew it was going to be good, there are jokes every 30 seconds, it’s like a bumper episode.

The first night in Newcastle we had people howling all the way through, and within minutes you realise you’re going to be all right.

The response has been incredible.

There’s so much in there to enjoy.

It’s exciting seeing something that’s such a hit with audiences because it gives you that buzz on stage.

How daunting was it to transfer the show to the stage?

Very much so, because everything before is played for TV.

You have to play it slightly different when you’re playing for big theatres.

You have to push your characters a bit further on stage and some of our characters are quite large already.

It was nerve-wracking standing on stage for the first show and knowing you’re going out live.

On TV there’s a lot more manageability with it because you can redo things.

On stage there are things that are different every night.

We had no idea what to expect.

We had done royal variety before as a live sketch but you never know how things will change in that time.

Here it’s in the moment.

We also lost track of the fan base we had and how big it was but as you tour around and see the response it’s incredible, they are right there with you.

You’re of course coming to Brighton, do you know the city well?

I don’t know it too well but I have a few friends that live down there.

I’ve seen friends at the Theatre Royal before, but I’m not too familiar with the city.

But we have cast members who live in Brighton so I’m sure we’ll be shown around.

I think it’s one of the smaller theatres on the tour but it’s beautiful.

It was also the intention to make the audience feel like they’re part of the show, we break the fourth wall and involve them with the show.

So what can people expect from the show if they were fans of you on TV, aside from the cast of course?

The live show really takes off from where the last series ended.

If you watched it all you’ll know where it picks up and what the plot was.

There’s a lot at stake from that and it will cover that whole storyline.

There’s a lot of references to previous characters from the show as well, going back to the very first series.

It spans across the ten seasons we were on air and people will be familiar with the places and people we talk about.

The audience will know where they are and the set is fantastic as well.

People will be very familiar with it.

We’ve had a lot of people who have never seen the TV show who love it because the plot is its own thing.

So why should people take a sunny trip to Benidorm this winter?

I think because it’s been freezing and grey and cold.

It will bring two hours of sunshine into your life and it will make your day, month, year.

It’s a dose of energy that everyone is looking for in February.

It will be the perfect remedy.

It’s a great night out.