Actors living a double life with bond of brothers

On the first morning of rehearsal for True West, Nigel Harman walked around the corner at Sheffield Crucible, carrying a motorbike helmet and wearing a green biker jacket.

He spotted his co-star John Light, who he had never met, but knew through mutual acting acquaintances.

Light was carrying a motorbike helmet and wearing a green biker jacket.

Harman says: "We took one look at each other and thought, 'Well, this should work'. I also thought we looked like members of

some weird boyband, dressed the same."

The fact that Light and Harman had a shorthand connection with each other was vital for the roles they were taking on.

"There's a big trust issue with this play, so that was a real help to see that we had a connection instantly."

A love of motorbikes was a start, but Harman and Light need to really trust each other, more so with this production than any other play. The pair are starring in the Sheffield Crucible production of Sam Shepard's True West.

The play examines the relationship between two brothers, one, Austin, a screenwriter who's about to land his big break and the other, Lee, a small-time crook without a nickel to his name.

The reason trust is such an issue is because the actors will not be playing one part, but both, alternating on each night. "I'll be playing Lee on one night, then Austin the next, so we're playing each part nine times each," explains Harman.

Except for one night – the official premiere of the production, on May 18 – which is the same night reviewers from around the country will be sitting in the auditorium, judging the play.

That night, which actor plays which part will be decided by the toss of a coin.

"Because there are 19 performances we knew there was one extra performance and they told us that we would be tossing a coin to decide on one of the nights," says Light, who is married to Hollywood actress Neve Campbell.

Harman adds: "When they told us, I thought 'sweet' they'll probably get us to do that in week three when we're settled into the roles. Then they told us it will be on press night." Harman pauses then adds, with not a small hint of sarcasm: "It's exciting."

When it was announced that the play would see the actors swapping roles, there were mumbles of "gimmick".

Not so, insist the actors.

Light says: "We are finding out why it's interesting while we're rehearsing it."

Harman says: "There's the duality of the brothers and on face value they are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and then they slowly meet in the middle and then morph into one another.

"Doing this, swapping the roles, gives you a much deeper access to the character as an actor because you know what the other guy is feeling as well.

"The first question I asked was 'why?', and the more we spend time with it, the more I understand what it adds on an extra level.

"Plus very simply, one brother beats the other up, so if you're too hard one night, you'll get it back the next, so it's a safety valve.

"I think there's going to be a level of spontaneity in these two plays. When we get out there, we'll never get a night when we say 'right, that's it, we know how to do it'. We only play each part nine times, so we have to get rid of all the anxiety that frightens the life out of me and excites me."

Harman was best known as Dirty Den's son, Dennis Rickman, in EastEnders before he took to the stage of The Crucible in 2006, playing Mick in Pinter's The Caretaker, a role for which he won great praise and in a production which transferred to the West End.

It was an impressive performance and one which sealed Harman's reputation as a serious stage actor.

Returning to the scene of the triumph is heartening."It's definitely nice to come back to a place where there are a lot of nice feelings,"

he says. "The only problem is, the only way to go is down."

Both Harman and his co-star are confident, however, that the production will not send either of their careers downwards.

Light says: "In London people are very interested and have one eye on what's happening in Sheffield."

Harman adds: "In terms of theatre, Sheffield is right up there. It's established itself as having something to say and having good interesting work. We've got the material with this play and I think

it's the sort of play that's going to excite people.

"It's very intense and once it starts, you don't really stop."

Sheffield Crucible, May 13 to June 5.