This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 16
Every night is different, and anything can
happen.
Photos: Pamela Raith Photography
16
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION
Best known for his television roles and
stage work, Owen Warner now joins the
cast of Witness for the Prosecution, taking
on a key role in Agatha Christie's gripping
courtroom thriller. Ahead of his run in the
acclaimed London production, THIS IS
LONDON spoke to Owen about stepping
into the world of Christie, preparing for
the role and the enduring appeal of the
classic mystery.
What drew you to the role of Leonard
Vole?
When I first read the script, I found
myself really understanding him. A cheekychappy on the surface with a lot of depth
and complexity underneath. I felt he was a
character who would be incredibly
interesting to portray. He’s also very
different from any role I’ve had the
opportunity to explore before. At this stage
in my career, I’m really keen to play a wide
range of characters that challenge me and
allow me to keep growing as an actor.
How different is stage acting from
working on television?
On screen, you can see every little
detail. You can be as subtle as you like and
trust that the camera will capture it. You
can rely on cuts, edits and music to carry
the story along, as well as the safety net of
another take. However, on stage, it’s just
you and the other actors around you
carrying the story forwards. No retakes, no
second chances. There’s something so raw
about that which is honestly very addictive.
What's been the biggest challenge of
making your West End debut?
One thing I have found difficult, though,
is that with screen and television, you’re
doing different scenes every day, whereas
with theatre, you’re performing the same
show eight times a week. Having to find
those emotions organically in every
performance and has been a real challenge.
You have to keep finding new things and
new elements within the story and
characters.
Fortunately, the script is fantastic and I
have so many brilliant actors around me,
which allows me to do that. It’s been
something really interesting to work on,
and a really exciting new skill to have to
develop.
How would you describe Leonard
Vole in three words?
Charming, impulsive and unpredictable.
What do you hope audiences take
away from the show?
To want to see more theatre! This show
is a classic example of the wonderful
theatre that’s on offer in London and all
over the UK. There is nothing like the live
and immersive feeling it can bring. I hope
audiences leave feeling entertained and
reminded of just how special live theatre
can be.
Tickets at www.witnesscountyhall.com
EUROPEAN PREMIERE OF ‘DOG
MAN: THE MUSICAL’
The European premiere of Dog Man:
The Musical, the hilarious and heartfelt
new musical is based on the worldwide
bestselling book series by Dav Pilkey.
It comes to the UK after playing to
packed houses in the US where it had
multiple sell-out Off-Broadway seasons
and US tours. The tour will run at
Southbank Centre from 29 July to
16 August
Since it launched to critical acclaim
in 2016, Dav Pilkey’s international hit
book series Dog Man has more than
70 million copies in print worldwide and
has been translated into 48 languages,
with five of the titles currently in the
Amazon UK top 50 best-selling
children’s books.
The Dreamworks animated film based
on the books was released earlier in
2025 to great acclaim and box office
success. Dog Man: The Musical,
originally produced by TheaterWorksUSA,
premiered off-Broadway in June 2019 at
the Lucille Lortel Theatre, extending due
to popular demand.
The production returned to New York
at New World Stages in March 2023.
Best friends George and Harold have
been creating comics for years, but now
that they’re 10, they figure it's time to
level up and write a musical based on
their favourite character, Dog Man, the
crime-biting sensation who is part dog,
part man, and ALL HERO!! How hard
could it be?
With the head of a dog and the body
of a policeman, Dog Man loves to fight
crime and chew on the furniture. But
while trying his best to be a good boy,
can he save the city from Flippy the
cyborg fish and his army of Beasty
Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the
world’s most evil cat, who has cloned
himself to exact revenge on the doggy
do-gooder? And will George and Harold
finish their show before lunchtime?
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
