Bhavin Bhatt never set out to be an actor. He was just another schoolboy before his acting potential was spotted by a teacher.
“I was 12 or 13 years old and there was an annual Christmas show at my school and people were thinking about auditioning. I was umming and aahing when my drama teacher – with whom I’m still in touch – said to me after class, ‘I want you to audition’,” he recalls.
“I did audition and got one of the roles, one of the leads in a cast of about 40. One night the drama teacher and director said they were going to bring in some (acting) agencies because they felt there was a lot of talent there. Luckily enough I got signed up and have been working as an actor ever since.”
Bhavin comes to York Theatre Royal this month (June) on the latest UK tour of The Kite Runner in a role that won him the Best Newcomer award at the Asian Media Awards while he was in the West End production.
The play, adapted by Matthew Spangler from Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel centres around a friendship spanning cultures and continents. Bhavin plays Assef, a character that some would simply label as the villain of the piece but the actor sees him as more than that. “When you read the book or the script for the first time he comes across as a rough and tough bully. But the detail, especially in the book, gets inside the mind of a psychopath.
“As the story goes on you see all the stages and the full-on psychopath he becomes later on. There are so many nuances and small details that enable you to bring out from your physicality and voice the way you deliver the lines. That makes it so interesting for an actor to play.
“The playwright has been just so genius with the way he’s put everything that’s in the books into the script.”
His first experience of the play was in a smaller role which meant he saw another actor portraying Assef. Was that a help or a hindrance when he came to play him? Neither, he says. “The person playing the part was great but when I got the chance to play Assef I chatted with the director and decided to start again from scratch. My performance didn’t have to be a copy or based on anyone else’s performance. It was beautiful to go through the rehearsal process, doing your own research.”
Returning for the current tour has seen much the same approach of starting from scratch. This is his first villainous character which was fun, he says, while adding that going through the rehearsal process and getting really into the mind of a psychopath was challenging.
Humour helps the production along, perhaps why it has proved, and is still proving, so popular with audiences on tour. “We have managed to add a comedy element into the story which I think is completely needed. We take audiences on a rollercoaster ride – they’re laughing out loud at one scene and then on the edge of their seat the next.”
He is enjoying touring again with The Kite Runner. “It takes you away from home, from family and friends so you have to adjust as you can. We’re doing seven or eight shows a week so you have to look after yourself physically and vocally,” he says.
“Every single show we have to keep fresh. It’s interesting as you go up and down the country and see how audiences in different parts of the country react in different ways.”
A previous 2020 tour was cut short by covid lockdown but not before the production had played at the impressive Dubai Opera House. “That building was absolutely stunning and the production was received incredibly well there,” he says.
Getting diverse roles has been, and still can be, tough,” he says. “I remember when I was applying to drama schools and the way I was treated wasn’t nice. Some very hurtful and racist comments were made towards me. I have always tried to push for diversity, not just for myself but other people,” he says.
“People opened doors for me and I would like to leave a legacy of opening doors for other people. It’s been tough but I really hope it’s moving in the right way. I think it is but there’s so much more to be done”.
The Kite Runner: York Theatre Royal, 18-22 June.
Box office 01904 623568 | yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
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