Allan Cooke is taking on the hilarious role of Dale in Norm Foster’s A Pack of Thieves this week but he’s well-known on the Lighthouse stage. He’s had various Roles in THE REAL SHERLOCK HOLMES, taken on the role of Oscar Gervaise in STAGE FRIGHT, and had various Roles in THE FULL MOUNTIE. Elsewhere, he’s been involved with a number of productions at Upper Canada Playhouse and took on the role of Reggie in CBS’s CLARICE. He’s very happy to be back in Port Dover and we caught up with him to chat about who will love this show, why he wanted to be involved with it and who’d he play if he had the chance to take on a different role in A Pack of Thieves.
Lighthouse Festival (LF): What sort of person is going to love this show?
Allan Cooke (AC): Horse thieves! (and, perhaps, some horses) … and all lovers of Norm Fosters wit-with-heart brand of comedy. This one is classic Foster.
(LF): Why did you want to be involved in this production?
(AC): So many reasons. Chiefly among them, working with the crew at the Lighthouse is always a positive experience. Working with Derek and Jamie again too, albeit in different capacities from how we’d worked in the past, I knew we’d really dig into this script in the best, most fun, way possible. And Moose Tracks ice-cream on the beach is nice too.
(LF): What are people going to be talking about in the car on the way home from this show?
(AC): Probably (hopefully!) how well cast it was. Jeff, Brad, Brad and Derek; I can’t imagine any other people playing these roles now, they inhabit them perfectly.
(LF): What’s going to surprise people about this show?
(AC): There’s a few cool twists and turns in the script. But I hate spoilers, so I’ll shut up now. I ain’t no rat.
(LF): If you could play any other character in this show, who would it be?
(AC): Again, I can’t see anyone else except our cast playing these characters, so I’ll re-cast myself as the looming off-stage presence of Langford Pangborn. Or the Maitre D at Santinos. Or the horse (Front-end).