Dan Stevens’ abandoned role that left him gutted
The recent shift in the theatrical world, spurred by the pandemic, prompted a fascinating series of “what-ifs” in the world of Broadway. While some stars found temporary camaraderie, others experienced a pause in their artistic journeys, highlighting how the stage, and the actors who inhabit it, navigate unprecedented changes.
This pause offers a stark contrast to the volatile and compelling roles some actors gravitate towards. Take, for instance, the intense stage presence of Reneé Rapp and Sabrina Carpenter, who shared a few performances in Mean Girls. Meanwhile, others were immersed in the raw drama of a revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, where Laurie Metcalf delivered a masterful performance across nine shows.
But the real fascination lies with actor Dan Stevens, whose career trajectory seems to flirt with the delightfully unsettling. Stevens has a knack for slipping into darker, more complex personas, drawing audiences with an unnerving intensity. This talent led him to the 2020 Broadway production of Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen.
McDonagh, already a celebrated playwright known for masterpieces like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, brought his signature blend of dark humour and brutal violence to the stage. Hangmen explores the story of Harry Wade, the second-best hangman in the land, as he grapples with the abolition of hanging. Stevens played Mooney, an ominous stranger whose presence embodies the uncertainty people feel about the future.
As Mooney, Stevens perfectly embodied the unsettling nature of the character, positioning him as a southerner who felt distanced from the other characters. It is precisely this capacity to embody deep psychological turmoil that makes Stevens’s performances so magnetic; he can make sociopathy seem seductive without indulging in mere vanity.
This versatile range extends beyond the theatrical. Stevens has successfully navigated a bizarre array of roles, from the heavy prosthetics of Beauty and the Beast to the flamboyant roles in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. This eclectic history lends a grounded, yet deeply unsettling quality to his portrayal of Mooney.
The Broadway run for Hangmen, which included a pre-pandemic off-Broadway run with Johnny Flynn, was a high-stakes endeavor. Despite the success of the production, the pandemic forced a halt, leaving the cast unable to return for the final performances. Stevens expressed genuine disappointment, feeling “gutted” by the short-lived run, lamenting that he loved being on stage.
Although Stevens has graced the stage with works by Shakespeare, Noël Coward, and Tom Stoppard, his time on Broadway and in theatre was interrupted. Now, as his filming schedule winds down, the question remains: can this versatile actor find a way back to the live stage? The door remains open for a return to the theatre, waiting for the right opportunity.
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