Down The Road opens this week, marking the debut production for both the American Theatre of London and the brand new venue, Playhouse East. To learn more, we caught up with Aaron Vodovoz who plays journalist Dan Henniman.
Could you tell us a little bit about Down The Road, what can audiences expect?
Down the Road centres around a journalistic couple, Iris and Dan, who are hired to interview Bill Reach – a young, sadistic serial killer who has admitted to killing 19 women – in order to write his tell-all book. The story develops over a span of several weeks between two locations – the couple’s motel room, and the prison’s interview room. As the weeks of interviews pass, the couple realise that what they hoped would be their big break is turning into an unsettling descent into darkness. As his confessions grow more disturbing, Iris and Dan begin to question whether they are in control of the narrative or merely pawns in Reach’s own game.
And tell us a little about the character that you play and what drew you to the role?
I play the part of Dan, one half of the journalistic couple and I was drawn to the play, as opposed to Dan as a character, because of the relationships between the characters and the overall themes and subjects of the play. Dan himself starts off with a very strong sense of what is right and wrong and as the play goes on those lines start to blur for him. How might one benefit from writing a book for a serial killer? and what is it worth? are questions he ends up confronting – I really enjoyed exploring those ideas and thoughts.
What do you think makes Bill Reach such an unsettling but also fascinating character?
Bill Reach has admitted to murdering 19 women, and yet still receives fan mail from other women. Not unlike Ted Bundy, Bill is a good looking and charming person, but for some reason decided that he had to murder women. We as human beings, the species, are known for being great at solving puzzles, and that same curiosity into why things are the way they are, I assume, kind of wriggles its way into stories like these. It is a mind-bending fascination: why did a charismatic, good-looking and educated person do what he did? The question is, can we really understand his motivations? Probably that’s where the unnerving part comes in.
I’m really interested in the two firsts that Down The Road brings; the first play from the American Theatre of London and the first play at new venue Playhouse East – how does it feel to be part of these?
It feels extremely exciting and also scary at the same time. This being our first production as the American Theatre of London, we want to build on this production and continue producing American plays in London. So as a given, there’s a lot riding on our inaugural play and we hope people enjoy it! Regarding Playhouse East, we couldn’t be more honoured to be their first incoming company. Both Avital Lvova and James Alexandrou, the founders, have put their heart and soul into creating a beautifully artistic space and community and we are glad to be part of that! We’re sure this will be the first of many productions being showcased at Playhouse East.
It is also the first revival of Down The Road in the UK for more than 20 years, what makes this the right time? With the surge in true crime popularity, do you think the play’s themes are even more relevant now?
Well I think you’re spot on. My impression is that back in 1989, when the play was first produced and performed, it served more as a question to the audience. It might have asked – is this what and where we want to concentrate our attention and money on? While today it’s more of a fact. True Crime is a booming industry. Whether that’s with podcasts, tv shows, books, movies etc.. to Facebook groups and book clubs discussing stories and trying to find the truth. I feel that the new question on offer is, have we become too desensitised to these types of stories, and if so how does that impact us?
So yes, I definitely think that it is even more relevant today in our over-saturated true crime culture.
Has the play changed how you view true crime as entertainment?
Oh, for sure! It’s given me a whole other layer and lens to look through at the true crime “industry”. It has also raised the question of who bears what responsibility. Does the media bear any responsibility? Journalists? The viewers/consumers? Entertainment creators?
We’re lucky to have partnered with CrimeCon, who believe in understanding crime through an ethical lens by engaging and showcasing forensic experts, investigative journalists, and leading true crime creators to explore crime’s impact on victims and society. That in itself has changed my view on true crime as entertainment.
What do you hope audiences take away from Down The Road?
I hope our audiences are pulled into the world and story of the play and when it’s all done and they walk out of the theatre, they have a moment of reflection regarding how they felt through the play. What/who was their focus on and why? Who did they find themselves relating to? And hopefully that will leave a lasting impact.
Our thanks to Aaron for taking the time to chat with us. Down The Road plays at Playhouse East until Saturday 29 March. Further information and tickets can be found here.
