He talked to the Daily Echo ahead of a Southampton appearance in The Other Side of Murder, which also stars Coronation Street and Victoria Wood actress Susie Blake and Carla Mendonca, also known for Corrie as well as My Parents are Aliens.
After leaving a job in PR in 2000 to become a comedian, Rufus later went into television, hosting shows including Top of the Pops and the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury, and appearing as a panellist on the likes of ITV2’s Celebrity Juice.
Rufus Hound in The Other Side of Murder (Image: Manuel Harlan)
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This caught the attention of the theatre world, and in 2012 he was invited to make his stage debut in a production at London’s Soho Theatre
“That opened the door to being in theatre, which had been the dream ever since I was a kid,” he said. “Once I was in theatre, I just held on for dear life.”
He hasn’t looked back since, appearing in shows including One Man Two Guvnors at the National Theatre, in the West End and on tour, and Wind in the Willows at the London Palladium and on tour.
Hound’s latest role, in Torben Betts’ new comic thriller, The Other Side of Murder, calls upon both his comedy and acting skills. “Lots of people talk about dramatic tension, but there’s such a thing as comedic tension. And actually, what you learn is, it’s tension.
“If you can maintain the comedic tension of a farce, you can also understand that it’s tension that you have to maintain for the mystery to work.”
Rufus Hound in The Other Side of Murder (Image: Manuel Harlan)
He plays Peter, a TV medium who uses the stage name Darius Divine. Directed by Philip Franks, The Other Side of Murder revolves around a family dinner planned by Peter, which throws up more than one surprise.
Without realising it, Hound had already begun his research for the role before he even knew that he was doing the play.
“You’re watching a man who has made a living as a spirit medium. I did a play earlier this year where I was explaining that my grandad was an amateur at doing that kind of thing, and, when he died, I ended up with his stuff. So I’d done some investigation!
The play, which follows two other hits by writer Betts; Murder at Midnight and Murder in the Dark, is on a major UK tour until March 2027, being performed at Mayflower Studios from November 16 to 21.
