Where're the groupies

Sharu Delilkan meets a young actor trying to perfect his smoulder.
The play that inspired by Guy Ritchie's movie, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, invades the Basement Theatre this week, bringing with it a furious pace and inkily dark comedy involving rock, revenge and extreme silliness. Well, that's how the publicity blurb puts it.
Set in Soho, London, in 1958, Mojo, written by Jez Butterworth and directed by Jeff Szusterman, stars Sam Sneddon, Charlie McDermott , Gareth Reeves , David Van Horn and Ian Hughes.
It's also got Dan Veint in the role of Silver Johnny, a 1950s rocker who wants success in USA. Mojo is Veint's professional theatre debut and the first time he's played a sex symbol. He mutters something about it being great to be fawned over by screaming women.
"And if that's not scary enough, he's then taken under the wing of gangsters to add to the fun," he says of his character.
"I usually play the young, snotty 17-year-old so it's great to be playing a 'Justin Bieber'-type character from the 1950s," says the 23-year-old. "It's even more interesting being the voice of reason and the adult figure among actors that I've admired and revered for years."
Although playing Mojo's central character, Veint says he only has a handful of lines which allow him the opportunity to "watch the other actors work their magic. It's a great environment and a great way to learn from people as they work through the ambiguity of the script."
But the highlight of the role, which is another first for him, will be when he's blindfolded, gagged and hung upside down.
"I'm so excited - I just can't wait to hang from the ceiling."
Mojo, The Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland CBD, Oct 26-Nov 6, 8pm. Tickets: ph 361 1000 or see www.iticket.co.nz