Dino Fetscher: “Representation can be something completely magical.”

Dino Fetscher is gearing up for a busy few months on the West End, starring in Cole Escola’s Broadway hit Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre. It’s his first return to the stage following the thirty-seven-year-old’s Olivier-nominated performance in The Normal Heart in 2021. Fetscher plays Mary’s Teacher in the dark comedy about a miserable, suffocated Mary Todd Lincoln in the weeks before her husband’s assassination. With a humorous spin, it explores the protagonist’s unrequited longing, alcoholism and suppressed desires. But Fetscher’s penchant for darker roles also extends from stage and screen. Early next year, he’ll star in Sky’s tense new crime thriller Under the Salt Marsh, set in a Welsh coastal town where the discovery of a drowned child threatens to expose long-buried secrets.

Fetscher himself is a proud Welshman — as well as a veritable champion of authentic LGBTQIA+ stories. From his television debut in Russell T Davies’ Cucumber and Banana, which explored contemporary queer lives, to his role in Gentleman Jack, bringing nineteenth-century LGBTQIA+ history to the screen, Fetscher brings depth and authenticity to every role he takes on. The Fool Me Once star is also refreshingly open, grounded and brings some much needed warmth on a particularly bleak, rainy afternoon. He joins our call after a “soggy” walk in what he fondly describes as “a foresty corner” of Sydenham Hill to talk fake storms, Broadway serendipity and how inclusivity on screen continues to evolve.

Sufiya McNulty: What was your reaction when you heard Oh, Mary! was transferring to the West End, and how did you get involved?

Dino Fetscher: I actually heard about the play months ago — it was all quite serendipitous. The assistant director from The Normal Heart at the National Theatre texted me saying, “Have you heard of this play, Oh Mary!? There’s a part you’d be great for”. I hadn’t, but I had this really weird feeling about it. I tried to get [a copy of] the play but couldn’t get it anywhere, so I ordered it from New York. When it arrived, I read it and my jaw was on the floor. I was properly laughing out loud. It was mad and brilliant. I thought, I need to be part of this. I had some Avios points and a free weekend, so I was like, in the name of manifesting, I’m just going to book this flight to New York to see the play. I ended up getting an audition the week before I went, and the day before I flew, I found out I’d been cast. Watching the show on Broadway, knowing I’d soon be part of its West End transfer, felt magical — one of those moments where you just know it’s special.

SM: How would you describe Oh Mary! to someone who’s never heard of it?

DF: It’s the completely historically inaccurate, untold story of Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s wife, and her riotous attempt to get back on stage. I won’t say anything more than that because you go on a real journey when you watch it. It’s a rambunctious, ridiculous comedy. I think, especially now, when everything feels so heavy (and rightly so), it’s a wonderful, silly bit of escapism in the very best way.

SM: This is your first theatre role in a while. What feels different about returning to the stage compared to working in TV?

SM: You’re in the upcoming Under the Salt Marsh. What can you tell us about that and your character in it?

DF: I play Gareth, an ecologist on the island. He’s a bit of an outsider. He’s from South Wales, where I’m originally from, and has been brought to advise the council on what to do about the impending situation with rising sea levels. The island is in danger of being eradicated. What came up for me is that he’s [like] Cassandra from Greek mythology — someone who is constantly professing, always warning people of what’s coming, but is continuously ignored. My favourite thing about him is that he’s a big part of the beating heart of the show, and that was a lot of fun to get my teeth into — to explore that nuance amid the chaos of this once-in-a-generation storm approaching.

SM: What do you hope audiences take away from Under the Salt Marsh?

DF: It’s a tense, atmospheric thriller and at the heart of it is this storm. But that’s not really what it’s about. It’s very much about what’s happening with our impending climate situation, without hitting you over the head. It’s there ominously in the background, coming towards us at speed. I hope audiences get a sense of where we’re at, what action we might need to take and the reality of what we might be facing, because [rising sea levels are] actually happening in the north of Wales. The shoreline is eroding. It’s scary stuff.

SM: You’ve also worked on projects with strong LGBTQIA+ narratives. How important is that representation to you when choosing roles?

DF: For me, representation is very important because it allows people to be seen. It can be something completely magical — it can give someone strength and belief in themselves, and can challenge horrible misconceptions they may have about themselves. I remember being a teenager in the closet and watching Desperate Housewives and Bree Van de Kamp’s son, Andrew, was gay in the series. I remember this feeling of deep curiosity, and I searched for him. It was a different time, but he made quite a big point about being heterosexual and it just being acting, and I remember this sense of deflation. I think as a thirteen-year-old I was looking for someone where I could see myself, because all of the gay people that were on television I didn’t relate to, so I felt really alone. At the time, there was a lack of breadth of queer representation. Lily Savage, Graham Norton or Alan Carr were all phenomenal, but I felt it was hard to relate to them. It wasn’t until I moved to Cardiff and met other queer people like me that I felt truly comfortable. That’s why representation can be really profound.

SM: How has the industry changed in terms of representation since you started?

DF: There are a lot more interesting, nuanced queer roles. There are a lot more opportunities. There’s been a real effort to include different types of people. It’s not an even playing field yet — I’d really like to see more openly queer actors in huge, visible positions. I think that’s definitely coming. We just have a way to go.