The latest interview from the Fringe scene is with Nocholas Alder, whose latest play, Road to Judecca is out on tour.
You’re a queer non-binary actor from Finland. How did you get into acting and why here in London?
Indeed I am. I have always been very accustomed to migrating all over, growing up in Estonia, living in Finland, the US, France and now in the UK.
I found performing as one of the few consistencies in my life throughout all locations that I briefly got to call home. After years of community theatre, youth theatre, workshops, working in TV commercials and movies, I wanted to hone my skills as an actor and that trajectory took me to Paris to study at the Cours Florent drama school.
During the Covid years, I focused on what kind of an actor I wanted to be and as my time in drama school was coming to a finish, the desire to work in the anglophone industry and to be taught in a UK drama school became a clear goal of mine.
I was accepted into the Masters of Acting program at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and ultimately graduated with first class honours. The natural move for me was to relocate to London and pursue work in one of the most theatre-rich cities in the world.
In London, I got more acquainted with the ebbs and flows of being an actor. I made beautiful and inspiring friendships, and with those friends we began to produce our own work in addition to the occasional work that came through castings.
London has not always been gentle to me, but it has been honest, and that is why I have chosen to continue my art in this city.
Your new show Road to Judecca is touring across Europe. What should audiences expect from it, and why should they come along to see it?
We are very excited about taking the play to several locations across Europe. The audience will witness an undulating relationship that asks questions regarding the responsibility in leading faith.
Although the play ponders questions of faith, power, and loyalty, at it’s core it is about a relationship between two men with complicated and sometimes transactional love. I think it’s an important retelling of a dynamic that most dating individuals unfortunately go through.
I think hearing these types of stories, even though it may be heavy in material, it can feel supportive to know that we aren’t alone with these experiences.
To see something toxic and abusive from a third person perspective can aid us in calling out the problematic behaviours around our lives and in our lives.
But the show is also entertaining, moving and in several parts very funny. I like to think of the show like a three course meal for the audience with all types of flavours.
The play focuses a lot on faith, Do you find that religion is compatible and comfortable for the queer community?
Faith and religion is very much the vessel of the play! Religion has a complicated position within the queer community. For many it is a memory of abandonment, disapproval, neglect, shame, and family separation.
A lot of the changes, particularly in Christianity in recent years with inclusion and acceptance, haven’t been purely benevolent, and a lot of queer people have felt this.
A large part of that initiative comes from the capitalistic sentiment of making it all into a profit, because of the churches fear losing a portion of it’s community and financial support.
Some members of the queer community have greatly appreciated being included in practices like marriage, but the problem is that the constant desire is to be seen like “one of them”, being treated the same doesn’t go hand in hand with being treated equally.
Marriage might be a desire to some members in the queer community but not to all, and we aim for there not to be division, but religion often does push that on us.
Queer people can absolutely be compatible with religion, but they don’t have to conform to the needs of these big and powerful religions. We don’t need to follow something that isn’t for us and doesn’t feel right in our hearts.
Because at the end of the day, religion and faith are about community, power together, and not power over others. The word church, and in French “eglise,” comes from Latin, and it didn’t mean “a building” back then, the word stood for community and assembly.
You’ve been playing at the Riverside Studios this week. What’s the best thing about working at that venue?
I performed at Riverside Studios for the first time in November 2024, and it was incredibly delightful. It’s one of those venues that you as a performer, producer and creative really feel like you’re collaborating with the venue.
It’s not soulless and purely transactional, we are very much creating something together.
I’m also extremely interested and enamoured by the history of Riverside, how it was quite counter-cultural back in the day, and how many extraordinary things it has been home to, and how it continues to support creatives.
What are your plans for your future career?Â
I wish to continue exploring what theatre can do as a medium, and continue to collaborate, work and surround myself with friends and people who inspire each other.
I want to continue telling stories and putting together productions with my friends, and reach and include as many eyes and ears as possible. My goal is to remain in the London theatre scene but if a piece takes me somewhere for a period of time,
I’m more than excited to explore that. I aim to find a residency for Road to Judecca in London for a longer period.
Quite importantly, I also plan to be able to only do theatre in a way that I don’t need to worry about paying rent and eating through other means.