Tony Foot presents his latest stand-up show about life, love and friendship. Or – at least – he tries to…
Tony seems to have something else on his mind.
What starts in McDonalds stays in McDonalds, except in this story where it doesn’t.
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| Photo by Percy Walker-Smith |
RON is an absurd, violent, genre-bending queer odyssey exploring the nature of unrequited love; how far would you go to show someone you love them? Sometimes you’re just the Ron person in the Ron place at the Ron time.
We caught up with writer and performer Ted Walliker to learn more about the show.
What can you tell us about RON and the inspiration behind this?
The inspiration behind RON mostly stems from my infatuation with stand-up comedy and the semi-miraculous energy created between performer and audience which is particularly present in comedy. I wrote the play over the course of 4 years and it felt like I was discovering what it was across that whole period. I didn’t sit down and go “I have this idea, I’m trying to say this specific thing, here’s how I’m going to do it” and smash it out in one sitting. I was inspired by lots of different things along the way including some memories from my own life which have made their way in.
The inspiration behind RON mostly stems from my infatuation with stand-up comedy and the semi-miraculous energy created between performer and audience which is particularly present in comedy. I wrote the play over the course of 4 years and it felt like I was discovering what it was across that whole period. I didn’t sit down and go “I have this idea, I’m trying to say this specific thing, here’s how I’m going to do it” and smash it out in one sitting. I was inspired by lots of different things along the way including some memories from my own life which have made their way in.
You are wearing an extraordinary number of hats for this production—writing, performing, co-directing, and designing the set, costumes, lighting, and sound. How do you balance these roles without losing your mind, and does having total control make the creative vision easier or harder to execute?
I have lost my mind, this work will consume me and spit me out once it’s done with me. It’s a difficult thing to actually label as “total control” because RON is so dependent on the audience. I know my character and the world he inhabits and Lev and I can do all these things to paint that picture for the audience, but ultimately, how they react will define the feeling of the show, much like stand-up comedy. This is a relationship. You’ll spend an hour with the character and be present with him: he knows you’re there, he’s talking to you.
The show is described as blending "razor-sharp comedy with hair-raising tonal shifts." As a performer, how do you navigate those abrupt transitions between hilarious, unsettling, and tender moments?
Performing a piece like RON with these big dangerous moves, I’ve found that the main thing I can do to navigate it is to be sure of Tony’s truths. He is expressing something very real to him and so if the words take us somewhere strange or funny or violent, there’s always an underlying reality as to why. But also, crucially, when I’m actually doing the role, I’m not thinking about these things as me; I’m feeling them as Tony.
Performing a piece like RON with these big dangerous moves, I’ve found that the main thing I can do to navigate it is to be sure of Tony’s truths. He is expressing something very real to him and so if the words take us somewhere strange or funny or violent, there’s always an underlying reality as to why. But also, crucially, when I’m actually doing the role, I’m not thinking about these things as me; I’m feeling them as Tony.
You co-directed and co-designed the show with Lev Govorovski. What does that collaborative shorthand look like when you are also the sole person on stage?
It’s mostly arguments with the occasional death threat sent at 3am over text. Generally, we try not to look each other in the eye for fear of startling the other. That aside, it feels relatively easy to step into the right mindset at the right moment (for both of us) meaning we can discuss lots of different aspects of the show simultaneously. Lev is a technician and actor as well as a director so our language is very similar and our points of reference are similar too.
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| Photo by Percy Walker-Smith |
What drew you to use absurdity and violence to explore a theme as universally human as unrequited love?
I think there is something inherently absurd about unrequited love; it can do something very strange to the body and brain. We can even become different people as a result of it. Violence is more an expression of insecurity in the context of RON. I won’t say too much more because I feel it’s important for audiences to have their own takes.
I think there is something inherently absurd about unrequited love; it can do something very strange to the body and brain. We can even become different people as a result of it. Violence is more an expression of insecurity in the context of RON. I won’t say too much more because I feel it’s important for audiences to have their own takes.
The synopsis introduces us to a character named Tony Foot, but the show is called RON. Can you tease the relationship between Tony, Ron, and that fateful trip to McDonald's?
Tony Foot is the comedian at the centre of the story and – to be very vague in the interest of not spoiling it – Ron is a remarkably unlucky man.
Tony Foot is the comedian at the centre of the story and – to be very vague in the interest of not spoiling it – Ron is a remarkably unlucky man.
The phrase "the Ron person in the Ron place at the Ron time" is a brilliant play on words. How much of the show hinges on fate and circumstance versus deliberate, chaotic choices?
Tony leads us through this story, so the foundation is more to do with what Tony is choosing to tell us and how he’s choosing to say it. Saying that, within Tony’s story there are definitely some moments that seem inevitable just because of who he is as a person – I think the chaos is within him. Where that chaos comes from, you’ll have to come and see.
Tony leads us through this story, so the foundation is more to do with what Tony is choosing to tell us and how he’s choosing to say it. Saying that, within Tony’s story there are definitely some moments that seem inevitable just because of who he is as a person – I think the chaos is within him. Where that chaos comes from, you’ll have to come and see.
RON had a massively successful three-night test run at Riverside Studios in March. What did you learn from those first audiences that changed or reshaped the show for this full premiere?
Like I was saying before, because the audience play such a significant role in shaping the feeling of the evening, the main thing I took away from those test performances were how to deal with things changing! There have been some small tweaks as well around how the rhythms of some lines work and how some jokes work, all things which I’m sure will continue to evolve through this run too.
Like I was saying before, because the audience play such a significant role in shaping the feeling of the evening, the main thing I took away from those test performances were how to deal with things changing! There have been some small tweaks as well around how the rhythms of some lines work and how some jokes work, all things which I’m sure will continue to evolve through this run too.
Audiences from the initial run described your performance as "mad balletic comedy genius." How much of the show relies on physical comedy, and how demanding is it on you physically night after night?
I’m a big gangly freak and it’s very physically draining. A lot of the drain is also in just speaking for an hour non-stop!
I’m a big gangly freak and it’s very physically draining. A lot of the drain is also in just speaking for an hour non-stop!
How does it feel to be a part of Riverside Studios’ history, specifically as their first in-house co-production during their landmark 50th anniversary year?
This co-production is a real honour and certainly not something that I would’ve ever anticipated when I first sent my script to Rhys, the head of programming. And also, what an incredible privilege to be a part of the lineage of solo shows in Studio 2; Suzie Izzard’s Hamlet, Asa Butterfield’s Second Best, it’s one hell of a line up I can only hope I live up to it!
This co-production is a real honour and certainly not something that I would’ve ever anticipated when I first sent my script to Rhys, the head of programming. And also, what an incredible privilege to be a part of the lineage of solo shows in Studio 2; Suzie Izzard’s Hamlet, Asa Butterfield’s Second Best, it’s one hell of a line up I can only hope I live up to it!
What was the first piece of theatre that you remember having a big impact on you?
Unreachable by Anthony Neilson at the Royal Court Theatre, 2016. It really made me feel like anything was allowed. I found it so funny, so strange and so beautiful all at the same time. What a show.
Unreachable by Anthony Neilson at the Royal Court Theatre, 2016. It really made me feel like anything was allowed. I found it so funny, so strange and so beautiful all at the same time. What a show.
If audiences walk away from RON feeling just one specific emotion or questioning one specific idea, what do you hope that is?
I know this is such a cop-out answer but I don’t want to plant any ideas in any heads! I hope you laugh, at least once, but preferably more than once.
I know this is such a cop-out answer but I don’t want to plant any ideas in any heads! I hope you laugh, at least once, but preferably more than once.
RON runs at Riverside Studios in London from Saturday 13th June until Sunday 5th July 2026. For tickets and more information visit https://riversidestudios.co.uk/whats-on/Jf-ron/
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