Crook: Theatre is more like work

Mackenzie Crook says working in a theatre is more like work than playing a part in a film or TV show.

The Kent-born star, who played Gareth in The Office, is about to start his new role in Jez Butterworth's comedy Jerusalem.

"You feel as though you're actually working for a living, not just mucking about," he told the Times.

Mackenzie plays Ginger in the play which is set on St George's Day and explores what it is like to be English today.

"Why has 'English' become a dirty word with connotations of the far Right when it is all right to talk about Scottishness and Welshness?" he asked.

"It's not a response to the BNP, Jez is just a big fan of rural life. It is a celebration of that and the way it is changing."

Jerusalem will be on at the Royal Court in London from Wednesday onwards.