Today I am speaking to James Akka the writer and one of the performers of the show Sorry (I broke your arms and legs) which a was originally a writing exercise turned into a show. The show is currently running at the Pleasance Theatre between now and the 9th May. I spoke to James to find out all about it.
Hello! Tell us about yourself ?
Hi! I’m James Akka, a writer and performer from Guildford. I graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2023 and have since featured on BBC Radio 4 in Thanks A Lot, Milton Jones!, and Netflix in Talamasca and The Sandman.
Tell us a bit about the show Sorry (I broke your arms and legs)
Sorry began as a short writing exercise at drama school but it’s taken on a huge life of its own. It’s a really funny exploration of the horrors of being twelve years old, weird, and in my case, a bit gay. People seem to resonate with a lot of it, and it’s so fun to think back on all the strange details of being that age.
How are rehearsals going?
I’ve been performing the show for nearly three years now, and the UK tour last year still feels fresh, so there’s not much rehearsing to do! At this point it feels ready to go whenever we need it.
What can you tell us about the stage set?
The set has always been really minimal (i.e. just me and some pwoerpoint slides), but we’re thinking about a couple of options for London to scale things up. People will have to come and see for themselves…
What is the most challenging thing about doing the show?
With just me on stage, and with the show being so comedy heavy, it’s really important to keep the energy up at all points without sacrificing the quality of the story beats. My favourite shows are the ones where people are laughing hard but then gasping at the twists and turns!
The best thing about touring the show?
The variety of audiences was a real confidence builder. To go to Cardiff, for example, and perform to a sold out room, was incredible, and made me feel so proud of the show.
What have been some of the best highlights since doing the show?
Honestly every time I get to perform this show I have a fantastic time, so I’ll say the performances. I’ve written myself all my favourite jokes and silly characters, so it’s just a blast without fail, and getting so many laughs from crowds around the country was like nothing else.
What is the best reaction you have had from an audience member?
Anyone who has come up to me and told me Sam, my character, reminded them intensely of themselves at 12, has my heart. Sam is somewhat lovable, I hope, but he’s also got a lot of not very nice parts to him, that felt quite vulnerable to bare on stage, so for people to resonate so deeply with those things too has made me feel part of a lovely community of nerds.
If people want to follow you on social media where can they find you?
I’m at @jamesakka on Instagram, and the show is at @sorryibrokeplay, and the company is at @maybeyulikeit.
Finally in three words why should people come to your show?
Laughter! Memories! Don’t even need a third.
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