Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, is currently on stage in the NT play Alterations, he talks to ALT about his journey from studying accounting and finance to eventually pursuing his passion for acting. Although he began his career in the corporate world, Gershwyn soon realized that his true calling lay in theatre. He began taking drama classes while still working in finance before making the leap to full-time acting.
In Alterations, set in a 1970s London tailor shop, Gershwyn plays Buster Gibbs, a hardworking and grounded character who contrasts with his more flamboyant co-worker, Walker (Arinzé Kene). The play explores themes of dreams, aspirations, love, and the immigrant experience, and Gershwyn highlights the importance of authentically representing the Caribbean and immigrant communities within the script.
While he enjoys both theatre and film/television, he has a particular fondness for the rehearsal process and the live performance element of theatre. Director, Lynette Linton, is high on his list when it comes to who who likes to work with, “for creating a collaborative and supportive environment throughout the production“.
Outside of his professional work, Gershwyn shared his deep personal connection to his Caribbean and West African cultures, and love for traditional Trinidadian dishes and a whole selection of worldly foods that he might have tasted on his travels.
ALT A:
When did you decide to, or what made you decide to come down this creative route as an actor?
Gershwyn:
When I was in secondary school, I always had a love for performing, but I didn’t really know where it came from. My mom would always say I played the jackass at home, so I decided to put that to good use. I then took drama in secondary school, and at the end of secondary, I started weighing up the options between what I loved and something a bit more practical. The practical thing was accountancy, and the love was acting and drama. I ended up doing media studies, which I’m really appreciative of now. I went into accountancy and finance, which is what I did my degree in.
After four years of working in that, about two years in, I started doing drama classes in the evenings. I went to Identity Drama School part-time to see if the passion was still there and challenge myself at a different level. Back in secondary school, if there was a school play, I’d always try and be involved. If there was an assembly, I always wanted to be part of the drama element. But going to a proper part-time drama school while I was working was a test for myself to see if I had the staying power to stick with it when it inevitably gets tough.
At the end of 2010, unfortunately, my dad passed away, and I started questioning life a bit. What do I actually want for myself? So, I thought, if I hit 50 or 60 and look in the mirror asking myself if I went after what I wanted, I’ve got no one else to blame if the answer is no. A couple of the tutors at the school said, “If you were to try this, you could possibly make a go of it career-wise.” At the end of 2010, I started 2011, quit accountancy, took part-time jobs, and started pursuing auditions. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, but the passion for what you’re doing is a real privilege. Not everyone can say they absolutely love what they’re doing. It’s not easy, and there’s always a cost to the jobs you’re doing, but I’ve fully enjoyed it. Sometimes I look back at doing Alterations—my face is part of the poster at the National Theatre. I still remember coming in with Identity students practicing how to project our voices on the Lyttelton Theatre stage. At no point did I ever imagine my face would be on the Tube or in places like that. It’s nice.
ALT A:
Okay, wonderful. You kind of answered a bit of my second question, which was: What do you like most about acting? And then, what would you say is your biggest challenge in terms of this job? Obviously, people see the amazing side of it—you on stage, like you said, with your face on the poster—but it’s still a job.
Gershwyn:
Yeah, without delving too much, I think the challenging part—and a very beautiful part at the same time—is bittersweet. A very close family member has been ill, and it’s the first play that they’re unable to come to. But I’m able to pay homage to them and my family history by being part of this play. For me, that’s been a big challenge—making sure you’re present. It’s easy to say, “Oh, you get the gig, learn your lines, and just get on with it.” But we’re human, so there’s a human element. Yes, you try to leave your baggage at the door before stepping into the rehearsal space, but it’s a challenge to do so, and it has been.
Our director Lynette has been incredible in terms of the room she’s built. I say the room because it’s incorporated so much, in terms of the people she’s involved, the cast, and the crew. We also had a drama therapist who’s been incredible to work with—it’s the first time I’ve dealt with that. So, I’d say that’s been the toughest part of this gig, other than learning how to measure and cut fabric while talking at the same time on stage.
ALT A:
Let’s talk about Alterations and your character, Buster. Yes. Tell us a bit about your character, the motivation behind him, and how he fits in with Arinze’s and Karl’s characters.
Gershwyn:
Buster Gibbs—we looked at the difference between him and Walker in terms of sharing the space in the alteration shop where they work. There’s very much a balance, though not a perfect one. Walker’s the dreamer; he’ll go out and find the jobs. We looked at a possible history where sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t. He’s a good talker and brings people in. Buster, on the other hand, is more grounded. They’re both skilled at their work, which is lovely to represent because, yes, tailoring was one of the easier lines of work to get into, but a lot of people came up with these skills.
We had a tailor come to speak to us, and he explained how his father had trained as a seamstress in Jamaica because he knew there were opportunities in London. Back to their relationship—Buster’s a bit more of a workhorse. Not that he doesn’t have dreams, but they’re not as big as Walker’s. He has a place to work, an income, and a family to support—he’s more family-focused. Walker’s a bit more of a focused individual. Initially, Buster felt like the grounding character for the other characters around him to bounce off. He’s a bit more, not rooted, but morally stable.
I thought about my family’s history—my mom, my dad, my aunts, uncles. I’ve got an aunt who’s Guyanese. They met here in London, but boats used to travel from Trinidad to Guyana and then to other places. So, I had conversations with Lynette about where Buster would be from. I definitely wanted him to be Trinidadian to represent my family heritage. It didn’t take anything away from the story because you can still see the close bond between the characters. We imagined they all sailed together in 1966, and over the next 10 to 11 years, the bond between Buster and Walker grows stronger.
ALT A:
If we’re talking about themes and sentiment, what would those themes be within the play, and what is the sentiment or moral message, if there is one?
Gershwyn:
I think it’s about dreams and aspirations, hope—a massive one of love. It’s about both the beauty of love and the dangers of clinging to it, especially when it’s not respected in both directions. You look at the character of Darlene (Cherrelle Skeete), who, obviously, we had Trish Cook who added some extended writing to what Michael had already laid out. You really see the Darlene character fleshed out. Yes, she came here following Walker, but this is a person who had her own aspirations and dreams but set them aside for love. She’s respected in a way, but also not cherished the way she should be.
As a Caribbean, second-generation individual, we know that hard work, that tough exterior from our moms, aunties, and grandmas. It was very much a matriarchal structure in my family.
ALT A:
In terms of those stories and scripts, as an actor, what makes you say yes to a script if you were to apply it to Alterations?
Gershwyn:
For Alterations, I’d been chasing Lynette for years to work with her. She presented me with the script, and I read up on the character and the whole story. What I loved is that it was a slice of these characters’ lives. It didn’t try to tell the entire black British Caribbean experience, but we still get that through their narrative in the pressure cooker of 48 hours for Walker. It’s heartbreaking at times but also funny. That’s some of the best comedy—laugh, laugh, laugh, and then sucker-punch you.
Cherrelle and Arinze were attached at that point, and I’ve always wanted to work with the two of them. It felt like a no-brainer. As for other scripts, I always want to learn something about myself, history, or the community that the script is focused on. I come from an accounting and finance background, so I always want jobs that challenge me, whether mentally, physically, or by shifting my beliefs.-
ALT A:
Let’s talk about stage and screen. You’ve done the new drama Get Millie Black, Small Island, and I May Destroy You, among others. ?
Gershwyn:
Yeah, the first episode of Get Millie Blackaired on Wednesday, and the second one aired last night.
ALT A:
So, in terms of stage and screen, which do you prefer?
Gershwyn:
I think it’s about balancing the two. Theatre was my first love. The rehearsal space and the process of building something with a group of people over weeks is incredible. The energy on stage when the curtain goes up is just electric. But I’ve also come to appreciate TV and film more. I understand the work that goes into the different departments, how everyone’s research and contributions create what we see on screen. There’s something magical about a director creating that spark, and that’s what you always seek when you hear “action.” So, I love both, and I’d love to keep working in both. People always say it’s beautiful to do a play, a series, and a film every year.
ALT A:
Lynette Linton. What are some of the qualities she has as a director that make you want to work with her?
Gershwyn:
I think before working with her, it was seeing some of the work she had done. But more importantly, speaking to the actors she had worked with and hearing their responses about being in the room with her, how collaborative she is, and how she works. For example, I said this to her because I think it’s important to give people their flowers when they deserve them. On press night, a lot of the questions from other actors who hadn’t worked with her yet were, “What’s she like to work with?” That’s a great testament to her because no one was coming from a place of doubt, but instead, everyone was really excited and open to the idea of working with her.
Like I said, she built a room that, and this is not a knock on any other director, because I’ve worked with incredible directors in the past, but I think because of where I am in my life right now—especially with a very close family member being ill—it was important for me to feel cared for. It wasn’t just about the actors, but also about whether the people in the room are okay. And given the subject matter we’re dealing with, it’s a lot of trauma, dealt with in a comedic way. But if you’re an actor with a Caribbean background, or from an immigrant family, it can be triggering. So, there was a lot of care and understanding of that from Lynette.
She worked closely with Bria, Shelley Maxwell (the movement director), Hazel Holder (the voice and accent coach), and our assistant director. There was a true collaboration between all of those brilliant minds. I’d work with her again in a heartbeat. She’s wonderful.
ALT A:
You’ve got Tyler, Karl, Arine, Cherrelle, all incredibly skilled actors. So when you’re in that position, do you find that you pull from other actors? Is there a natural chemistry in the room, or how does it work?
Gershwyn:
You know what? There was a time in my career when an older or more experienced actor gave me some advice, and I had quite a frustrated reaction to it. I’ve since apologized to him because what he said made perfect sense—it was just my own fears and insecurities at the time that got in the way. In this room, however, it felt like we were building these close bonds, especially between Buster and Darlene. These characters have spent years together, so there are little things—movements, gestures—that people do, and you watch them perform a scene and think, “Okay, I’ll take that.”
There was a real collaborative process here. For example, Karl is brilliant with comedic timing and using his body to emphasize and energize a joke. Arinze and I would watch him, and sometimes we’d even impersonate him on stage. There are little things that Arinze does, and I’ll mimic them. There were times when we couldn’t figure out moments, and other actors would suggest, “Maybe try this.” There was no ego in the room. We were all open to giving and taking suggestions. It felt like a supportive space, and everyone was generous in both receiving and offering advice.
ALT A:
Where do you call home?
Gershwyn:
Where do I call home? Wow, what a question. I was raised on Green Lanes, so Clissold Park feels like home. But through work, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel. When I touch down in Trinidad, even though I wasn’t raised there, something about it just feels different. I spent some time there as a baby, and your soul feels different when you’re there. I’ve been to Malta a couple of times, and I’m looking forward to going back. South Africa and Namibia were amazing too.
But in terms of home? London is home. I spent years where home, because of what my mom built and knew, very much felt like I’d come into Trinidad as home and then step out onto the streets of London. So, yeah, London is home, but we’ll see. It’s always a question mark.
ALT A:
And a favorite dish? If you had 20 minutes for a break and could have any dish, what would it be? Apart from roti or traditional Trinidadian food.
Gershwyn:
Alright, alright, let me think. Well, you could say roti actually. But if I had to choose my favorite dish, I’d say calamari for sure. It has to be on there. Also, when I went to South Korea last year, I had something called tteokbokki—little rice cakes that look like pasta, but they boil down and absorb all the flavors inside, like rice flour. It’s delicious.
But you know what? It would have to be bake and saltfish. My mom and auntie used to make it, and I also had it at the airport in Tobago. There’s a little hut near the airport, and they make it so well. They clean the saltfish, pour hot oil over it, chop up a boiled egg, and then put the bake on top. It’s incredible.
ALT A:
Wow. I’m hungry now!
Alterations by Michael Abbensetts additional material by Trish Cooke BOOK HERE
