"Back to the Future" - the understudy who took centre stage on opening night
"Back to the Future" understudy, Mark Oxtoby, gets his big break in the opening night of the London Production - having had just two 2 hours rehearsal.
It sounds like a nightmare. You're thrown on stage, in the lead role in a London musical, having only had a few hours of rehearsal. But for Mark Oxtoby - in many ways - it was a dream come true. He had a phone call to say the actor who had been slated to play the role of Doc Brown in the London production of "Back to the Future" had tested positive for Covid. It meant that Mark - who was the understudy for the role - got to play the time traveller on opening night, having been looking for his big break for 30 years. Mark had only had two hours of rehearsal for the part of Doc, when he was told he'd be doing the opening night. And yes, to top it all off, Christopher Lloyd - who played Doc in the film - was in the audience. Here - for 5 Minutes On - he shares with Sarah Montague from the World at One on Radio 4 - his moment in the limelight after 30 years in the wings.
(Photo Credit: David M. Benett via Getty Images)
