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As the RSC's Twelfth Night heads to the Barbican Theatre for a festive run, we are joined by veteran actor Norman Bowman. Known for seamlessly bridging the worlds of musicals and plays, Norman’s career has taken him from the West End to the Donmar Warehouse to the RSC. Hailing from Arbroath, his journey is one of continuous growth and reinvention, tackling everything from tap shoes to the complexities of Shakespearean verse. As he continues to play Antonio, he shares with us his experience working with actor / director / doctor Prassana Puwanarajah and also about welcoming in new actors such as Daniel Monks to the rehearsal room for the Barbican run.

In our interview with Norman Bowman, we discuss his return to the role of Antonio in the RSC's transfer of Twelfth Night to the Barbican. Having previously played Curio in a previous production, Norman tells us about his love for this show and the various characters within the world that Shakespeare has created. Having started off his career in musicals, we also talk about his recent turn as Archie in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's landmark revival of Brigadoon. Throughout our conversation, Norman is humble about the longevity of his career which has taken him from the like of Les Miserables and Guys and Dolls to Twelfth Night which sees him reunite with Samuel West and Freema Agyeman following last year's acclaimed Stratford run.

Twelfth Night runs at Barbican Theatre until 17 January 2026