The next interview in our Stagey Chat series is with Tom Bulpett. Tom Bulpett, represented by BBA Management, is a neurodivergent actor who can be seen in Dept Q on Netflix alongside Matthew Goode and Kelly McDonald. Previous credits include narration for the BBC, Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds Immersive Experience and several Project GameBox titles. His previous credits for stage and screen include The Play That Goes Wrong (West End), Father Brown (BBC), Quiz (ITV) and The Mummy (Universal Pictures). 

Get yourself comfy and get ready to chat all things stagey!

Hi Tom, how are you doing today? Thanks so much for chatting to Stage to Page! Would you mind introducing yourself to our readers and telling us how you first got into acting?

I am doing well thank you, enjoying my first day off in a few weeks so being very lazy. My name is Tom Bulpett, I am a 30 year old actor who trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. I first started acting when I was 4 years old as a form of therapy, as I child I had a lot of difficulty communicating with others (I was later diagnosed with autism) but my parents noticed that when I was playing ‘make believe’ I would be able to look others in the eyes and speak more directly to them. So they encouraged me to start acting and I instantly fell in love with it and have been doing it ever since.

Your most recent performance as William Lingard can be seen in Dept Q, marking your Netflix debut. Can you tell us about the story and the character you play in the series?

Dept. Q follows a cold case department in Edinburgh as they try to solve the mysterious disappearance of a prominent lawyer, Merritt Lingard, who vanished from a ferry four years ago. I play Merritt’s younger brother William who has been acutely effected by her disappearance.

William is a fascinating character, he suffers from aphasia which was caused by a traumatic brain injury when he was younger meaning that he cannot speak. Many people therefore consider him ‘dumb’ but nothing could be further from the truth, he is extremely aware of those around him and his own situation (which can be awfully painful at times). He is desperate to find his missing sister and will often put himself in harms way to try and discover what happened to her.

Having seen the series myself, your performance as William was one of the most impactful and as a fellow neurodivergent, the representation felt so incredibly important. How do you think your experience of neurodivergency enhanced the character of William, and how did you prepare for the role?

That is really kind of you to say, thank you! My own experience with autism was the foundation where I began building the physicality of William, even borrowing some of my own ticks to help ground the character within my own body. However TBI (traumatic brain injuries) is not autism and I was very keen to portray it accurately because I have seen it done badly so many times. So as well as doing a lot of research into the effects of brain injuries, I was also lucky enough to meet and work with people who had suffered similar injuries to William. From this experience I even developed a unique form of sign language which we used at several points throughout the series.

It was such an honour to use these stories to develop William and I really think it helped bring a richness to the character I otherwise would not have found.

As well as Dept. Q, you recently played Noah Joad in The Grapes of Wrath at the National Theatre. How was it being part of such an incredible cast of actors?

It was honestly such a joy! Cherry Jones but be the most wonderful and kind woman on the planet and I was in awe watching her perform every single night. Everyone on the show was so talented and generous that after the first week of rehearsals it felt like we were a proper ensemble, lifting each other up to tell this epic tale every night.

My blog is called Stage to Page. But if you could turn any book, from page to stage, what would it be and why?

That is easy for me Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. When I first read it I literally thought “How has this woman looked into my soul and put it onto a page?!” It is nerdy, beautiful, so relevant yet also nostalgic (in the best way). I would give anything to see it adapted and even more to be a part of it.

And finally, why should anyone reading this watch Dept. Q on Netflix?

It is a dark, twisted, sometimes funny, roller-coaster ride. Scott Frank (the director/writer) has crafted a mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first scene (literally) and it will stay with you long after the credits roll.

You can catch Tom Bulpett in Dept. Q, here.

**photo credit: Justin Downing**