Shipwrecked Comedy now has a new dark comedy, Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story. The story gives a new twist to the classic story as Ichabod Crane is in a position to help the Knight find his missing head. I had the chance to briefly interview three of the stars of the show, Sean Persaud who plays Ichabod Crane, Mary Kate Wiles who plays Kat Van Tassel, and Sinead Persaud who plays Matilda Vescovo. Each brought a fun, modern take on the story and I hope you enjoy hearing them on the show. You can see new episodes of Headless: A Sleepy Hollow Story as they come out every Monday on YouTube.
SEAN PERSAUD:
Q: What features of the original Ichabod Crane did you want to bring to this modern take?
A: Ichabod in the original story has some very distinct characteristics, but he is honestly not a very nice character, at least in my opinion. He’s a teacher, he likes Katrina (but mostly because he’s from a wealthy family), he’s this lanky and clumsy rival of city hunk Brom Bones. In our version, he’s a science teacher who isn’t so willing to believe supernatural stories, so when he gets catapulted into this ghost story, he creates a fun little dynamic between him and the Headless Horseman. He is smart and kind, and has a quality with bright eyes and a bushy tail, but we wanted to keep him clumsy and maybe even a little lonely. I love.
Q: What was the hardest part of acting alongside the Headless Horseman?
A: Tom DeTrinis, who plays the Horseman in Headless mode, is one of my favorite people and best friends and I really struggle to act in front of him because we break each other too easily; so it was nice not to be able to see his face. I say this in the best possible way. But the hardest thing was probably the eye fixation: focusing on where I should look when talking to him. Where would you look if you were talking to a headless ghost? It’s difficult! I’m not sure I have an answer yet!
NRAMA: There is a staggering amount of guest stars on the show, are there any that you were particularly excited or nervous about working with?
A: It would be very easy for me to get by and say them all, which is true because we put together great casts – incredibly talented people who are also a pleasure to be on set with. And while we love having a small family troupe of actors that we work with all the time, I’m always excited to work with new people. So on that note, working with Matt Mercer and Lee Newton for the first time was very exciting. I’m very proud of the things Sinead and I came up with for their characters and was so excited to see what they brought them. They both just knocked me down. So much talent, so generous with their time, so good energy. I can’t say enough nice things about them.
MARY KATE WILES:
Q: What features of the original Katrina Van Tassel did you want to bring to this modern take?
A: I’ll be honest: I feel like we’ve really created a very new version of Katrina in our retelling of the story. Sean and Sinead have made her very cautious, witty and sassy – it’s much more than the naivety of the original story. She is still the mayor’s daughter, she is still somehow trapped in this love triangle between Brom and Ichabod, but she is much more of a modern female lead with free will, wants, needs and fears.
NRAMA: From the first three episodes there seems to be more depth to Kat’s character than the original, what are the new aspects that you are most excited for people to see of her?
A: I don’t want to give too much away because Kat’s story is scattered in bits and pieces throughout the series, but I think there’s a lot to be done under her calm and grounded aspect. It was a fun challenge for me. I am so honored that Sean and Sinead wrote such an interesting and complex update on this literary character for me to play.
Q: Was there anyone on set who was hard to film with because they kept making you laugh?
A: Haha. This is a great question, because Shipwrecked sets are always a hoot and we ALWAYS laugh. I got mad at Gabe (Brom Bones) a couple of times. He kept watching me as he put that “mayonnaise” in his mouth (in the first episode), and we couldn’t keep it together.
SINEAD PERSAUDO:
Q: What is your favorite thing about your character?
A: What I love about Matilda is her loyalty and adventurous attitude. Even if at first glance she seems closed, rude and even downright nasty … she will be the first to help out in a bad situation. She is curious about the world and her place in it, especially when it comes to her unique abilities. It was so much fun to write and play a character that I think people could relate to!
Q: What is something about the original story that you were thrilled to have in the modern retelling?
A: I think our modern update on the “Brom Bones” character was very exciting for me. Instead of your stereotypical evil athlete, we have someone who constantly tries to do the right thing but always gets in his way. He has so much to do when he grows up. Played by the amazing Gabe Greenspan, he is also so funny and adorable! It is just a testament to the tale that so many characters and themes are still applicable today. Even the little easter eggs throughout are homages to the story that I think discerning viewers will be delighted with. Those always feel blatantly funny.
Q: If you could choose another character to play, who would it be?
A: Verla Wolfson for sure! But Ginny Di is flawless in that white nightgown so I would never have dared.
by Anna Williams
Source: Geek Tyrant
