Aarti Vrochan has another show this evening, and he’s trying not to think too much about it.
The half-English, half-Iranian actor talks to him Hollywood Reporter On Zoom in early March, preparing for Rupert Goold’s final weeks American Psycho A revival at the Almeida Theater in London, where Blood was first drawn in 2013.
In the then best-selling musical version by Bret Easton Ellis – with music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik and book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa – Doctor Who Star Matt Smith took on New York yuppie and increasingly obsessive investment banker Patrick Bateman. In the Broadway transfer, Benjamin Walker assumed this position. Frochan, from reckless, Dragon House and Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale Fame, now puts her own spin on the stylish serial killer.
“I was definitely inspired by the movie. His voice is so iconic, and it was impossible for me to get that out of my head. I think that influences my performance a little bit,” he says of Mary Harron’s 2000 classic with Christian Bale. “[But] Robert, the manager, kept encouraging me to research for me Batman, you know? “To find the common ground that I felt with the character, which is always a little scary, to find the common ground with Patrick Bateman,” he laughs.
But, coming from his own experience growing up in an affluent school in London, Frochan tapped into the same feeling of wanting to be like everyone else. “When I was a kid, I did everything I could to squash myself into a more normative, acceptable box,” he says. “I’m not saying I had a particularly hard time doing it, but it was something I was wrestling with on a deeper level, trying to fit in and blend in with the demographics around me.”
Whether that’s a compliment or not, Frochan is the perfect Batman in the Almeida’s nearly three-hour, meticulously choreographed show. What begins as a comedic adventure into the world of Wall Street insiders and their associates—who rap about ultra-fashionable lunch orders at upscale restaurants and favorite brands on champagne flutes—slowly descends into an existential crisis for the protagonist. He starts getting involved in a cold-blooded murder.
His mental decline is due to music that transcends genres. Synth-pop and techno mix with late ’80s icons, like Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight,” and of course some Huey Lewis songs. The end product is a frenetic yet clinical retro show set on the edge of 1990s New York City – deliciously camp and nostalgic, especially when Batman is wearing his signature Walkman.
Personality analysis with THRThe bespectacled, articulate Frooshan is a world away from when we last saw him, covered in sweat and clutching an axe. He gave everything he had to American Psychoand is looking forward to getting some relief as the March 21 show date approaches (it’s sold out until then). “People keep asking me: ‘Is this the beginning of a great music career?’ “And I just say no right away — not because I don’t like it, but because it requires a monastic discipline that I don’t know if I have in me,” he says of nailing his first professional musical.
That’s not to say Frochan didn’t love the energetic state of flow he and his fellow cast members reached during American PsychoAttractive dance numbers. But the same sentiment applies to the performers as much as it does to their audiences: it’s not for the faint-hearted. Below, one of London’s brightest theatrical talents opens up to Patrick Bateman, getting a visit from the production’s former yuppies (a group that includes Jonathan Bailey), and the possibility of bringing this iteration of Gould’s critically acclaimed musical back to New York: “It’s a huge honor to be able to play a big, multi-dimensional role like this. So, to be anxious to do it any longer would be difficult, you know? But as I say, it takes something from my soul.”
You must be loving the reaction so far. How did you find that?
It was great. It’s been amazing to be on a show that I think, first and foremost, is fun to watch. I think that’s the main idea that people know, which is that it’s kind of a theme park ride. It’s not a hard sell – even [for] People who I thought might be squeamish about it, or maybe it wouldn’t be their cup of tea. People have been really positive and excited about it. People might also be surprised by how much deeper the show is than it seems at first glance early on. It goes somewhere a little darker and a little more interesting than you’d expect, which is great too.
It seems very faithful to the book – disclaimer: not that I read it. Did you? How many fans American Psycho Have you been before this opportunity came into your life?
I was a huge fan of American Psycho. I didn’t scream about it because I feel like it’s kind of a token, fairly simple male ambition.[[He laughs.]I don’t think I liked it for the right reasons to be honest with you. I dressed up as Patrick Batman for Halloween one year, and I deeply regret it. But I didn’t read the book until I got the job, and I stopped watching the movie the minute I got it. I felt like watching it again, of course, but I thought, no, let’s put that aside. Try to build something new, or at least [that] Drawn directly from the source book, rather than depicted by Christian Bale.
The book is easily the most shocking thing I have ever read. But what I found in reading it is that he barely keeps himself together throughout the whole thing. The story begins [and] He’s already incredibly paranoid and on edge. There is always a bead of sweat running down his forehead. I feel like that comes through in the movie, but the way the musical script ended up being written, it’s a Frankenstein version of Almeida’s original production and the Broadway script, which is what they’ve done for 10 years now. It’s the best of both worlds, what Robert, Roberto and Duncan have created, but it brings out a lot of weaknesses and insecurities in the character. [rather] Than just the cold, reptilian killer that people think of when they think of Patrick Bateman. I thought this was a more interesting procedure than the straight psychological kind.
I think a lot of people will go into this having only seen the movie.
Of course, the film definitely inspired me. I can’t be. I’ve watched it seven or eight times, probably just on my own volition. [Bale’s] The sound, for example, is so iconic, it was impossible for me to get that out of my head. And I think that bleeds into my performance a little bit. Robert, the manager, kept encouraging me to research for me Batman, you know? To find the common ground that I felt with the character, which is always a little scary, to find the common ground with Patrick Bateman.[[He laughs.]But there was a lot that when I looked at it, I think there were universal things that he was wrestling with. But the way he deals with them is strange and crazy.
What did you find in common with him? Where was the entry point for you?
Well, in the musical texts, he says, “I hope I fit in” at the Christmas party. It’s a very unusual moment, because he’s full of menace, trying to show off to his opponent Paul Owen, and come across as this incredibly superior, very composed guy. But then he makes this confession very early in the show that his desire is to blend in. Hence, the desire to belong and integrate, but also to stand out and stand out. They’re contradictory things, but I think I can relate to that. I don’t want to be too melodramatic about this, but I grew up in southwest London. My mother is very English. I went to a very academic school where most people were called Johnnie Walker and George Williams and those kinds of names. My father is from Iran. So I have this silly name: Artemas Bolor Vroshan. When I was a child, I tried everything I could to squash myself into a more normative, acceptable box. I am not saying that I am worthy I had a very difficult time doing this, but it was something I was wrestling with on a deeper level, trying to fit in and blend in with the demographics around me.
But then, too, I always wanted to get beyond that and start my own path. [I’ve wanted to] I increasingly celebrate and highlight certain aspects of my background, personality and passions as an artist rather than shying away from them – to push them out into the open. And I think Patrick’s version of that is wanting to inflict violence and pain on the world, but it comes from a place of pain within himself.
Have you seen previous productions at the Almeida or on Broadway?
No no. I think I was at university in 2013 when Matt Smith did it. So my head was pretty far from my ass at that point.[[He laughs.]And then, [when it was] On Broadway, I was in drama school. To be honest, embarrassingly, when I had that audition last year, I kind of said, “Oh, there’s a musical for American Psycho“I had no idea, basically. So it was a completely new thing to learn about. But if you knew anything about the theatrical scene… I mean, those who did were saying, ‘That was an iconic production.’ It was crazy that it got caught up in the whole Renaissance buzz.”
What was the testing process like? At what point did you start feeling confident?
It was a traditional self-tape. I was filming in New York at the time. That was last June or July. A long time ago. I did the tape, and I saw American PsychoAnd my heart jumped. Then I saw a movie musical, and I thought: “This will never happen.” I’ve never done a professional musical before. I performed in a musical [the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art] And in college, but I never put that on my ticket as an actor. “If this were a live play, I would definitely love to do it,” I thought. I think my agent said, “I think you’d make a great Batman,” which was kind of an indirect compliment.[[He laughs.]I thought: “You know what?” I’ll give it a try and see what happens. To be honest, all the jobs I got were just opportunities in the dark that felt really unlikely. And then, strangely, they are the ones who stay. But I did the opening monologue, the famous morning routine…
It was So good.
Thank you. This is very nice. And then, the scene with the detective, where the detective is questioning him about the murder of Paul Owen. Just from the movie, I thought: “I can do my part in those things.” Then I sang the Duran Duran song, just to be like, “Yes, look, I can play a tune.” And then it wasn’t until another month or five weeks later, when I was back in London, that I was able to meet Robert and everyone.
[At the callbacks] There were all these dancers in their leotards and jazz shoes. I was there in a corduroy suit, auditioning alone for Patrick. I said, “Oh, I don’t know why they’re here. They must be here for something else.” And they were all there for American Psycho.[[He laughs.]And suddenly I said, “Oh, my God, this isn’t a play with songs. It’s a full-on musical.” So that was kind of worrying…the whole process took about four and a half months, and I didn’t get the part until about two and a half weeks before I started training. Suddenly it was all hands on deck. [I had] Dance lessons. They put me together with this amazing singing teacher called Mary Hammond, who taught Chris Martin and Youngblood and all kinds of great people. It flogged me for a couple weeks, and then it was just pedal to the metal.
You would never be able to know that music was a weakness for you at all – was that the most difficult thing for you?
definitely. As I was preparing for the workout, I thought that what I could definitely do was just absorb [the text]. Because there’s a lot of monologue. It’s a traditional play but it has these great songs. [The text] It was my comfort zone. But then, yeah, we’re choreographing… Lynn Page, the choreographer who had just been nominated, deservedly, for an Olivier Award on the show, was coming up with it as we went along. It was fun, but I also said, “Please tell me what the choreography is! I need to learn it so it’s in my muscles by the time we open!” But it was all like, “Cancel this, let’s try this.” It was very late in the day that things really took shape. So that was quite alarming. Likewise, musically, I didn’t get to do that last number, “This Isn’t a Way Out,” until about two weeks before we opened for preview. I just had to trust that Robert knew what he was doing. And clearly it does. So it was good.
Was it possible to add that string to your bow?
It’s a great feather in my cap. People keep asking me: “Is this the beginning of a great music career?” And I immediately say no – not because I don’t like it, but because it requires a monastic discipline that I don’t know if I have or not. I mean, Patrick Bateman [the] American Psycho The musical is a particularly great role. I don’t leave the theater for about three hours. Not all musicals will be this demanding. It’s the constant focus that takes a lot of effort I find, but I love it when a musical is good. When you’re in the middle of an amazing group of triple threats…there’s nothing better than when we’re in the middle of a number and we’re all just cooking. It feels amazing. But you can’t really drink or have a social life. It’s been good and healthy for me to be disciplined and focus on work a little bit. But I miss my life, and it’s on pause. I can’t really do anything other than perform at the moment, and traditional theater is more forgiving on that front.
What do you do to stress after a show? Directly home?
It’s usually straight home. One of the nice things, but also a minor annoyance when doing a popular show like American Psycho, [is] That family, friends, everyone wants to see him. So, every night, there are usually at least five people from different walks of life who come to the show. I always end up being weird like that [or] host [introducing them]. He’s my mom’s friend from college 30 years ago and then the guy I went to elementary school with. It’s the last thing I want to do after a show.[[He laughs.]But usually there’s a bit of socializing in the pub afterwards and then I go home. I need to eat a second dinner because I burn a ton of calories performing. And then I would go through David Lynch movies to relax – which is kind of dreamlike, but also very terrifying, I think that’s what Patrick would watch – and Love is blind. I just want to put my brain in a pickle jar for an hour and watch people talk about whether they should get married. People who live in Ohio or something.
The show is now sold out until the end of its run. There’s no way it could go to the West End?
I don’t know. It’s definitely a possibility that hasn’t been officially discussed, but I know our amazing designer, Es Devlin, has been talking about wanting to bring it to New York in some way. It was a bit of an inauspicious run on Broadway the last time she was there. But I think this was a completely different show. It was a slightly more spacious camp. This version has more gravitas, and is more in tune with current events. I feel like it’s a little more important in this moment we’re living in [Devlin] He thinks New York would be a good home for her. Obviously I’m open to anything at all times, but it’s not easy to accept – doing longer than this offer. It really takes it from me.
Is it something you should really think about?
Yes, I don’t know. I can’t really comment on that, but it’s a huge honor to be able to play such a big, multi-dimensional role. So keeping my nose out of doing it any longer is going to be tough, you know? But as I say, it takes something from my soul.
Do you have a favorite sequence in the entire show?
It’s very difficult to choose, because many of them are fun to play. In terms of musical numbers, “Killing Spree” is the big number at the beginning of the second act [when] Patrick is on a rampage, stabbing people In the club and shooting up the dance floors and having these really funny phone conversations interspersed with the number, that’s a lot of fun. You can feel the big technical end to this figure [the audience’s] Eyes widen as he reaches his climax. Then another horror number where I’m drilling someone’s head out. You play this game with the audience [where] They kind of lean in, laugh and enjoy themselves, and then they’re reeling. They’re constantly tilting in and out during the show, and it’s an interesting experience as an actor, to feel them pushing and pulling that way. But these numbers make her feel stuck in this half-distance between her love and her horror.
It’s getting really horrific. Maybe it’s because I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know how scary it is.
The book makes the musical look like a Disney Channel musical.
Did you learn anything about Patrick Bateman that really surprised you, or challenged any of your preconceptions about him? American Psycho?
definitely. I always knew it was funny – it’s not a straight horror movie, right? There is an element of black comedy to it. And I realized it was a satire of capitalism, but I didn’t quite understand the philosophical dimension of it, of a man grappling with existence in the modern world. This is not only capitalism, but also modernity in a slightly larger sense, and the emptiness and emptiness that accompanies it. What it means to exist, what one’s identity is, and how you can prove your truth. Patrick tries to explain who he really is to people, and people always misunderstand him. I think that dichotomy is the thing that torments Patrick… It reminded me, and I hope it reminds others when they watch the show, that American Psycho Not the glorification of a handsome man who kills women for fun. It’s a satire of that toxic version of masculinity and the society that creates that toxicity.
Did you notice any celebrities who came to see the show?
Since my job as Patrick is to address the audience directly, people are always saying, “Did you see me?” And I’m like, “Yes, of course I saw. I’m literally shining a torch in your face. I can see everyone in the entire audience.” So I usually recognize famous faces very quickly. Press night was fun. We had Gina Mackey, a wonderful actor, and Matthew Needham, [who] I worked with him briefly on Dragon HouseGreat actor too.
Then most of the boys from the original production came to us. And so we did [Jonathan] Billy, Hugh Skinner and Ben Aldridge. I think that was a very surreal experience for them. It’s very nostalgic, and it’s a very formative show for them, because that was before they all had their glittering careers. And I think they all fell in love with each other during this show, as our crew is doing right now. Then we had Dave Bautista, the big Marvel actor [and] Wrestler, he just showed up the other day. Some great directors. Almeida is great like that. People want to come and see theater there, because it feels… I don’t want to say exclusive, but it feels a little special.
You work in film, television and theater now. Do you basically box yourself into any one format?
You know, my heart is with theatre. As an actor, you want to constantly move between all mediums. I love making movies. Obviously, TV is really fun, and theater has its own unique charm. Having just done six straight months of theater work, six days a week, eight shows a week… I’m totally ready to be on a comfortable movie set [being] Bring ginger tea and be treated like a prince.[[He laughs.]Clearly I have my tongue in my cheek there. But I would love to make a movie next. I will be filming part of the third season of recklesswhich is a Marvel series that I’ve been doing sporadically. That will come in the spring.
I’m basically auditioning and getting ready for movie stuff right now. I did an independent film called Persian version Like three years ago. But it wasn’t even Downton AbbeyJust 18 months ago, I made my first studio film. It is a different experience from working in television. People are investing a little more artistically. It’s more collaborative. You feel like you’re involved in creating something, rather than someone brought in at the end to just dot the ‘I’ and cross the ‘T’. I think I did it the right way…so I loved making films, and that’s my main interest at the moment. But as always, I’m open to anything, and I think this industry throws up the most weird and fun surprises if you stay open to it.
American Psycho It continues at the Almeida Theater until March 21, 2026.
