For an actor to fall in love with a co-star may not be all that uncommon.
But Charlotte McKinney’s real-life relationship with Alan Drake has presented them with a real-life dilemma — as they play a pair of hopelessly mismatched lovers in a hit play.
The couple are now having to keep their distance for a few weeks for fear of compromising the on-stage drama.
McKinney, 31, who lives in Sydenham, first appeared in Kissing Sid James with Drake when it ran in London two years ago. Their relationship was strictly professional but when the comedy transferred to the Brits Off Broadway season at the end of last year, New York sprinkled magic dust on the pair. Drake, 40, said: “We started to get close in a different way. To be in New York at Christmas is very romantic. I wondered if it was just a fling but fortunately it’s not and it’s grown.”
The comedy has now returned to the West End. McKinney said: “During rehearsals, we’ve been trying to distance ourselves so we could do the play justice.”
Robert Farquhar’s play tells the story of sexy croupier Crystal taking a disastrous seaside break with nerdy stationery salesman Eddie — with disastrous consequences.
Drake, who lives in Highbury, said: “Eddie is a nice guy who cracks terrible jokes and talks too much and is a bit of a klutz. Charlotte thought it would be good for me. And Crystal is a bit of a femme fatale and I thought she would be good at that part.”
But while Crystal and Eddie are wrong for each other, the actors’ own partnership now seems obvious — they even share the same birthday.
The play opens tonight at the Jermyn Theatre and runs until September 29. www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk
