Get Ready With David Shields For The Olivier Awards

Between his P Johnson look for the Olivier Awards and the Fred Perry he wore to play Jacob Dunne in Punch, the British actor knows a thing or two about the power of dressing.

With four nominations at last Sunday’s Olivier Awards for Punch, the landmark play documenting a groundbreaking true story of forgiveness and restorative justice, Man About Town caught up with Derby-hailing actor David Shields as he got suited and booted – talking fashion, personal style and his role in the upcoming TV adaptation of Dear England. 

Congratulations on your nomination! Can you talk us through your look for the Olivier Awards tonight?

Thank you very much! P Johnson very kindly lent me a dinner jacket, and with the help of Benedict Browne – best stylist in town – to put this look together for me. I feel really lucky to be wearing it because they’ve only opened their shop a couple of months ago in London, and from what I understand, they don’t often lend pieces out. I really love their style. Genuinely, I’ve never felt more comfortable in a dinner jacket than the one I’m wearing now. It’s got a kind of ’90s Armani feel. I think maybe I’m exposing my lack of real knowledge here, but I’m very thankful for it.

What’s your favourite part of the look? 

Omega have lent me a beautiful watch to wear from their Constellation collection. I’m really glad that they have because my grandfather used to wear a 1950s Omega watch and it’s now the only nice watch that I own. It’s my favourite brand, so I’m really happy they have lent me this beautiful piece. It’s very special.

How does your style differ from day to day compared to when you’re dressing for the red carpet? 

Well, I’m not normally knocking about in suits from day to day, unfortunately. It’s a bit more relaxed. I don’t like anything too fitted. I like things which are and feel relaxed, often a bit oversized. I’m often a bit ‘throwback’ in a way. I love a brand called Adret, that’s where I’ve been buying from recently. I love Studio Nicholson, too. 

Did the costumes in Punch ever help you get into character? 

Yes, of course. Costumes are always really, really important. It’s funny, you can do all kinds of internal work you want and then sometimes putting on a pair of sunglasses or a hat can do a lot of the heavy lifting by itself. For Punch, one of the references was Fred Perry and whenever I put on different pieces by Fred Perry, whether it was a top or shoes or a jacket, I felt like I was closer to Jacob [Dunne]. It’s always a super helpful part of the process. 

What can you tell us about your upcoming project, Dear England? 

It’s really exciting to be working with James [Graham] again. It was a wonderful group of guys on that project. I’m excited for the public to see this whole bunch of new British actors doing their thing. And right around the World Cup. It’ll be a really exciting show.

Dear England is coming to BBC One and BBC iPlayer soon