Viewers of the popular ITV comedy-drama series DOC MARTIN will be familiar with John Marquez’s character PC Joe Penhale, the dedicated Portwenn policeman ‘on the job 24/7’, who suffered some neurological damage after being kicked by a horse. The Doc’s prognosis is he’s a ‘complete friutcake.’ His latest stage persona has similar qualities.

Having previously appeared at the Young Vic in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and THE GOOD SOUL OF SZECHUAN, John returned to the London theatre over the festive season to appear in the Richard Jones’ revival of ONCE IN A LIFETIME, the classic 1930’s comedy about Hollywood by Broadway legends Moss Hart and George S Kaufman. He played
‘the beautifully naive’ George Lewis who gets a chance of a lifetime to be a big shot on set.

As part of a down-and-out vaudeville triple act who pack up and move to California to set up a bogus elocution academy for verbally-challenged silent screen stars and cash in on the momentous advent of the talkies. “John Marquez is sublimely good as George,” wrote Paul Taylor in his Independent review. I caught up with John when he arrived for the final matinee on Saturday. Today he starts filming a new series of DOC MARTIN.