Like his character Dougal in Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Sam Tutty is a Brit soaking up all the Big Apple has to offer. But even though he sees his time there as “a gift,” he’s not as wide-eyed as his onstage counterpart. The actor's first trip to the city came several years earlier, when he was flown over for his final audition for the musical Dear Evan Hansen. “It was a very layered introduction to the city. It was fun, but I was very distracted by what was going to come,” he says. Quite right too: The audition was a success, and led to him originating the titular role on the West End in 2019. It was a performance for which he earned an Olivier Award in 2020 – an achievement all the more remarkable given it was also his professional debut.
Two Strangers follows chipper, excitable Dougal, who’s travelled to New York for his estranged father’s wedding, and downbeat Brooklynite Robin, the bride’s sister who feels jaded toward her home city. The chalk and cheese pair really do get tasked with carrying a cake, and they share their life stories along the way.
Tutty has grown very fond of the city, where he’s been performing Two Strangers at the Longacre Theatre since November 2025, and admits he’ll “be very sad when it’s all over.” Fortunately, there’s no sign of a final curtain call just yet. The British musical by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan has taken Broadway by storm, scooping up eight Tony Award nominations, including best performance by a leading actor in a musical for Tutty.
His relationship with his character stretches back further: Tutty has played Dougal since the show acquired its permanent title (an earlier iteration called The Season played regionally in the UK in 2019) and made its London premiere at the Kiln Theatre in 2023. From there, he helped carry it into the West End’s Criterion Theatre (where, surprisingly, it was overlooked for Olivier Award nominations) and now across the pond.
Ahead of the 2026 Tony Awards, held at Radio City Music Hall on 7 June, we spoke to Tutty about becoming a West End and Broadway star overnight, award ceremonies, and the role he’d most like to play next.
You’ve performed Two Strangers in London and New York. Are there any differences in how the show has been received in each city?
I think the main difference is who we’re performing it for. It’s now performed for the people it was written for – these New Yorkers have an added license to laugh at the jokes because it’s for them. There’s a different atmosphere here, and it’s really great.
The production has been recast for its Broadway run. Robin, who was played by Dujonna Gift in London, is now played by Christiani Pitts, whose stage credits include King Kong and A Bronx Tale: The Musical. How have you found recreating the chemistry between Dougal and Robin with another actor?
I think Christiani being American lends such a different perspective to Robin. She’s been able to point out things in the script that don’t sound natively “Brooklyn,” and the creatives have no egos, so they’ve been very open to making edits. It’s a challenge performing a musical two-hander, but working with Christiani and the whole creative team is such a gift.
Sam Tutty in “Two Strangers” Credit: Matthew Murphy
Both the Olivier and Tony Awards are voted on by large panels, primarily made up of industry insiders. But how does the lead-up to the Tonys differ from that for the Oliviers in your experience?
There isn’t typically a campaign strategy for shows in the lead-up to the Oliviers. You just go to work as normal. Whereas in the run-up to the Tonys, there’s a brutal, almost military schedule. It’s unbelievable the amount of work to do on top of the job that we said yes to – all amazing and exciting things [like interviews and TV performances] – but it’s got to the point where I’ve conditioned my brain into accepting that when the Tonys are done, doing the show alone is going to be beyond easy.
Looking back, where did your interest in performance originate, and what was the spark that made you want to pursue it professionally?
I was getting good grades for drama at school, but I was just having fun. My teachers were great, and through school productions – including Les Misérables, where I played Jean Valjean, and The Wizard of Oz, where I was the Scarecrow – I realised theatre was definitely a culture I am coded toward.
After leaving school, you trained at the prestigious drama school Italia Conti. How did your training help shape your craft?
It helped me harness skills I didn’t even know I had, but it taught me as much about the etiquette and the culture – things to say and not to say – as it did technique, auditioning, and developing stamina. I think there are a lot of people out there who don’t need to go to drama school, and there are some people like me who do. I also had a great time there.
You found success straight out of drama school, getting cast as the lead in Dear Evan Hansen when you were just 21. What advice would he give to actors emerging into the professional market and still finding their feet?
Before I give advice, I want to stress that I’ve been unfathomably lucky. There are so many moving parts that I’ve had little to no control in dictating, that have led me to the places where I am. I think being able to free yourself up from expectation, or trying to control your own fate in this industry, is the key thing, as you will make yourself poorly with stress. Try to take each audition as its own. Try to see it as a fun experience and remember that you’ll never walk away from an audition without adding something to your toolkit. It’s definitely a psychological battle more than anything. Also, I’ve been on the other side of the audition panel now with Two Strangers, and there are so many moments you think matter that just don’t. The energy that you give out is the thing they’re looking at. It doesn’t necessarily matter if you hit the top note; they’ve probably made their decision before that.
Has anything embarrassing happened to you onstage yet?
There have been so many moments where I’ve messed up a line and Christiani has to help me out, or vice versa. Because we’re so isolated on stage, and not allowed to laugh at those moments, it makes them so funny. There’s also a moment where I have to catch a specific item of clothing, and not very often – but enough to mention it – I do drop it.
You’ve already originated two characters on the West End, and now one on Broadway. Do you have a bucket list part you hope to portray one day?
I’m performing opposite the Walter Kerr Theatre, where Hadestown is playing, and I’m obsessed with its lead character, Orpheus, at the moment. I saw my friend Jack Wolfe play him twice and it was one of the most inspiring performances I’ve ever seen. I’d definitely like to throw my hat in the ring there.
Lastly, have we lost you to New York for good?
No! I want to return home! I want to see my friends and go to a pub. I would only ever be here for work. I love it here, and I know that when I get on the plane home I will be heartbroken – I’m prepared for that – but I’m so happy to have had this experience to recognise how much I miss home and how much I’m coded for that place.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.