Actor Parmeet Singh adds layers of humanity in his characters
New Delhi : Parmeet Singh strikes the New York theater scene again with his charismatic, intelligent, and electric performance as John Willoughby at Hudson classical theater company. He successfully delivered and transformed the performance of what is widely known as a villain in Jane Austen’s universe to a grey antihero who we want to love but end up despising - not without a hint of pity.
His entrance, like the rest of his performance, was bombastic and robust. His command on received pronunciation (British Accent) was impeccable and as the scenes went along, his charisma revealed, more than a deeply worked on character, a fleshed out Human being.
Among the many skills Parmeet Singh exhibited in his portrayal of Willoughby, one that stood out with piercing clarity was his ability to emotionally leap from one circumstance to another with startling precision. In a tight 90-minute adaptation, Singh navigated Willoughby's layered arc—romantic, manipulative, guilt-ridden, and regretful—with such urgency and emotional volatility that it was almost sweat-inducing to witness. One moment he was the dashing lover, intoxicatingly sincere; the next, he was a man unraveling under the weight of his own choices. The speed and clarity of those transitions revealed an actor with remarkable emotional stamina and craft—one fully alive to each beat of the character's inner life.
Executive Artistic Director Susan Lee, who is an award-winning producer, writer, and director with an extensive career in public television, where she created nationally broadcast PBS documentaries and earned a $1.6 million National Science Foundation grant for a multi-part science series, and a leading force behind Hudson Classical Theater Company’s original adaptations and outreach programs, championing new voices and classical revivals alike, talks highly of Parmeet.
Susan Lee shares, “I always say - an actor should be able to play all notes of the character. Parmeet really brought this quality to life. It did not come easy. He rehearsed day and night and often consulted Nick and I for more notes and requested extra time post and pre rehearsals to really drown in the character. The result? Every single day our patrons and audience members came to me enquiring about Parmeet, the actor that played Willoughby and whether he would continue working in our upcoming season. My answer? yes!”
Co-director Nicholas Martin-Smith, who is also the founder of Hudson Classical Theater Company, which he led for 18 years as Artistic Director, directed numerous acclaimed productions including Romeo and Juliet, Cyrano, and a four-part Dumas adventure series. As an accomplished actor and educator, he has performed regionally and Off-Broadway while teaching at institutions like AMDA, Brooklyn College, and Marymount Manhattan, earning honors such as the 'Monroe Lippman Founder's Award for Acting' and a 'Best of Boston' award for his performance in Edmond, added, “He has the instincts of an experienced actor and a professional Human Being. His enquiries are profound and endless. I am in absolute awe of Parmeet’s remarkable performance and dedication. We will definitely be working with him again.”
Cast Mate Fever B. says, “Working with Parmeet was in one word ‘Enchanting’. His ability to make everyone feel safe and comfortable while also inspiring all with his insane work ethic is uniquely his. I am currently doing a Commedia Dell'arte workshop with him and his mentor that he is painstakingly organizing. What an amazing young man!”
Audience members were equally taken by Singh’s magnetic turn. Alexis J remarked, “I grew up perceiving Wickham and Willoughby as notorious and heartless men, but Parmeet showed a whole universe within these complex characters. I am beyond impressed with his performance. I will be telling my friends to catch the show before pity closes.”
One of Austin's most iconic chapters in the book - Chapter 44 - was captured beautifully as a heartbreaking crescendo. Parmeet’s Willoughby shows a naked vulnerability under the armor of wit and charisma. I was taken aback - almost silent. I felt for him - for Willoughby. It made me rethink the story. Was the character never at fault? Was it the society at large that failed him at core? Parmeet’s nuanced portrayal made me go into trance, beyond judgment, beyond intellect into a realm of just experience and awe.
After watching Parmeet bring this character to life, what I walk away with is knowing how incredibly deep the human condition is and how wide its spectrum. Not only did Parmeet play all the notes of the character but developed a keen sense of humanity that shined through the muscular exterior of his skilled execution of this role.
