The frustrations of underpaid and fed up young people in the capital are being played out in new production Fury, which opens at Soho Theatre next month.

Alex Austin plays a man called Tom who moves to London but gets a shock when his new austere lifestyle proves very different to his affluent upbringing in the countryside.

The actor, who is from Walthamstow, has appeared on TV in Sherlock, Misfits and has also performed on stage in Yen and Barbarians.

He explains how the play sums up the loneliness of being poor in a place so huge and vibrant.

What is Fury about?

It’s a modern adaptation of a Greek tragedy called Medea and it focuses on a single mum called Sam with two children, who lives is in a council flat in Peckham. The play follows her life and gives a bleak but funny portrayal of life in London, with the twist of Greek mythology. There’s even a Greek chorus made up of a mixture of Londoners who narrate the tale of what happens in her life over the course of three months.

It is a very relatable play as you see the pressure that is on young people in the city. The main character is 25 and it shows how expensive it is to live in London, as it is so vibrant and full of opportunity but not everyone experiences that side of the capital and a lack of money affects life very negatively. It can also be a lonely place and you can feel quite abandoned even though you’re still around other people physically.

Who do you play?

I play Tom, who lives above Sam’s flat but he is not from London, which is also an interesting perspective for those who live in the city but are not originally from there. He is from the countryside and we imagined him growing up just outside with fields and nature, which is very different to what he sees everyday now. He has also comes from a wealthy, affluent background and is used to getting what he wants and the play sees him change and grow but not necessarily for the best.

I was very interested to play him because the playwright, Phoebe Éclair-Powell, writes beautiful scenes that might not seem to say much on the surface but there is a lot of subtext. She has created characters that are 3D and very lifelike and my character is somebody who is so selfish and impulsive and so to explore and be a part of that was very exciting and interesting for me.

What is the meaning behind the title of the play?

Fury is a great way to describe how people are feeling due to a lack of communication and tensions with class systems and going head to head in conflict, just like in a Greek tragedy. Motherhood and abandonment are also major themes and it sums up lots of people who are tired, as we’re all being worked really hard and how do you extend your energy in a job that doesn’t fulfil you or even if you are unemployed? You will be angry.

There is also a character called Fury in the chorus, who settles very clearly on a plight with Sam and she then gets angry at people because of the helplessness of her situation. It is a good title as it has so many different ways of interpreting what it means.

You’ve appeared on various TV shows, as well as performed in theatre. Which do you prefer?

I think lots of people talk about the differences between the two mediums a lot. The main one is that the audience is closer on TV as the camera is closer to you, whereas some theatres can be massive and you are separated from the people watching you at a distance. Fury is going to be performed in a smaller setting, which works really well for us.

There’s a real difference the most important thing is how the story is told, rather than how it is being shown to an audience.

How did you begin pursuing acting?

My parents were really supportive of what I wanted to do growing up. I came across acting when I was doing my GCSE in drama at Warwick School For Boys and my teacher, who had taught at a lot of different schools in the borough, was brilliant and really encouraged us to express ourselves and make drama together. I got involved in school shows and was really inspired to carry on with drama for my A-Levels. I’ve always been interested in just observing people rather than watching TV shows and gained an interest in acting through being around people and expressing myself in that way. I enjoy being creative.

Fury, Soho Theatre, Dean Street, Soho, July 5 until 30, 7pm, Details: 02074780100, www.sohotheatre.com