Past, Presence and Future
In early Summer I decided it was time to do more theatre - as much as I like filming! Theatre gives you the time to look more into character and rehearsal and I love all that. I got involved with the very positive folk at Putney Arts Theatre, for a trilogy of one-act comedies celebrating the centenary of women's suffrage.
In the first, "Press Cuttings", by Shaw, I played the Irish charwoman to a general in an Shaw's imagined near-future military government. In the cast of six, Mrs Farrell seemed to be the most balanced, grounded and practical. It's a little-played but very cleverly written piece. I was nervous about the accent, and didn't want it to be either lame or too stereotypical. When a genuinely Irish fellow cast-member (from the headliner, "How The Vote was Won") gave me the stamp of approval - thinking that I was indeed Irish but had lost a bit of the accent - it was a huge load off my mind! Further, I had audience members come up to me, who had Irish family, believing my accent to be authentic! Wow!
During the rehearsal process, one of the actors in the second play of the line-up, a two-hander called, "A Chat with Mrs Chicky" had to drop out, and I was asked to fill in - at just a fortnight's notice! Well, I like a challenge, and, fortunately, I pick up and drop a script very quickly, and sunk myself into this very different character, the very haughty anti-suffragist, upper middle-class Mrs Holbrook, set out upon trying to recruit the more savvy, working class Mrs Chicky, and coming out the worse for it (unlike Mrs F, who ended up marrying the general!).
Playing two completely different characters within the same show was a delicious challenge. I'm generally quite self-depreciative I think, really but I got heaps of compliments about being able to completely separate the two - to the extent that some people didnt even know I was the same actor! I'm no good at taking compliments, but I do always try to do my best, so I 'm actually very proud of the feedback I got!
I want to give my own version of how I managed this - without sounding too up myself, hopefully!
Beside the obvious scripted character differences and their narratives, I consciously wanted to make them as different as possible, obviously. I didnt want anyone sitting there distracted with the fact that I had just been the assertive and outspoken Mrs F. The different accents helped, as did work put in defining their separate characters, motives, and backgrounds (etc). I always do this; give my characters a psychological and historical background to justify them, and what they do, even if it is beyond the shown story. It helps me subconsciously anyway, and it's just something I've always done. But what really helped along with all this their individual physicality. Mrs F was light on her feet, practical, strong and sturdy. PRACTICAL. She was a mother to eight, and a widow - not referred to in the script, but in my mind, so wearing black - which, as a char, she probably would have worn anyway. Nevertheless, this was important to me. She needed an unfussy look and neat hairstyle, so I asked for a low bun. No obvious makeup. She needed flat shoes. Shoes have always been really helpful in creating any character I've played, in terms of posture, and how I stand, and walk, and move.
With a 15min window in which to transform into Mrs H, I chose heels. These would force me to stand more upright and walk more deliberately - more considered and less rushed. It was important to me that her hair be more fitting and far different. The director wanted me to lose the added time in the hairdresser's chair and have more of a break, but I didn't want it, or need it. Without different and more appropriate hair, she would just be Mrs F in a different outfit to me. The cast hairdresser, Peter Love, created a more formal but less simple, and higher hairstyle. He only took 5 minutes out of the 15 I had between shows, so it was no issue - in fact, it was vitally helpful and important. This hairstyle made her/me taller, helped me feel taller, and stand taller - this was so important in creating this character. The shoes and hair really cannot be under-rated here. I would change clothes very quickly, in a specific order, and carefully planned to save time, so that I could use my time in the hair chair to focus into becoming Mrs H. I can't explain it very well, but as my hair was transformed in those few minutes, I saw her arrive in the mirror and felt her take over my body. I dont want to over-romanticise it, it wasnt a mystical experience - but it was an interesting one.
I got a lot of great feedback from people overall (and Mrs Chicky appeared to be everyone's favourite, by consensus), and could have allowed my head to swell! Well I might have a bit, but only in jest. Honestly, I still havent learned how to take a compliment. I only ever pick at the flaws. I even struggle in learning how to be gracious - to just say, "thank you", smile, and shut up!
But, as ever, "that's the past!". Now I'm getting ready to rehearse in another production at Putney - the great Macbeth, which has been timed and themed to coincide with the centenary of the end of the Great War.
I deliberately wanted to go for a smaller role, as I didnt want to take on too much - a witch (weird sister), or even the porter, perhaps. However, I was offered the part of the Doctor, which I was happy to take, especially considering that it's the only gender cross-over part in the play (ie. as originally written, the doctor is male, and, of course, I am not - and I won't be playing it as a male, either). The roles for women in Macbeth are fairly limited anyway, especially at my age, so I didn't think I had much of a chance of getting anything. So, really, ti feel this is somewhat of a compliment. As of writing I am still a little in the dark as to what else I will be doing throughout, the play - I know I will be on stage a bit but saying nothing. Having heard the director's vision, I am very excited to be a part of it!
The main challenge of this production for me is trying on another accent again - Scottish, this time, of course. I have been practicing hard, and though not totally comfortable wearing it yet, if I can get another stamp of approval (with or without help!) from the two Scottish members of cast, that would be a great achievement! The director isn't pushing us having the accent if we're not confident of sustaining it, so ultimately the pressure to do this is all self-imposed! I feel that my character could have a Scottish accent but it would be equally acceptable to have an English one. However, I feel that as Macbeth (and Duncan?) is fighting the English, I would like to be identifiably Scottish, so I'd like to honour and draw on my real 3% of Scottish blood within me, to do it, and do it well!
Wish me luck!
Finally, I'm probably going to take a break from theatre over the winter, and I know there wont be a lot of film work around, so I am planning to do some improv courses, and maybe a bit of writing. So... watch this space! But not too closely - as you can see, I dont update too often!
