She Stoops To Conquer - Malvern Interview

When everyone is up to something – how is anything ever going to get done…?

Confusion, mis-communication, deceit, chaos and lots and lots of frilly bits, in Oliver Goldsmith’s classic farce.

With everyone pursuing their own agendas, a practical joker in their midst, and no one entirely sure who is up to what, will the lovers ever get together? And which lovers?

Christopher Smart and Kelly Griffiths in rehearsals.

We caught up with the director Alan Magor and the cast of Here To The Productions’ forthcoming production of She Stoops To Conquer which comes to the Coach House Theatre in Malvern from 24th to 29th March.

 
What can you tell me about this production of She Stoops to Conquer?
ALAN MAGOR (director): We’ve put together a cast of exceptionally funny people, and talented actors, who’ve brought their own talent, vision, and insight into the production.

It's layered with various styles of comedy, inspired and discovered by the actors throughout rehearsal, which makes it multi-dimensionally entertaining for a wide variety of audiences.

What inspired you to want to take on a new production of this show?
ALAN: The show was chosen before I was asked to direct it! It’s a new world for me, as a director of largely conceptual works with strong socio-political messages and emotional realism – so an 18th Century Farce is quite outside of my ordinary remit of work. Classics are one of my specialisms as an actor and an academic, though not something I’ve ever directed – so the opportunity to test myself with a new challenge, and with such a talented cast, was very welcome. 

What drew you to this production?
ALAN: It’s fascinating that so many plays of the Elizabethan & Jacobean era plays have survived, yet so few of the works of the Georgian era are still within our collective theatrical conscience. Some of the style and detail survives – an example being the strong use of antithesis, juxtaposition, and contrast to help shape the text – but without the strict structure which characterises the works of Shakespeare, Marlowe, Webster et al.

More of a draw, though, is the company itself. I’ve worked with Here To There Productions several times as an actor, though this is my first as a Director. It’s a wonderful company – and one that provides opportunities for many creatives across the Midlands, as well as the UK, to get involved with excellent works of Theatre, and tell stories from playwrights we very rarely get the opportunity to work with professionally. I’m very passionate about the work we, as a company, produce, and the people that we champion along the way.

How do you approach bringing a new vision to this piece and what has been your process of developing the vision?
ALAN: The vision for this piece has been a collaborative one; I came into the project with some broad ideas regarding the styles of comedy we’d like to utilise, to create a sense of the world of the Hardcastle house and how bustling and busy it can be, and to give moments of highlight towards the characters who are often forgotten about or underutilised. The servant characters are an important aspect of the play as they’re another indication of that Theatre of Contrast; how differently certain characters treat one another based on their social standing. Each character has moments of their actions being completely contrary to their words or self-reflections, which is part of the complex structure of the play and, once found, creates a dynamic world of quite ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances – or even believable characters in unbelievable circumstances!

But it’s the actors who should really be applauded for the vision. I often see the role of Director as actually being more facilitatory – facilitating your actors in exploring the work in a safe space where failure and discovery are actively encouraged, as that’s when, and where, the bravest findings take place. The actor is the expert of their character – they know the minutiae details and nuance of their journey, their emotional connections, their relationships, their thought processes. Giving them ownership of their work, and a freedom to explore and develop it with facilitated support, is key to making a show as vivid and strong as possible. The director isn’t on the stage – it’s the actors who have to keep the plate spinning throughout the run of performances, and so it’s important to ensure the show is theirs.

How have you approached bringing your character to life?
DAWN BUSH (Mrs Hardcastle): My starting point for Mrs Hardcastle was to think who she reminds me of. She ended up being a cross between Mrs Bouquet and Sybil Fawlty.

KELLY GRIFFITHS (Constance Neville): The text brings some wonderful insight into the mind of Constance Neville, which makes it very easy to bring her to life. She’s simply fabulous and caught between two equally wonderful options so tapping into my more flamboyant side helps elevate her dilemma.

CHRISTOPHER SMART (Hastings): These characters are larger than life, foppish and often quite self-centred so it’s been really fun to play and explore. It starts with getting comfortable with the basics and just playing until it all starts to make sense. I can’t say my process is particularly profound, just a question of working with the other actors in the cast to create a world of the play that feels good.

Christopher Smart and Dawn Bush in rehearsals

How have you been getting into the mind of your character?

DAWN: I like to understand why the character is the way she is, so I build a back story... Where has she come from, where is she headed, what are her regrets, her true loves, what's fake and what's real about her?

KELLY: That has involved a deep dive into the problems I wish I had! We come from wildly different worlds, so it’s been extremely fun bringing my own life experiences into her world. If I had to parallel the dilemma’s with my own it would be between taking an incredible acting job that takes me to far off lands and rejecting it to stay with my toddler in the safety of my own home.

CHRIS: Oh I’m not a serious enough actor for that!

If you could ask your character a question, what would you ask them?
DAWN: Did that womanising father of her child actually marry her?

KELLY: What’s so bad about Aunt Pedigree?!

CHRIS: Without a fortune or any connections, what does he expect to do earn a living in France?!

Where did your arts career begin?
DAWN: At my mother's knee; she was a musician who played the working men's clubs in the north. I and my brother were carted along to sing at every opportunity, the first songs we performed being There's a Hole in my Bucket, and Jolly Holiday/ Let's go Fly a Kite (from Mary Poppins.)

KELLY: Officially in Dec 2010 when I gained my first professional credit in a panto tour with a children’s entertainment company, Simply Smiley Productions who I still work with as a writer, director and workshop facilitator.

CHRIS: I graduated from The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2010 and spent my first couple of years touring school shows in the uk and Italy, after that I was
fortunate to fall in with a wonderful company called The Pantaloons, who toured delightfully silly and anarchic adaptations of classics in the open air. Things really fell into place after that.

What was the first piece of theatre you saw that had a big impact on you?
DAWN: The musical film Oliver! had a huge impact on me, I longed to play Nancy. I didn't see any live theatre until I saw Henry V with Timothy Dalton when I was 15. I have loved Shakespeare ever since.

KELLY: The Pantaloons outdoor production of Canterbury tales where I learned that classic text didn’t have to be as stuffy and boring as I was taught in school. Since seeing that production I auditioned and am proud to have worked with them for 13 years.

CHRIS: I remember seeing a very physical and interesting version of Animal Farm at The Birmingham Rep, I think that was the first time I thought an acting career might be for me.

Dawn Bush in rehearsals.

What keeps you inspired?
DAWN: The ever-changing relationship between actor and audience, and the creative process of lifting the words from the page and giving them life is always a source of wonder to me.

KELLY: Learning something new from every single job. Theatre casts are full to the brim with incredible talent and this cast is no different.

CHRIS: My wife and I are both creatives and after a lot of hard work bought our first home last year. We really want to show our young son that choosing a career that
makes you truly happy is the most important thing and that we can build a future whilst still doing what we love.

What would you hope an audience takes away from seeing the show?
DAWN: My hope is that they leave laughing and singing, and talk for days afterwards about the characters and their quirks. May they feel enriched, that's my hope. Read more.

KELLY: I hope they come away from the show feeling satiated in their belly laughter and comforted that their own life dilemmas aren’t half as ridiculous!

CHRIS: It’s a joyous farce, filled with hilarious moments and outlandish characters. I hope the audience can spend a couple of hours forgetting about their troubles and get lost in the frills, fops and feuds!

Where can people see the show?
ALAN: ‘She Stoops To Conquer’ will be playing in the Coach House Theatre, Malvern from March 24-29, evening shows at 7.30 with 2.30 matinees on Thu 27 and Sat 29.

You can find out more through our website www.HereToThereProductions.co.uk
which also has booking links.