22/04/2013
James Meryk
Fresh from London Studio Centre, James Meryk is making his
away across our Aussie stages with Action To The Word's acclaimed production of
A Clockwork Orange. Two months after
graduation, James was performing in Brighton with the show, two months after that, he was performing in London’s West
End with the show, which had sell-out into early January. Not bad for a first
gig. And the reception in Australia thus far hasn’t been too shabby with the
Australian Stage declaring ‘vibrant adaptation of a classic text is must-see’
and James mentioned for a ‘stand out performance’. This young, talented,
enthusiastic thing – 23 years to be exact – from the North took time out to
share with us his insight and experiences with the show, formal training, life
after training…and thoughts on Australia. His words are far more interesting
than mine, so without further ado – read on!
In your own words – tell us what the show, A
Clockwork Orange is and what it’s about.
Action to the words 'A clockwork orange' is an
all-male version of Anthony Burgess's play set in the glum underworld of
Manchester, UK. It is a story of boys growing up and dealing with what life in
'shitty Salford' throws at them. The show is dark, stylish, sexy, funny and
testosterone fuelled with Martin McCreadie leading a ten man ensemble, allowing
the audience to see through the eyes of Alex DeLarge, who I suppose
is the ultimate 'bad boy'! Alex and his gang (the Droogs) enjoy inflicting ultra-violence
on the public until one night it's all goes wrong and Alex find himself behind
bars. Here he must learn about the dark side of justice, corrupt government,
family abandonment and whether the choice of being good or bad is really as
simple as it seems....('dot dot dot' - that sounds dramatic!)
How did you come to be involved in
the production?
My involvement came about rather last minute
and was a HUGE learning experience for me. The show had just won rave reviews
in Edinburgh Fringe for the second year running and was doing a three night run
at The Old Market Theatre in Brighton. I got the chance to audition and was
lucky enough to get my first theatre role out of drama school since graduating
a few months earlier. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end, I still
remember the initial rehearsals - me, my director, her assistant director and a
golf club named Patrick. It was rather 'edge of your seat' stuff for me to
learn a full track in less than a week but I instantly had a love for the show
and the company....And Brighton! Funnily enough, I’d never been there before!
(they do really nice fudge you know!) At the time I had no idea what the future
was going to bring, I was just concentrating on getting it right!
Why did you want to be a part of A
Clockwork Orange – what in particular drew you to it?
If I'm completely honest, I really wasn't sure
what the story was about. I had heard my Dad talking about it in the past and I
knew that it got banned for a long time. But after doing my research on the
book and reading the script I was hooked. I also felt a massive connection with
Alexandra Spencer-Jones (ASJ) my director. Maybe it’s because we're both from
the North West! I'd had auditions in the past but never one that felt so
chilled out (yet full-on at the same time). I knew I wanted to work with her
straight away. I think being a nice person is such an important thing and when
I met the whole company I automatically felt part of it. A company filled with
nice, fun people!! I also felt a massive love for my characters. Georgie is so
complex - I still find him fascinating. With my professional training heavily
concentrated on dance and my main love being for acting and musical theatre I
couldn't have asked for a better show to be involved with.
But it was those initial rehearsals for
Brighton, in the back room of a pub in Fulham and when I first saw the whole
company do a full run of the show. I just stood at the side of a room which had
no lights or special effects and thought 'wow, this show is amazing. These
people are amazing'.
This is your first professional gig – the show has had much acclaim and is touring
internationally! How does all this make you feel?
I’ll keep that simple - incredibly lucky! To
be in a show that I also think is incredible is so great! (Insert smiley face).
And to have been on the West End AND now be touring Australia is a little bit
ridiculous! I'm VERY grateful to be here.
It’s very physical, bold, and
confronting - dealing with themes of violence and rape. How did you tackle all
this in rehearsal?
I won't go into detail about the rape scene as
its always the one people talk about in regards the book/film/play, but the way
it's done is brilliant...I’ll leave it as a surprise. The show has musical
transitions between certain scenes which move the story forward, all
meticulously choreographed by ASJ and a huge opening sequence between the
Droogs and The Billy Boy gang (a beautiful fight ballet) choreographed by
Hannah Lee. The darker themes of the play (I.e. violence and rape) are
demonstrated so sleekly and stylishly to vibrant blasting
music, and yes, there is no question that what is happening on stage is
horrific, but from an aesthetic point of view you cannot take your eyes off it!
From a rehearsal aspect the scenes are looked at I guess rather academically
and from a place of technique. A piece of dance set to specific counts (to be
safe) before the acting is layered on top to portray the aggression.
Significant rehearsal or onstage moments?
I'm repeating myself but I'd say that first
run through that I saw whilst in rehearsals for the Brighton run. And the crazy
empowering feeling I get every time we perform a certain musical transition on
stage...every single time! It comes post-the infamous rape scene you mentioned,
when the 'Droogs' simply walk to the front of the stage. Watch out for that
moment, I love it.
What's your daily routine like when
you’re in full time and touring show such as ACO? What do you miss/and don’t
miss from your normal routine?
Rehearsals are full on. Early mornings with
intense 1 hour warm ups lead by our dance captain Will Stokes are a killer, but
worth it, followed up by a long day of rehearsals, a big dinner and an early
night! Once we are in full swing of running the show the warm ups still take
place before the show and we try and get to the gym as much as possible. I also
try and get to the occasional dance class when in London. It’s important to
keep that up even though I'm dancing in the show. However some days I do just
like to spend the day seeing friends and drinking lots of tea. I think that's
fine? Whilst touring I am going to make the most of this opportunity. I'm in
Australia!! I want to go to the beach and see amazing things please.
How has ACO changed your life – as
actor/dancer/development/life in general?
As a performer I feel like something has
clicked a little bit and I'm starting to become aware of my own style as an
actor which is quite a nice feeling. I'm braver when it comes to making choices
in the rehearsal room and on stage which I don't think I really was before. I
always liked things to be safe and specific. I suppose that may be with coming
from a dance background - there is always a count to move on and a security
within the reflection of the mirrors! With Clockwork I've realised that having
that confidence to mix things up a bit (once it’s secure of course) and make
bold choices is very important.
Anything you’d like to share about
it? The company family? What it’s meant to you?
You're right when you say family. It really
does feel like that and I couldn't be happier continuing my work with Action To
The Word in Australia.
When and why did you want to become
a performer?
I honestly can't remember wanting to do
anything else. As a child I always wanted to play the 'baddy'. Never Peter Pan,
always Captain Hook and Never Batman, always The Joker. I started at a
children's drama school when I was about 8 and performed in Mr Chakle's Cat
playing an evil teacher called Mr Tellmeall. Then when I was about 12 I started
at the Players Drama School in Preston. Here was where I realised that
performing really was all I wanted to do. It's a fantastic little school that
gives fantastic training and puts on terrific shows and I have come to have a
truly wonderful friendship with the principal who was my first ever acting
teacher.
Can you tell us about your training at
London Studio Centre and Preston Dance College?
I went to Preston College and did the
performing arts BTEC. I had the whole 'A levels or BTEC?' issue to overcome but
once I did I knew I'd made the right choice. Here I studied a whole range of
performing including musical theatre, physical theatre, acting, LAMDA and
singing. At the end of each year we put on a big show at Preston Charter
Theatre. Here I really found a new love for singing and dancing, performing
singing roles in High School Musical and being the dance captain on We Will Rock You. I then stayed on an
extra year to do an intense year of ISTD dance training in ballet, modern, tap
and jazz as part of the Preston College Dance Centre in order to train me up
for London school auditions. The principle and teachers there were fully
supportive of what I wanted to do and they encouraged me massively. It was possibly
the best thing I could’ve done as the dance training I received helped me win a
funded place at London Studio Centre (LSC).
At LSC I began to take myself seriously as a dancer but always tried to maintain my singing and acting as much as possible. The first two years were intensely built around securing a strong dance technique across all genres and in my third year I chose to major in Musical Theatre by joining the 'Seedtime Company 2012'. Headed by Matthew Shaw, we focused strongly on acting through song, singing technique, 'straight acting' and dance repertoire as well as receiving incredible advice on how to prepare yourself for auditions and the industry in general. I got an agent after performing in our 'Seedtime Showcase' at the Criterion and performed the lead role of Melchior in our graduation show Spring Awakening at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington. The five weeks of preparing for that show were probably the most significant parts of my training.
Have you encountered any
difficulties along the way?
I suppose I have had the mini break downs
about choices I've made whilst training, when you question whether you should
be doing this. But then you do a class or hear some advice that always points
you back in the right direction. I suppose my biggest worry whilst training was
my identity as a performer. I considered myself an actor, who wanted to do
musical theatre but I was at a dance school, slowly discovering I maybe wanted
to be a dancer! And I loved singing too! Argh!! I sought advice from people but
a lot of it seemed to contradict the other. I never liked the idea of labeling
myself and it did get very confusing but I just went with my gut when
deciding on what to major in etc. My final year seemed to put things into
perspective.
What do you do to maintain your dance, acting and singing skills - classes, workshops? Any advice you’d give to others wishing to pursue a career in
any or all three areas?
This is something I need to work on more to be
honest. I go to the gym a lot and try to take class when I can. Ballet to
secure technique (and give you the kick up the ass you need when you realise
how much your technique has slipped!) and a really good jazz class. Doing
workshops like acting through song are a fantastic way to remind yourself of
what you need to do in audition circumstances and seeking advice at those
classes is so valuable. Just ask people! Classes can be expensive, especially
singing lessons but I think if you organise yourself well you can make it work.
I definitely need to get to more classes, and I know I do. I'd be a hypocrite
if I said I go all the time.
Were there any revelation moments or jobs that turned your career or mind set around?
What are the most significant
productions you’ve been involved in and why?
That's easy. Les Miserables at Preston Playhouse directed by Debby Carter
(Players Drama School 2008). And Spring
Awakening directed by Kate Golledge (Seedtime "army" 2012). Les Mis was my first proper singing role
- I played Marius. I was invited back by the principle to perform with my old
drama school and even now I look back and just think how fantastic that
production was. For a children's drama school to put on that kind if show was
incredible. Debby is an amazing teacher and director and watching those
rehearsals as an older member of the cast, was so worthwhile. (Like I said
taking note from other people's directions...it started with Debby). When the
film was released recently it brought back so many brilliant memories. I'm so
proud of that show. Spring Awakening. That was my first
lead role. In your face man who I shall not mention! (Wow got a complex much)?
Everything about that show; the auditions, the looong rehearsals and the show
itself were the biggest learning curves, like ever! We had such a great time
and had the greatest team around us. Kate has become such a great friend and we
still look back at that show and go all mushy! It was when I got told I was an
actor. To perform that show as part of a school that mainly focused on dance
and for a West End director to tell me I was an actor was a pretty big thing.
I'm just so ridiculously proud to have been part of that show as everyone was
so great. 'Left Behind' and 'Blue Wind' get me every time!!
Your most memorable rehearsal or
onstage moments – they can be profound or just downright hilarious!
Les Mis - howling with
laughter every time the dreaded 'Lemarque ....(longest pause ever)... Is
dead" came up. Clockwork - opening night on
the West End. Nailed it. Spring - that bloody sex
scene.
Rehearsals between myself, the leading actress and Kate were spent just
dying with laughter. Myself and Carla Nella (Wendla) became a lot closer, let’s
put it that way.
Any particular mentors or people who
have shaped your attitude and your
work?
I'd say the three ladies I have mentioned;
Alexandra Spencer-Jones, Kate Golledge and Debby Carter. Certain teachers at
the various colleges who have certainly been massive influences. My family who
have been so supportive this whole time. And friends who are sometimes just
want you need to get back to reality.
Any philosophies/advice or anything
you’d like to share (fun facts, dream jobs, dream collegues?!) with readers?
Crikey! I'm not sure about philosophies, I'm
only just starting myself and I know I've got SOOOOO much more to learn. I do
think it’s sometimes important to briefly remove yourself from 'the
bubble' and remind yourself that there are people/friends/family in the world
who aren't in the industry and you can spend time with them and talk about
other things. And it makes you appreciate just how much you love your job when
you get do to go and do it, and how cool it is to work and be surrounded by
such creative and talented people. This was always a hobby! Now it's
work!!!
And how are you enjoying touring and Australia so far?!
I love Australia! Melbourne was great and the theatre was brilliant - and big! It's exciting adapting to new spaces but the show worked really well on a bigger stage from what I was used to at soho. Roll on Sydney! Touring is fun and I suppose it helps that we all get on so well and are in the sunshine!! I had a friend in Melbourne who I was able to catch up with and have friends dotted around Australia (literally about 20 in Perth) so I'm looking forward to using this opportunity to see them all after all these years as well as working with the show.
Catch James in A Clockwork Orange in Sydney at the Seymour Centre, April 23 May 5. For tickets and performance dates in Perth, Canberra and Brisbane, www.clockworkorange.com.au
And how are you enjoying touring and Australia so far?!
I love Australia! Melbourne was great and the theatre was brilliant - and big! It's exciting adapting to new spaces but the show worked really well on a bigger stage from what I was used to at soho. Roll on Sydney! Touring is fun and I suppose it helps that we all get on so well and are in the sunshine!! I had a friend in Melbourne who I was able to catch up with and have friends dotted around Australia (literally about 20 in Perth) so I'm looking forward to using this opportunity to see them all after all these years as well as working with the show.
Catch James in A Clockwork Orange in Sydney at the Seymour Centre, April 23 May 5. For tickets and performance dates in Perth, Canberra and Brisbane, www.clockworkorange.com.au
13/04/2013
Matthew Barrow
From the Emerald city in 'The Wizard of Oz' to 1970s Vietnam in 'Miss Saigon' and now to London's darling of musicals 'Merrily We Roll Along' - it's safe to say that Matthew Barrow has done a fair bit. And that was just me name dropping. (Oh, why not one more - To Edwardian England in 'Mary Poppins') So, on top of being a talented triple threat, he was also generous in giving us his time in between finishing the run of 'Merrily' at the Menier Chocolate Factory to the transfer at the Harold Pinter. Don't hate him.
N.B. For the lovely Mr Barrow, the interview is in two parts - the first part is about Matthew and 'Merrily We Roll Along' and the second part is all about Matthew! Read on...!
How did you come to be involved in Merrily and what drew you to the production?
I heard that the production was coming to the Menier Chocolate Factory- so I wrote to them requesting an audition (I have worked for them before… normally this isn’t how it’s done!). After 2 auditions- I landed the role! I have always wanted to work at The Menier (previously I’ve been in the Menier’s version of Sweet Charity, but I did the transfer into West End). I have also been craving the chance to be involved in a more ‘grown up’ show and have the chance to show my acting skills.
Tell us about the rehearsal process with Maria Friedman (director), cast and crew.
Rehearsals were a lot of fun! Maria is a well-loved performer and she truly is ‘one of us’. She knows how actors think because she is one! We all got to experiment with our characters and were given the encouragement to develop them to how we felt they should be.
Having all of us crammed into a rehearsal studio, with pillars in the middle of the performance space and no central heating in the middle of winter, was a great bonding experience. All of us were delirious from the gas of the portable heaters and trying to learn the complex lyrics and harmonies in the short time we had. It was great fun!
Significant rehearsal or onstage moments? Profound or otherwise!
As I mentioned above, there are massive great pillars in the middle of the rehearsal studio… On the first rehearsal of the Court Room scene (where I play a paparazzi photographer who gets into a fist fight with Frank) I was accidently pushed backwards into one, cracking my head. I had a big bump on my head for weeks! It really brought a sense of ‘realness’ to that scene! The daily spilling of champagne glasses in ‘That Frank’ always makes me giggle! You will often see a cast member wiping the stage with a cloth during the preceding transition!
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| The Merrily cast in action. (Photo from official Merrily West End Facebook) |
After a show, I find it very hard to go straight to sleep. So I would usually stay up rather late catching up on the evenings TV or playing Xbox (usually with a glass of wine!). Then I sleep till late morning. I always seem to be busy in the days with various DIY projects in the home, or learning songs for various concerts/recordings that I’m involved with. It’s surprising how fast the day goes! I head to the theatre for warm-up around 6pm; once I leave the house, my OCD kicks in! Usually during previews of a show- I start a routine that I stick by for the remainder of the run. I will catch the same train, get a coffee from the same shop on the way, always arrive on stage 5 mins early for warm-up etc. That way, I know I’m going to be relaxed and the show will go well. My normal routine has always involved being in a full-time production for many years, so I don’t really feel I miss anything in particular- apart from spending time with my partner (who works a ‘normal’ 9-5 job).
This production of Merrily has been immensely popular, selling out very early into the run, scooping the Best Musical award at the Critics’ Circle and now has a transfer to the Harold Pinter – how do you feel about all this?!
I’m thrilled that our production is doing so well. We have all invested so much into it and we’ve worked bloody hard to make it the best we can! I can’t wait for the transfer. I wasn’t ready for our little journey with Merrily to end after the Menier run! It’s really great to be in something that everyone loves: the critics and the audience. It makes me very proud! Maria said to us early on - “Don’t go out on stage knowing that you’re in a hit- tell the story and make it true”. I think some performers in other shows can get away with being lazy when they know the show is a hit (Oh God… don’t hate me for saying that!).
Anything you’d like to share about it? The company family? What it’s meant to you? Sondheim being a genius?!
At the Menier we truly are a family. We are all doing it for the love of the show and for our love of one another. We all share one large dressing room under the stage with a flimsy half wall separating the girls from the boys. There is an area with sofas where we all hang out, and gossip. Someone always brings in home-made baked goodies to share around too! The principals have understudies, but we don’t have ‘swings’ to cover illness and injury as the West End shows do. We help each other out when we are feeling under the weather or sore and we all pull though. It’s very humbling to see an Olivier award winning actor filling a hot water bottle for a crew member with the sniffles!
Sondheim is truly a genius! Those who know me will laugh at that statement coming from me! I was never really familiar with his work before taking on Merrily (don’t hate me!). Actually understanding his writing and performing it every night has made me realize truly how incredible he is. Every lyric, every musical interlude, every melody just seems to ‘make sense’. He writes for actors, the inflections in the melody are how you would speak naturally. Once you ‘get it’... you ‘get it’- does that make sense? Ha ha. Our MD once said to us, there is no need to embellish or ‘add’ to the music, Sondheim knows what works and what doesn’t so there is no need to do anything different than what is written. I think that’s why he is so popular. His shows have such heart and depth to them. He came to watch our first preview and left in floods of tears! This is the show that has ‘never quite worked’ and I think we’ve cracked it. He was so grateful to see that!
And now, about you! When and why did you want to become a performer? What was the process?
I began going to drama club in Dorset with my older Sister when I was 8, mainly as a companion to
her as she was very shy. It turned out I loved it, and she hated it! There is a wonderful Musical Theatre group in Weymouth called W.O.W. (Weymouth Operatic Workshop) that I joined at 9 and was a member until I was 17! They rehearse twice a week and put on fully staged musicals once or twice a year, with cabarets and showcases in between. This really ignited my love for musicals! There wasn’t any formal technical training as such, but we learned ‘on the job’ (which is my favourite way to learn). If they needed us to tap dance in a show- we learned. This is also how I learned to read music- just by holding the score for the show and following the notes with the lyrics - it’s been an invaluable skill!
At 16 I did a BTEC ND in Performing Arts at Weymouth College and after graduating I auditioned for various stage schools in London. At the point I was adamant that this would be my career! At my audition for Bird College I was offered a full scholarship on the spot for their BA Hons Degree - I accepted!
Have you encountered any difficulties along the way? During training and/or after?
At the start of my 2nd year of training at Bird College, I began thinking that it really wasn’t the place for me. The college is outstanding and the teachers are the industries finest, but for some reason or another, I just wasn’t enjoying it and I felt that I had learned all I could from them. I decided to leave after the Christmas holidays. It was a very difficult decision to make! I thought I’d never work without a degree, but I’ve been very lucky. It’s not something I would suggest though, it knocked my confidence for a while. It was the best decision for ME.
Were there any revelation moments or jobs that turned your career or mind set around?
My revelation moment was rather recent. I was given the chance to play the ‘Wizard’ in The Wizard of Oz at the Palladium for quite a number of performances. It’s the first time I got to play a leading role - let alone the title role! It really proved to me, and my peers, that I can hold my own as a leading man in a major production. I’ve been known mainly in the past as an Ensemble singer/dancer/swing (which is a bloody great life!). It gave me hope that I do have what it takes to keep forging ahead with this career choice!
What have been your most significant jobs? Or productions you’ve been involved in and why?
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Your most memorable rehearsal or onstage moments?
Apart from the many variations of lyrics that were sung in the Merrily rehearsal room…! One of the funniest on-stage moments was in Wizard of Oz. During the Munchkinland scene, one of the dogs playing Toto decided it was the perfect time to go to the loo - centre stage, fully lit! Our poor dance captain, Richard, had to run off stage and collect a bin liner and scoop it up (in full Munchkin costume) it was pretty hilarious!
What advice would you give to those who are contemplating a career in theatre/musical theatre, or those who are quite new to the industry?
Be patient!! It’s a great life - but it’s not the glitz and glamor that you are expecting. You are your own best friend and worst enemy. Stay on top of your game and expand your horizons - explore and support new writing, be friendly and helpful to EVERYONE! (you never know when you will meet them again!). Really ‘know’ your demographic when it comes to casting - be realistic! It’s not always about who is the best at something or who can sing the highest or do the most pirouettes - casting is extremely complicated. Be gracious and expect to work your way up- it’s very rare that you will go straight into playing the Phantom straight out of school! Don’t take anything for granted and save money when you can - maybe that’s something I should have told myself 10 years ago!
Are there particular mentors or people who have shaped your attitude – not necessarily theatre related – and your work?
Every day I find inspiration and admiration from different people. But working with Michael Crawford really solidified my attitude. He is a true professional. He was always early for work, attended every single warm-up, he knew everyone’s name (cast, crew, front of house staff, dressers et cetera), he had his OCD routines like I do! He takes his art very seriously and I’d often catch him in the wing reciting the lyrics to his song or running the lines for the up-coming scene as he wanted it to be perfect every time!
Any philosophies or anything you’d like to share (fun facts, dream jobs, dream colleagues?!) with us?
I have 2 great philosophies that I always work by:
There is always someone in the audience watching YOU - regardless of how small your role is. 10 people on stage and 2000 people in the audience- there is no hiding! ‘NORMAL’ people get work. I always roll my eyes at colleagues who complain about their weight, or having crooked teeth, small feet, thinning hair - blah blah blah!!! Characters in shows are ‘real’ people. Stay healthy but have faith that a 6ft supermodel with a 6 pack and a tan will not be cast as a chimney sweep in Mary Poppins.
Every job I take is a dream job! I know that sounds cheesy… but its true! I’m so grateful that I’ve had a wonderful career so far and I hope it continues this way. The ultimate dream is to have a role written especially for me.
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @mattjbarr82
Listen to Matthew sing 'Til Tomorrow' a song written for him by Chris Passey and Amy Carroll.
To purchase Merrily We Roll Along tickets.
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| In action in Mary Poppins |
23/03/2013
Kate Golledge: Part One
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Kate Golledge is a busy woman. She’s just finished directing
the UK premiere of The Road to Qatar as
part of the Landor Theatre’s ‘Page to Stage’ season, she’s currently directing
showcases for drama schools Mountview and Trinity Laban, and she’s gone and
said yes to directing a new play. That Thursday evening, after a day of work
she’d managed to make time to help Sami Lamine* bake a
three-tiered-three-shades-of- pink cake for his sister, be interviewed for Theatre Stop and cook dinner for Sami,
James Meryk** and myself. Not a bad effort.
I must admit, I felt a bit nervous going to dinner that
evening, I had asked Kate when we could do the interview and she promptly
invited me to dinner. Was I crashing the party?! (Possibly) Would I say
something stupid? (Most likely). But there was no need to worry, I couldn’t have
been made to feel more welcome, at ease, relaxed, familiar and included by all.
A merry party of four we were, well
five, including Oscar the cat. A truly lovely night full of laughs, baking,
several trips by Sami to Sainsburys for the correct icing sugar, group discussions
during the interview, and tea ensued.
After being fed and watered, we settled down to be serious
for the interview. Well, we settled down in the lounge at any rate with Oscar
plonking himself on James’s lap. James is rather allergic to Oscar. With Kate
as an interviewee, it promised to be a good one, full of laughs and banter, and
sound advice, obviously. Before the interview has started Kate has already
delivered on all of this. James has been told to ‘Shhhh’ as it’s her interview, and for the benefit of
the tape that - ‘Characters in musicals don’t know they’re singing’ an adage
that she would like carved on her gravestone.
A flair for directing was already evident at a young age, when Kate and her friends staged a concert in school and raised money for the school choir to go on tour to Belgium. But Kate simply saw this as ‘the pragmatics of getting shows on, making theatre and being part of the community.’ Glee Club-esque experiences were not unusual when her mother ran a school and they lived in the flat above it. Of a weekend Kate would have the ultimate slumber party where 15 or 20 kids would be armed with sleeping bags and pillows in the school hall - ‘We’d just watch Chorus Line until the tape broke and try and learn the routines, it’s very stagey actually.’
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| Sami Lamine practicing his piping icing technique. |
Kate took a directing elective in her 2nd year – ‘the first thing it did immediately was make me a much better actor. It made me approach text differently and I learned a lot about my process as an actor by knowing what directors do in order to get things from actors’. After she directed a show for the school the head of her course came to her and said ‘You need to be directing in the 3rd year'. So direct in the third year she did. Director Jamie Lloyd was in the same class and was staging a production which needed the male students, so Kate needed to find a musical theatre production for all the girls and recalls sitting on a beach in France, having a received a script from her tutor for the third year production called ‘Six Women with Brain Death’
Six Women with - ? Kate confirmed this with a nod. ‘With Brain Death.Yes.’
So, ‘Six Women with Brain Death’ which Kate directed, was chosen by the National Student Theatre Company as one of three student productions from across the UK to be produced at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And it was during this time, one afternoon in bonny Scotland, when she was talking to her designer and friend Morgan Large that Kate decided ‘Yes, this is the side of the table that I need to be on.’’
And the journey after Edinburgh, did Kate encounter obstacles and difficulties?
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| Kate & Cake in all their glory! |
‘Nothing made sense at the time. Because I’d come out of an acting course, and wanted to be a director, but didn’t know how to be. When I look back on it now, everything makes perfect sense, but at the time it was awful. And I remember long periods of time when I just thought ‘I’m never going to work. I’m never going to find work. I’m never going to earn any money from this. All the things that everyone thinks all the time. But I think it’s amazing how quickly your situation can change in this profession, all it is, is one phone call and everything’s changed and you’re trying to rearrange your whole life to accommodate something that’s about to happen. And I got very lucky, a few people really took a chance with me when I was quite new and I just tried to see everything I could and meet people.'
2009 was one of those turning points, what Kate sees as the beginning of her current run of good work – ‘good luck? Good fortune? Good work? I don’t know’. She had returned from her role as an artistic co-ordinator at an Italian Summer Camp in Treviso (70 Italian school children with little to no English. British staff of 10 with no Italian). ‘I got into my bed and pulled the duvet over my head, I think I was a bit tired and emotional, and I remember just crying and thinking ‘What’s the point? I’ve just had a really lovely time in Italy and I’ve come back and I’ve got nothing to do and no one will reply to my emails. It’s funny how when you hit the bottom, it’s really awful, but you get incredible clarity. I think I realised in that moment that I’d been doing the machine gun approach to trying to get work, which was just asking as many people as possible as much as possible, and being really non -specific about what I wanted to do. And the under-the-duvet moment of clarity that I had was that I had to ask for the things I wanted, instead of asking for anything. And I realised the thing I most wanted to do was work at the Chocolate Factory (Menier).
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| James Meryk's turn at the icing piping. Serious business. |
Sweet Charity – ‘a
very happy show, we were a big old family’ – transferred to the Royal Theatre
Haymarket (‘one of the most beautiful theatres in London’) and so did Kate, who
was asked to take on the role as Resident Director. ‘It was a massive thing,
because I’d been up for several interviews to be RD on other things and never
got the job and always come really close but never quite got the job. And
always the thing was, you need more experience, but you can’t get experience
until you get the job. Lucky, all the planets aligned for me on that day.’ From
this she was asked to be resident director and assist the Willy Russell season
at the Chocolate Factory and then the Trafalgar Studios, where she met director
Jeremy Sams and consequently got the job as RD on The Wizard of Oz (W.O.O.)
***
But it’s not down to just luck, obviously Kate’s attitude
and skills have something to do with it – ‘I hope so! It’s probably just the
cakes! Baking has got me some of my most crucial jobs, actually.'
At this point Sami mused out loud ‘It’s about someone
believing in you isn’t it?’ Kate agreed ‘I think there are a lot of nice people
in this industry. I went to the open dress of Book of Morman recently and also the first night of A Chorus Line and I think when you go to things like that, that are filled with the
theatre crowd it really reminds you how amazing our extended family is. Because
I think there’s a bit of a misconception about this industry, that it’s very
bitchy, that everyone’s out to get the same jobs, but I just think there’s
plenty to go around, there’s enough for everyone. Because not everyone’s right
for the same things and that goes for actors as well and creatives too. I’ve
just always believed that you should give away as much as you can, give away
your contacts, put people in touch with each other because it doesn’t actually
affect anything for you, but it makes life easier for other people.’
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| With Hannah Waddingham, Wicked Witch of the | West. |
So, what does director Kate look for in her auditionees? ‘I look for, number one,
more important than anything else – nice person. It’s hard because people don’t
always respond very well when they’re nervous, so you can’t judge people on
that, but if someone comes in and they’re a lovely person, and I want them in
rehearsal with me for 4 weeks, that will win over someone who does a
beautifully polishd audition but is chilly, or that you get the feeling might
be difficult, always. Secondly, I like people that make big choices in
auditions. So, choose interesting material, they have to be able to act it’s
essential. But equally if people bring stuff that’s too obscure I end up
listening to the song and not the performance of it, and you’re not auditioning
the song.
So one and all - don’t be rude. To anyone. Especially not to
the pianist. ‘If
someone comes in and is rude to my pianist, big black mark.In an audition
things will go wrong between the auditionee and the pianist, often. And believe me, the panel will
not be surprised or bothered. Things go wrong, things mess up, no one minds.’
Our other guest interviewees were also happy to proffer practical audition
wisdom with Sami offering ‘Seize every moment of that audition, it’s your
moment to shine’ and James advising ‘Don’t rush when you go in the room. Don’t
feel like you have to rush and get started as soon possible.’
And
breathe a sigh of relief as Kate also firmly squashes the notion that panel
want to make you feel uncomfortable and tear your confidence to pieces. ‘The
panel want you to be brilliant, of course they do. Nobody’s trying to trip
anyone up or to cross people off the list. Actors are a solution to our
problems. So my problem is that I have a show and I need a cast. Every person
who comes through the door is a potential solution to my problem. So come and
solve my problem for me, I’m thrilled!’
A
final piece of advice to finish off the first installment?
‘I
think you need a posse of people around you who are the people that challenge
and push you and really encourage you to create work that’s as good as it can
be. Never
underestimate the value of your posse – and keep it real bitches.’
And now we (well, Kate) had 3 tiers of pink cake to ice.
* Sami Lamine forced Kate Golledge into baking a cake for
his sister. He’s also friends with Kate and was in the cast of The Road to Qatar at the Landor Theatre.
Sami trained at Arts Educational School on the Musical Theatre Course.
** James Meryk is also a friend of Kate’s and trained at the
London Studio Centre where Kate directed Spring
Awakening and in which James played Melchoir. James was recently seen in
Action to the Word’s production of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange at the Soho Theatre and he will be touring with
the show to Sydney and Melbourne in April/May.
*** I’d like bring attention to how Kate came to get the job on the W.O.O. as it’s something we can all take from it. Jeremy Sams asked
her to assist him at a workshop for the W.O.O.
but there was no job involved at the end because someone already had the
role. So Kate went and assisted, not expecting anything from it and at the end
of the week the producers decided to bring the show forward a season, which
clashed with the original associate’s schedule. Because Kate had done the
workshop and people knew her, she was offered the job.
Good afternoon Ladies and Gents,
Very excited to announce that Kate Golledge – Theatre Director, all-round lovely lady and cake baker extraordinaire - will be the first
interviewee of Theatre Stop!
Based in London, Kate has worked across the Theatre circuit –
from Sweethearts at the award winning Finborough Theatre* and
the Young Vic to the West End, as resident director of Sweet Charity (Menier Chocolate Factory** & Theatre Royal Haymarket)
and The Wizard of Oz (LondonPalladium) and crossed the ocean with Fantastic Mr Fox (Singapore RepertoryTheatre) – and that’s just naming a few. Kate also directs for drama schools
such as Mountview Academy of TheatreArts, Arts Educational Schools and Trinity College of Music.
On top of all this, she's fabulous.
So, watch this space and be ready for a whole lotta wisdom - and probably a few giggles - from this lady!
*I couldn't mention the Finborough Theatre without also stating how brilliant it is. One of my favourite theatres in London, this teeny-tiny space consistently produces exceptional work that is as rich as it is diverse. It’s one of the gems in London, housing around 50 seats and performances sell out very fast, so if you’ve never seen a production there, get going. You won’t regret it. If you don’t believe me, read what the press have said about them here.
**The same goes for the Menier Chocolate Factory (not actual chocolate factory, but still as exciting!) another one of London’s theatre treasures. The building holds a theatre, rehearsal space, restaurant and bar, and as well as having a cosy yet cool interior, put on extraordinary productions – in particular musicals. Menier does in fact host Merrily We Roll Along which holds the title of favourite musical production for me – it was in every way remarkable and as I feel a ramble coming on, I may just have to dedicate a post to it. Again, you should check out the more eloquent summaries of others about the Menier.
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