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There's a New King in Town- Company of the Olivier-Winning KING CHARLES III Meets the Press!
Nov 7, 2022
The highly anticipated play about Britain's future king, King Charles III, will begin previews October 10, 2015, with opening night set for November 1, 2015 at the Music Box Theatre (239 West 45th Street, NYC). The company gathered on their first night in New York at 58 Gansevoort to meet the press and BroadwayWorld was there. Check out interviews with the company below!
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0:00
Hello, I'm Richard Ridge for Broadway World
0:03
Following a sold-out run in London, Mike Bartlett's Olivier Award-winning play, King Charles III, is coming to Broadway's Music Box Theater
0:11
where we'll open on November 1st. Under the direction of Rupert Gould, it stars Tim Piggott-Smith as Charles
0:17
and we caught up with the company their very first day in New York. Well, first of all, welcome back to New York. How does it feel
0:23
Thank you, well, I love New York. It's great to be here. Broadway's always been very kind to me
0:28
I hope it continues to be safe. So you've been rehearsing the play in London
0:32
You all just arrived here, right? Yeah, well, we did the play in London
0:37
I suppose, on and off for about eight months, so we know it pretty well. And we rehearsed in town and just arrived yesterday
0:44
We go into the theatre tomorrow and start previews on Saturday, October the 10th
0:49
Love it. Take me back to the beginning about how this project came about for you
0:54
I was doing a play in a fringe theatre in North London, and I worked with Rupert before
0:58
and I've known him for a long time. And he called me up and said, I'd like to bring you a play
1:02
And he brought it along. And he said, it's about, you know, the royal family
1:06
It's called King Charles III. It's in blank verse. You may not like that
1:10
Well, of course, I absolutely love. Blank verse. That's fine for me
1:15
He gave me the play, and I thought, well, you know, this is a play about the royal family
1:19
It'll be funny for about 10 minutes, and then it'll be boring pastiche. Well, about 10 minutes into this play
1:25
something really wonderful happens. and you just go, oh my goodness, this is a real play, a proper play
1:32
And I've seen nearly all Rupert's work over the years. I think this is his best production
1:38
He's done wonderful work on it. It's great. So, you know, it's been a..
1:44
I didn't hesitate to say yes, you know. And it was a..
1:50
I mean, it was difficult. You know, new plays are difficult. We did a lot of work on the text in the rehearsal, you know, honed it down
1:56
and we've been in some work on the text now to help American audiences with things
2:00
I mean, I have a line about sat nav. What, you don't have sat nav? You have GPS, you see
2:04
So we've just changed little things like that just to, you know
2:09
make it easier for the audiences. And playing King Charles, I mean, what is that like
2:15
Well, it was a bit weird to begin with, you know. And you thought, oh dear, I do hope the royal family
2:21
don't come and see this. Because it is a tragedy. I mean, it's a very funny play
2:25
But in the end it becomes quite tragic And I think the royal family would have an uncomfortable evening
2:30
Because it says something about what might happen to the monarchy Which is a bit weird
2:35
But although it's very sympathetic to Charles It's rather It's very peculiar feeling
2:42
I'm okay I would hate it if he was to come and see it
2:48
But I don't think he will You know, that's all really It's just
2:52
And in the end it's just You know once you've got the plague going. The play has its own
2:57
motor and it becomes less personal. And we don't impersonate. We don't do imitations
3:05
of the characters. That would just bore the audience although we do one or two things
3:09
that hint at our characters and just often help them with the comedy
3:16
All the research is out there. I know a lot of actors say it's all in the text. I mean, you've lived with King Charles your whole
3:21
life, right? That's exactly right. People say to me, have you done research? And I say, I don't have
3:25
to. I mean, he's three years younger than me, I think, you know, and he's
3:29
in the paper every day, so I just, I know about him
3:33
I did one particular bit of research. I just wanted to look at him, so some years ago
3:39
for comic relief, which is a big charity that we have, he did the
3:43
weather forecast, entirely on his own, and I thought, well, so that's
3:47
just about three minutes of him just doing, so I just watched that, because
3:51
he has one or two very specific characteristics, and I just wanted to pick
3:55
those up and look at them. And I use them. But that's literally all I did
4:02
And one of the interesting things about the play is that we constantly had to change little things as things
4:07
in the public world changed. Like, I used to say, where's George
4:11
I now have to say, where's the grandchildren? You know? It's like that
4:16
Now, are you working with the entire company from London, or are there some American actors in this
4:20
production? No, we have an entirely English company. One person is new to the
4:24
company and our understudies will all be American. Wonderful. Yeah, and that's great
4:30
Audiences love this in London. Were you scared when you first started how audiences would perceive the play
4:37
No, I wasn't scared because I thought it was a really good play. I was very surprised by their response
4:43
I have never known such a huge visceral laughter in a theatre as it was when we first did
4:49
this play. And I knew there was some fun in the play and some comedy, but I didn't think it was going to be
4:54
as funny as that. And it was just astonishing. Like I say, when you get the play up and working
5:00
it's a fantastic piece of writing. It's about freedom of speech. It's about things that are very important
5:07
not just about the royalty. Your side of it, you know. It's a brilliant piece
5:12
And I think audiences here will love it. Certainly my American friends who've seen it in town
5:17
had a really good time. And you do tend to like things royal now, don't you
5:22
You all arrived yesterday, right? Yes, we did. And it was a whole, a staggered arrival
5:27
I think two of us on one plane, two of us on another. And, yeah, we all arrived, settled in, and we've woken up fresh as days is and excited
5:37
We're all in this kind of movie, especially being on a street like this
5:42
When you look that way, there's the Hudson River. Anyway, so yeah, we're kind of, it's been a journey of nearly, it will be when we go back to the UK
5:51
It will have been two years since we began rehearsing. So, yeah, we've stayed a tight little bunch, but very happy to be here
6:01
And you're getting ready to make your Broadway debut. I know. I have worked in New York before, but not on Broadway
6:10
I've never even walked on Broadway. I literally have no proper sense of where it is or the theatre is so physically, I'm just dying to be there tomorrow
6:22
and get into the theatre. You were playing one of the most beautiful houses in New York
6:28
the music box, which they have just refurbished. The whole front of house, it's stunning
6:33
Oh, that's wonderful. And I know some of the actors who've been here before
6:40
have said, oh, it really is a lovely one. It's the audiences, actually, I'm looking forward to seeing
6:47
I love the Americans who saw the show in London was so enthusiastic and so, as I would say, interested in both the royal family
6:59
but also I think they love Shakespeare, they love that approach, using the monarchy, using a family as a means of looking at huge issues
7:12
And I thought they were so appreciative. I thought, yeah, this is going to probably, however complicated it is constitutional
7:21
And of course it isn it quite far removed You know I wouldn have any idea of the relationship really between Senate and Congress And yet we asking that of our audience to grasp the function of our parliament in relation to the king
7:37
So I think it is, it's a complicated play, but with this emotional family drama, perhaps, at the heart of it
7:46
And playing this iconic woman, talk about that. Well, I don't know how
7:53
the deeply loved Camilla, who knows. I would have to say it's a tiny fraction of Charles's journey through this
8:00
but she clearly, whatever we think of her role, and we do think of her role
8:07
I mean, me personally and the British public, in relation to the distress of Diana
8:13
she clearly has offered him unconditional support all his life in a way that I'm sure he's emotional
8:23
needed and certainly the writer has written. I mean the one note I think he said to me was this is a
8:31
woman who loves her husband and I think that is what is written that's what's played and I think
8:39
in real life that's true too I think whatever judgments we might make about adultery or blah blah blah
8:46
it happens and I think he's a man Charles as well who's always felt terribly judgment
8:53
judged and disapproved of, maybe by his mother, maybe you've got that, am I going to measure up
8:59
thing? If you're clearly, if you're Prince of Wales, you're always auditioning for the main
9:05
job. And I think she's the kind of woman, maybe without personal ambition, who's offered him
9:12
love without any disapproving judgments. And so that's a big plus. What's been the best part of the experience so far for you with working on this plane
9:26
I think apart from the great company, it's been a lovely group of people to work with
9:34
It's been wonderful to work with writers like Mike Bartlett and being directed by Rupert
9:40
I think it's been the audience response. It's been very cheering and heartening to find the depth of this response to, as I described
9:50
a complicated play that involves quite hard work on the audience's part and I
9:58
couldn't be happier to think that not only did it travel from the Armada to the West End
10:05
but then it generated the energy for people to say do you know what this is going to work
10:10
wonderfully in New York and I it's serious theatre there's you know nothing
10:17
is going to happen other than a lot of conversations about very intense things and it lifts any actors heart to think oh that's still a huge
10:27
appetite for that so welcome to broadway thank you so much thank you so much for having me again
10:33
yesterday yeah we flew in yesterday we i landed about five o'clock so i'm still feeling my still feeling
10:37
a bit fuzzy-headed so if i if i give you long-winded answers you'll have to forgive me have you been to the theatre yet i have not been to the theatre no we did we got in yesterday
10:45
well it was yesterday evening after the show so and obviously there's no theatre tonight so i got a night off
10:49
besides, I'm going to be in a theatre quite a lot over the next four months, so
10:53
yeah, so nothing yet. Tell me what it's been like working on this beautiful play
10:58
It's been quite incredible working on this play. I mean, besides the
11:03
success that we've had in England, I mean, where it's really just hit, it seems to have just
11:07
hit a chord with everybody who's come to see it, and it's been voted
11:11
you know, the best new play everywhere all year and actually, and beyond
11:18
There is a rich to being in a play like this where performing the play
11:24
is actually like being the beam of light of a Jacob's ladder around
11:30
a horizon of storm clouds there's something pure and very very beautiful
11:35
about performing this play and actually of all of the plays I've done
11:39
it is the play I think that I am most comfortable in the skin of
11:44
interesting and playing William yes playing the man himself I mean, you live with this man every day
11:52
He's in your DNA from, you know, the press and growing up. So did you have to do a lot of research, or were there little things you picked up on
11:58
I did. There were lots of things I picked up on. I mean, one of the great things about playing a real person is that there's particularly someone like Prince William
12:03
There's a lifetime of video footage about him in the press and online
12:08
So research is abundant, you know, and I think that when we're all, I'll certainly speak for myself
12:14
but when we're all looking to play our respective characters, we all really
12:18
have a duty of respect to play those people. It's a very controversial, mischievous play
12:24
really dangerous almost, certainly controversial. And I think for all of us individually
12:30
we really wanted to, without doing an impression or a parody, really express the essence of the characters that we're playing
12:36
And for that, you know, it's fantastic to have all that research material. Was there something specific that you said
12:41
oh my gosh, I want to use this? Yeah, there was a beautiful moment
12:45
There's an interview with, there's an interview, you can check this out
12:48
An interview online between with William and Kate when they just got engaged. It's a very, it's a beautiful interview
12:53
And William is, as always, just a complete image of professionalism and grace and support for his new fiancé
13:01
And Kate makes a joke about how nervous she is about maybe losing his mother's engagement ring
13:07
And there's just this tiny flicker across his face of kind of panic and warning and guarding
13:11
And then it's gone as soon as it's there. But it is a wonderful, it's a wonderful moment to see
13:16
Yeah, it's online so you can see it. You can find it for yourself. working with your director
13:20
Oh my god, yeah, Ruper Gould, I mean, yeah, Ruper Gould's, uh, he's a, he's a
13:24
he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a, I mean, you know, I've seen a lot of his work, uh, and actually, this is a very different play for
13:30
for something, uh, for, sort of, for something that he would do. It's quite, it's quite different in style
13:35
This is a, it's, a very sort of minimalist, quite strict back play where the, where the
13:39
where the language, it's all in verse, obviously, the language really, is allowed to shine for itself
13:45
Um, Rupert's really like a total theatre director. It's quite amazing. Um, but to
13:48
To have all of that energy and creativity focus just on character and story
13:53
was a thrilling thing to be in the middle of, to be in the middle of that hurricane
13:57
It's fantastic. And what are you looking forward to the most with being here on Broadway and bringing this play to New York
14:03
That's right. Well, I mean, I was here two and a half years ago at the music box, and I'm going back
14:07
so I'm really thrilled to be going back to that little family, because they're a great bunch in there, and I haven't been there yet this time
14:12
but I'm looking forward to seeing those guys. And it's just wonderful to be welcomed back
14:16
and to be here one in one, you know, terrific show that went down
14:20
fantastically and I'm hoping that this one will too because it's certainly of equal if not greater quality
14:24
it's fantastic, yeah. They've done a beautiful job restoring the theatre since you've been there
14:29
So I've heard, yeah, I've heard they've done that but again, I haven't since, so I'm excited to go in tomorrow
14:33
and get to work. Well, first of all, I know you all to survive yesterday, right
14:38
Yeah, we made it, we're here. I'm double jet lag because I've been in Vancouver for four months
14:42
London for four days and then New York. So yeah, we're here and standing in gin and tonics
14:47
And you start rehearsals tomorrow? Yes Do we Good to know Yes I be Start tomorrow You go to the music box tomorrow Thank you Noted And that that in Brooklyn No that on Broadway You were in Brooklyn at Bam right Right Yes
15:02
So we're talking about your Broadway debut. I know you did Bam before. It was a gorgeous theater. But now you're getting ready to make your Broadway debut at the gorgeous music box theater
15:09
How excited are you? So excited. I was just doing a job in Vancouver
15:13
And I googled the theater. And there's a little featurette about this particular theater and how special it is and how directors want to work there
15:20
and its intimacy and its history. And there was an actor interviewed on it called Victor Garber
15:26
And I watched that, and I was like, oh, I recognized him from his later work
15:30
And then I was in the elevator getting off at my floor. And so was he. And so he was living on the same floor as me
15:36
in this hotel in Vancouver for four months. And I thought it must be a good omen
15:41
Only in the theater. It's like only like, you know, created people. Does that happen to
15:45
It's weird, isn't it? There's synchronicities. And I actually had a big injury that I've only just started walking
15:50
and I just thought, if I've seen Victor Garber in the elevator, maybe that means I will go to Broadway
15:55
Well, you are here. What has it been like working on this play? It has actually been, you know, to use the awful word journey
16:03
as such a journey, because it started as this piece of eccentric, amazing piece of new writing that was bold and strange
16:10
and completely unprecedented. And it's become this beloved thing. It's this wonderful
16:16
We were all so nervous before the opening night in London because we did not really know where this would fall
16:23
tonally, politically, and then it was completely embraced. By interestingly, both sides, royalists and Republicans, I guess you'd say, yeah, yeah
16:34
Everybody loved this piece. I think that's it. That's a really beautiful way of putting it
16:39
That politics aside, everybody loves the piece, that the poetry of the text, which I just watched a run the other day
16:44
because I've been on crutches, I couldn't partake. So I got the privilege of watching this play again
16:48
and it just gets deeper and deeper. The writing is so good. Talk about this wonderful woman you get to play
16:53
Right, wonderful woman's the world. I was like, I should write a memoir called The Year of the Princess
16:58
and I thought, you idiot. That's what Anthony Cher wrote, the Year of the King. So that would be a bit derivative
17:04
No, but that would be good, though, the Year is the Princess. That would be a bestseller. I think you're right
17:08
Buy it here in America. They could sell it at the theater. Done. Okay, perfect
17:13
You want to cut? No, it's all yours. But, I mean, playing Kate Middleton, I mean
17:17
she's in your DNA. I mean, you see her every day in the news and the paper
17:22
So what was it like when you knew you were going to sort of take on this persona? What went through your mind and were there little things that you like captured about her
17:32
Definitely. She's delicious to research because there's so much. Like you say she's in our DNA. It's a really beautiful way of putting it
17:37
So in fact, you just get out, it's been a very unusual process because usually my imagination goes bananas when I get a role and I create their parents and I create their backstory and no one cares
17:47
but then it helps you do the job and stuff and I fall in love with them in that way
17:51
With Kate, it's all there. So I just had to get out the way and just like you say, open that vein
17:56
and express that DNA that we all have swirling around us. You're living with her every day on the newspaper, the news
18:03
and having the getting married, having the baby. It's just something it plays over in our mind
18:07
Yeah, it's true, and her life is so theatrical in a way. It's kind of a really natural transition to whack her on stage
18:13
And working with this amazing cast and your director, Rupert Gould. He's really, really good of directing
18:19
He's so good and he really encouraged me to go confidently in a direction with this particular role that has really, yeah, been a big departure for me
18:28
Had you worked with Rupert before? I almost did a play with Ruper a long, long time ago and I couldn't do it
18:35
And I wrote him like a letter, like a teenager, like a letter and I bought him like a vinyl and I was so sad and I thought he'd never gonna, like, want to work with me again
18:43
And then, so I was really happy to get a chance. One of the finest stage directors ever, one of the most sought-a-pa directors in London and here in America
18:50
That's extraordinary. I'm not on Twitter, but every now and again I Google Rupert Gould Twitter
18:54
because he writes very intelligent, pithy tweets about the difference between film-acting, theatre, and he's super smart
19:00
He's the smartest man in the room. That's right, exactly. Yeah, yeah, you're right
19:05
Working with this cast, what a great cast. Yeah, they're awesome. They're very different from each other, and everyone's got a massive ego
19:12
and we sort of thrive on bullying each other. really weird vibe. I've never worked in a show like this
19:17
But it's like a family. Brothers and sisters do that all the time. I think you're right. Maybe that's what's cool
19:23
Yeah, okay. That's a generous reading of it. That's what I would look at it. I mean, everybody, brothers and sisters will always rib
19:29
each other, but they'll always look out for each other and you've all got this show to do. You know what? That's true. I've got their backs, even though I, you know, insult them in the street
19:37
Totally. It's fine. Just looking forward to making your Broadway debut. I mean, what are you
19:42
thinking? I mean, you're going to the music box, which is one of the most beautiful theaters, they've just reached on the entire front of house
19:47
I mean, oh, wait, do you see it in person tomorrow? Oh, man
19:51
well, thank you. You just enthused me about it, because I've just been hoping I can get on stage
19:55
I've had this injury, and I've been on crutches for, like, a month and a half, so I haven't even
19:59
put my brain into that thing. Do you have your heels on stage? Some cruella members
20:05
of the cast say that my performance is a blowdry and a pair of heels, and nothing more
20:09
So without the heels, I'm going to have my acting tested, I think. You're going to be
20:13
sensational. It's very, very exciting. I've been to New York before at BAM, so I've had a little taste
20:18
across the river, but, no, this is a real deal. I walk through Times Square
20:23
today, and that's an atmosphere. That is an atmosphere, so it's going to be great
20:26
Did you walk by your theatre? No, I didn't, because we were on the way, because we had to get some stuff for our
20:30
apartment, but I sort of looked out for it and then thought, no, we had a mission, so
20:34
I couldn't. So I want to leave that until tomorrow, we'll get in. Wait until you get there, you're at the music box, they have just
20:40
redone the theater. It's stunning. You're going to have the best time. I mean
20:44
What has it been like this whole journey working on this show? Oh, that's a good question
20:49
It's been quite a long journey. We started in 2014, March, 2014, I think
20:55
And it started in a fairly low-key way. We had no idea it was going to be a big hit in the West End and then travel to America
21:01
It's just been amazing. And I think, you know, even one of the keys to the success of it has been that when we started rehearsals, we didn't really know what we had
21:09
And it took an audience to sort of inform us more about that. And we wondered, what this is such a crazy idea
21:14
writing a verse play about the royal family. It's like stupid. It's nuts
21:20
But it just worked. It worked. And we were so naive about it in a way that we just sort of took, you know
21:25
we didn't go into it knowingly at all. And so like it's been a journey that I think we'll probably look back on
21:30
and you used to come to think that was the journey. We don't know what the end of it is yet. So it's, you know
21:34
Because I'm sure you didn't know. I mean, here's a play about the royal family, which in Europe is the family
21:41
You know, so I'm sure you didn't know how audiences were going to perceive the play. No
21:44
No, no, exactly. And some members of the Royal Family are popular. Some are less popular
21:50
Some people want to get rid of the Royal Family altogether. So it's quite a contentious issue, the Royal Family full stop
21:56
And then the issues of the play come into play and stuff. So it's a cocktail of things that are likely to provoke, certainly in England
22:03
and I think in Europe, you're right. And we'll see how the New York audience responds
22:09
The buzz on the street is amazing. The great thing about a play is you go out afterwards and you discuss
22:14
And everyone has all these different opinions, and that's what a great play does. Well that is good to hear because I think that what I think theatre should be And certainly there were people my parents for one who came out of seeing Charles III who were furious about it and I was like well you know that good You come to the theater you
22:30
been, you got angry, that's good. And working with this cast. It's the best company I've ever been in
22:38
And I mean that in terms of like the quality and the people and the friendiness
22:41
and it's relaxed too. We have a lot of fun together and it's brilliant. Yeah
22:45
Playing Harry. I mean, you know, I was telling the other cast members, it's in your
22:50
I mean, this is your family from over there. So the research is, did you have to do a lot of research
22:55
I probably should have done a lot. That's a bad answer, right? No, the really genuine truth is there's a lot of research that we do by osmosis
23:04
because they're just there and we know them or we think we know them
23:08
And they're in the papers and they're just, Harry, particularly at the moment
23:12
is just so much on the front page, so much in our consciousness. But equally, like the point
23:20
play is a play and it's a future history play so it's based on things that haven't happened yet
23:24
and i think i made a decision that imitation or uh yeah imitation was not going to be helpful that
23:32
the play must be allowed to speak for itself um so i didn't deliberately do any or i deliberately
23:37
didn't do any sort of mega research into making harry like too much like harry i wanted the play
23:42
to speak for itself but what i learned was that harry is just very very popular people love him
23:48
and the audience in this play, I think more than any play I've ever done, do a lot of work
23:56
And that's not to make the play sound hard work. It's imaginative, creative on the audience's part
24:01
So they bring a lot of their own knowledge about what they feel for Harry or William or Kate or whoever it is
24:09
Working with your director, Rupert Gould. Yeah, he's a legend in England
24:14
He's done a hell of a lot of good stuff. He's brought stuff over here. He's an exciting guy to work
24:18
He's got a really particularly brilliant imagination, and he sees the truth of a scene
24:26
and he sees the image of a scene, and allows the actors to do the work in between
24:31
So what are you looking forward to the most? You're making your Broadway debut. You're back during this incredible season
24:36
I mean, my gosh, what a fall we have here on Broadway. What's you looking forward to the most? That's a big question
24:43
I'm just going to take it a day of time and just see how it rolls. And I guess I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving
24:48
We don't have that in England. That's a nice thing. I've heard a lot about it. We get a day off, although that's, you know, I want to do the work
24:55
But no, no, that's going to be fun, getting involved with some American life
25:00
The holidays here, especially in New York, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, the Halloween parade
25:06
I mean, seeing the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, all the stores on Fifth Avenue. It's pretty big here
25:10
That's a lot of stuff to take in. I'm going to enjoy it. A day at a time. Exactly
25:14
A day at a time, an event at a time. I've got my young daughter here as well, who's..
25:18
Eight months old, so she's our first family Christmas away. So it's going to be, you know, we have a lot of memories, I'm sure
25:24
Well, first of all, welcome back to Broadway. Welcome back to New York. How does it feel? I feel exhilarated
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I always feel like New York sort of totally is the most galvanizing place. You know, I've been lucky enough to do two shows on Broadway before
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One was really acclaimed, and the other had a slightly bumpy ride
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So, of course, one goes into everything with a sense of trepidation
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But I, you know, I don't want to tempt fate. have a really good feeling about American audiences in this material, actually. I think it, although
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it's ostensibly a really British play. I have a feeling audiences may really enjoy it over here
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I hope so, anyway. Everyone is waiting for this. The buzz on the street is amazing for this play
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Take me back when you first got the play, what you loved about Mike's writing and why you wanted to
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direct it. I think the, you know, I was lucky enough to do Macbeth here with Patrick Stewart
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and I was an associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company for a number of years. And I
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I suppose what was extraordinary when might pitch the idea to me about it was
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these two things in British culture, Shakespeare and the Royal Family, are they alive or dead
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And the thing, I remember picking the script up on literally on the first page going
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I can't believe this is like a Shakespearean play for now. And it's done with such confidence in Elam that I had a real, you know, you very rarely have that
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when you read a new play, that sort of hairs the back of your neck. Oh, this is incredible. This is going to be huge
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the casting is amazing. I'm looking around at all your cast. I'm like, that's so-and-so
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He's playing so-and-so. She's playing so-and-so. Yes, it was funny. I mean, we made an active choice
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not to do impressions, and yet, of course, all our leads have a sudden similarity
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to the characters that the audience will know. And please see, Ollie, who plays Prince William
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I mean, that's a quite hard thing to cast because William's, he's very tall
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You know, he's got a certain kind of, cut of his nose and his shape
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And, yes, it was really important to kind of pick up people who were in the ballpark. But they're also, you know, really, I think, world-class stage actors every one of them
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And, yeah, I feel, you know, it's such a thrill to, because this material is so British
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you know, I absolutely, I love New York actors. I think New York actors in many ways far superior than British actors in some areas
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But I think this material is so British. And to bring a really great British company over
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who have a background in classical theatre, is a real privilege. And, you know, I hope people enjoy them as much as I've enjoyed working with them
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London audiences, European audiences, loved this show over there. Were you surprised at all, like, during previews
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Like, would they get it? Would they accept it? At any point? I suppose
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Of course, I was surprised it was quite as successful as it was. But it just really appealed to
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You know, let's be honest, all great drama is about family, and this is a play about a family
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It's about... The family. Exactly, our prime family. But I think also, you know, it's a tribute to Tim's performance, and it's to the humanity of Mike's writing, is the idea of somebody who spent all his life waiting for something and then gets it, and somehow it's the moment has passed
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God, haven't we all felt that, you know, a promotion, a job, an inheritance, a writer
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passage with our own family members. And I think that spoke in a really broad way to lots
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of audiences in England. And, you know, I have every hope we'll hear as well
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I'll ask you, what are you looking forward to the most with being back on Broadway and bringing this beautiful show to Broadway? I love Broadway houses. We are in such a music, was such a beautiful
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theatre. You know, this show began at my theatre, the Almeida Theatre, which is, you know
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often we talk about proscenium theatres as two room theatres. Like there's a room on stage
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and there's a room where the audience sit. And the great thing I was, about Broadway houses is that is you feel one room
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You know, you're all feeling one great room. There's not a kind of dark background which West End theaters have
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And so I love the fact that we're sharing this story in one room in a sort of much more intimate way
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And also, look, the other thing that New York does better than London, better than anywhere in the world, is when they get behind a show, they go ballistic for it
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And I, you know, I'm not, I wouldn't be so arrogant or hubristic to say that will be our show necessarily
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but I love the warmth and the energy that comes back of the audience when they love something
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And it's hoping
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