0:00
Conclave, another great book actually
0:02
Robert Harris, a great, great writer. And you play this extraordinary cardinal figure
0:07
Current Pope has had the most extraordinary few weeks taking on the most powerful man in the world
0:13
And the papacy is clearly a very, very extraordinary institution. You've studied it, I know
0:20
How do you feel he's doing? I think he's great. I love his standing up to Trump
0:27
or implicitly to Trump by what he said. I think war is an obscenity
0:33
I think he is central, as I understand it, a central theme of Christ's teaching
0:37
War is wrong. You do not wage war, certainly not by choice
0:43
And in my view, not that you're interested, but the obscene approach of Trump's regime
0:52
to waging war in this way, whatever. I'm no apologist for the Iranian regime
0:57
but the Pope is he spoke about an ethical principle about violence, about non-violence
1:03
The tradition of St Augustine. Yes, yes and I thought it was how he said it and how he pitched it and he hasn't continued
1:11
He not looking for a fight he looking to make a point of principle and he in obviously an extraordinary position he can say it And I thought he positioned it and said it with great courage
1:24
and I'm a fan of Pope Leo. I'm a fan. Let's jump to the other end of the spectrum, as it were
1:32
Harry Potter, raised for an entire generation, maybe two generations of British actors
1:37
to greater fame, greater financial success and so forth than they would ever have had before
1:42
and we're now just waiting for the television version, which is going to be as big a platform in a sense
1:47
Any thoughts, any advice for this young group of actors just coming for the first time onto this enormous stage
1:55
Oh, God, well, I hope that they're looked after by their producers and they're guided by the people close to them
2:01
and their representatives and their families because they will get most likely a lifetime's focus on them
2:08
for playing these iconic parts, again, these parts being recreated again. And very hard to cope
2:17
with the pressure, cope with the fame, cope with the limelight, cope with the pointing
2:21
and the staring and the talking. All that I think they need, they must be guided
2:26
by, looked after by the producers and the representatives so that they
2:32
are supported I sure they be supported creatively artistically by each other by directors but I think the phenomenon of Harry Potter which is an extraordinary thing that J Rowling has done
2:45
for a whole generation and hopefully for a generation to come. And maybe it's a truism, but people go to the books
2:55
as much as they watch the films. They are reading. But I think I've had the great good fortune
3:00
to be part of that franchise. But it is no question. It's a huge thing
3:06
I think these young actors in it, and maybe they're not so young actors
3:10
they'll all be in the great beam of focus on them that Harry Potter will bring
3:15
It'll be a very odd experience to watch the next Voldemort. I'm very intrigued to see who they're going to cast
3:22
We all are. It's a threat, but it's also an opportunity for actors and for drama generally
3:29
How do you see it? as an actor I confess to being instinctively nervous about AI
3:36
if we're talking about stage techniques what you can do with projection of imagery
3:43
of extraordinary lighting possibilities and sound possibilities all those things have a valid place
3:48
I mean I think I a purist I think I love the idea that actors can go onto an empty stage and speak to each other and just by the skill of their performance and how they speak they can create
4:03
a world but of course i've seen extraordinary um shows with the visual richness um
4:12
and uh the technical possibilities we have i mean i've seen lots of sort of digital computerized
4:22
effects on on stage recently was completely engrossed by cynthia arrivo's dracula which is
4:29
great use of cameras and screens and clever use of pre-recordings of hers different characters
4:35
against her live performance and that was very impressive um but i still ached for
4:41
the simplicity of the actor and i've seen a bunch of productions prior to starting my 10 weeks in
4:49
this theatre with grace pervades them. I love it when the actors alone hold the space
4:54
with just the presence of what they do. So there's a space for our technical possibilities
5:06
but I hope it doesn't dominate or lead. I think the human spirit on the stage
5:10
the human entity, is the most exciting thing we have. A tool, a servant, not a dominator
