Basic HTML Version
TRAVELLE
LONDON
She might find the idea cringe-
worthy (and, yes, it’s a bit of a cliché), but
we’d like to nominate Lindsay Duncan
as one of the UK’s national treasures.
Even those who are unfamiliar with her
name will no doubt have seen her work,
whether in the theatre, where she’s won
two Oliviers and one Tony Award for
Best Actress, in filmor on TV. Over her
considerable career, the Scottish actress
has received plaudits for performances in
projects as diverse as TimBurton’s
Alice
inWonderland,
the BBC’s
Merlin
and the
hit HBO series
Rome
. But although the
61-year-old actress is best known for
haughty, regal roles in these, she’s not
just a drama queen. This month
there’s a rare chance to see her flexing
her comic muscles in Noël Coward’s
Hay
Fever
, a comedy about a house party
hosted by an eccentric, self-obsessed
older actress. So, we wondered, how
does the real-life Duncan compare to her
stage persona?
You famously played Maggie Thatcher
in a BBC film, and Servilia of the Junii in
the worldwide TV show
Rome
. Neither are
shrinking violets. Are you drawn to powerful
female roles?
“I don’t look for them. It’s true that
powerful people are fascinating, often
charismatic and sometimes dangerous,
so there’s plenty to play with. As an actor,
you can be equally compelling being
quiet and thoughtful though, and it
can be just as satisfying. In the end, do
people believe you? That’s the thing
you’re chasing.”
As she gets ready to tickle our funny bones in this spring’s must-see West End show,
award-winning actress
Lindsay Duncan
talks comedy, drama and staying sane...
Hay Fever Season
Q+A
Judith Bliss, your character in
Hay Fever
, has
previously been played by Maggie Smith,
Judi Dench and Diana Rigg. Are these big
shoes to fill?
“They are all brilliant actresses, but
I don’t see it as a test. I can only do
my interpretation. Good plays can be
endlessly re-interpreted.”
Do you prefer drama – which you are most
known for – or comedy, like
Hay Fever
?
“If the play’s good it doesn’t matter –
I love both. Making people laugh is so
gorgeous though. I have done a lot of very
serious stuff. Time for some fun, I think.
Having said that, there is no good play,
however serious, which doesn’t have a
few laughs in it.”
Hay Fever
is 88 years old this year and still
being staged. Why do you think Noël Coward
plays are such a perennial success?
“Well, his plays are still so funny. His wit is
modern and there’s glamour too.”
If there was one aspect of the acting
business you could get rid of entirely, what
would it be?
“Mid-week matinées, that would be a
good one to get rid of. If you’re in a long
run and you’re in a leading role, and the
play is of a conventional length, you’re
absolutely exhausted after those. It’s
hard for people to believe, because
they think you start work the minute
you arrive on stage or on a film set. In
the theatre, you’re trying to be at your
peak, your absolute best, in the evening
and it is not when we naturally peak. If
you want to be really good and give the
best at every show, you have to put in an
enormous amount of work.”
Given the tremendous energy that theat
takes, do you stick to a routine when yo
doing a play to energise and support yo
“I’ll keep doing Pilates, try to rest befo
the show, eat well and get fresh air. A
film, an exhibition – anything that’s
stimulating – can be very refreshing.
Theatre is a physical andmental work
and you have to be well prepared.”
In
Hay Fever
you play a retired star actre
– are you ever tempted to give it all up a
rest on your considerable laurels?
“Oh, no, you don’t become an actor t
retire. I enjoy it more andmore.”
When you get a chance to go on holiday,
where do you go?
“Almost anywhere in Italy. I love the g
cities: Paris, Rome, NewYork. I really
to go to Berlin.”
If you could host a house party anywher
in the world, where would it be? And wh
would you invite as guests?
“Somewhere in the Tuscan hills in eith
spring or autumn, withmy family and
friends – I never see enough of them
they are the best of people. And all th
people I’ve met and been intrigued by
but haven’t time to get to know.”
What’s the most eccentric thing you’ve d
“A long time ago, I was fined for not
registering for VAT. I didn’t know I’d
slipped into that category and I certai
didn’t feel well off. I was so cross, I
bought a canteen of silver cutlery – n
something that I particularly wanted,
a kind of mad protest.”
Hay Fever
opens on 10 February at the
Noël CowardTheatre in London. For
tickets, visit delfontmackintosh.co.uk
INTERVIEWTANIAAHSAN | PHOTO ULI WEBBER
016-017_ej_Lindsay Duncan lg.indd 17
11/0