Live 24-Seven - Interview
to live sports, there’s nothing like being with other people waiting for something to start, it’s extraordinarily exciting and can be liberating and do all the things live performances are supposed to do – make you cry, laugh, breath together. There’s something incredible about the science in the theatre, it’s magical and kids pick up on it straight away.
You’re treading the boards here next month; tell us a bit about the production? Tartuffe – yes, people go, “Oh it’s foreign; it’s French” [said in an exaggerated Brummie accent]. Moliere was revolutionary because he allowed people in French theatre to laugh out loud. Tartuffe is funny! We’ve got a great cast, lots of people from around here and it’s set here, in no particular time – it’s funny!
Mark, you’re Patron of The REP, how thrilled are you by the redevelopment of the theatre ready for its centenary year? It’s wonderful that it’s become a lovely matched pair with the Library; it’s so great that Birmingham has made this investment in what is ‘all our futures’. Birmingham should be very proud of it and what it does culturally, it’s not a small thing to have a world class symphony orchestra, world class ballet, The REP of course, the touring theatre that goes into the Alex and Hippodrome, we still have the original Rep, which is an absolute miracle – I congratulate the council for that! We have the ICC, the Conservatoire – and it’s all in the centre of the town, we don’t have to invent a cultural quarter, Birmingham is a cultural quarter.
How important is it to your profession to see such investment, is it music to your ears? Absolutely! Even the biggest film actors will want to do theatre at some point, because that’s where most of us come from, there’s no substitute for being on stage with actors, learning our lines and being ‘live’. It’s like going
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It’s your first performance here; does that add another dimension to it? Yes weirdly, although it doesn’t feel like first day at school, as I’ve always been around here, my dad worked at the old Rep, so it’s part of my cultural family and it’s a very welcoming building and a great team as well, right from Leon the maintenance guy – poor old Leon [laughing], he had a baby last week and he’s in charge of this huge building! The REP is an extraordinary facility, the stage is the size of an opera stage, we build the sets in the workshop, Sue Nightingale in the wardrobe department does the costumes, it’s a real production house, it’s not farmed out, it’s like it should be, it just feels right!
There’s kind of a religious theme to your career recently... [Laughing] Yes!
…with the hugely successful Father Brown. Is there something you’re trying to tell us – a new vocation perhaps? I feel like I should confess my sins to you! Yes, [laughing] I’m just happy to do what I’m told! Roxana asked me to be Patron of Rep 100 and I was happy to and will continue to help in any way I can, but I thought, “I suppose I should do something” and Roxana said straight away, “Yes, Tartuffe”. [laughing] She obviously had it in her head! It’s the perfect bookend to Father Brown.
You’ve been lucky, and of course talented enough to enjoy a real mix of theatre, film and TV throughout your career, where does your heart lie now and what attracts you to a role? Yes I have been lucky, very lucky, with
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