Friday, February 6, 2015 Follow us on Twitter @Argus_The Guide ANDYHOWELLS chats toOneMan, TwoGuvnors actress Jasmyn Banks
THREE-time Edinburgh Com- edy Award nominee and cult optimist is back on the road with her most personal show to date about love and being as outdoorsy as a bear. In her seventh nationwide
tour and with a new niece in the picture, Josie reflects on her own childhood and the re- silience of an older sister. She had never really truly known heartbreak until now, and she is using this experience to change her ways; to be more patient, to work out what she really wants and to become a better person. This is truly her most heartfelt, honest and revealing material, but don’t fret – Nigel Farage and Nick Clegg still get a mention… In her last Fringe appear-
COMEDY: Jasmyn Banks and Shaun Williamson in One Man, Two Guvnors
From soap stardom to the theatre stage
THE National Theatre’s award- winning comedy One Man, Two Guvnors comes to the New Theatre, Cardiff from 10-14 Feb- ruary 2015. Now seen by over 1 million people worldwide, this internationally-acclaimed smash- hit is on its longest ever UK and Ireland Tour. Nicholas Hytner’s five-star
production tells the hilarious story of Francis Henshall who, fired from his skiffle band, be- comes minder to Roscoe Crab- be. But Roscoe is really Rachel, posing as her own dead broth- er – who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a job with one Stanley Stub- bers – but to prevent discovery, he must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple. Gavin Spokes takes the cen-
tral role of loveable chancer, Francis Henshall. Shaun Wil- liamson will
play Charlie
Clench, Emma Barton plays Dolly, Jasmyn Banks is Pauline Clench, Alicia Davies is Ra- chel Crabbe, Michael Dylan is Alfie, Derek Elroy plays Lloyd Boateng, Edward Hancock is Alan Dangle and Patrick Warner plays Stanley Stubbers. Earlier this week, Andy How-
ells spoke to Jasmyn Banks who is best known for playing Alice Branning in EastEnders. Jasmyn’s other TV credits in- clude: Little Crackers, Sadie Jones and Life of Riley while her stage work includes He- cuba for Lazarus Theatre Com- pany and Wind in the Willows for the RSC. Can you tell us about the role you play in One Man, Two
Interview
Guvnors? I play Pauline Clench, she’s
your typical dumb blond, very confused and doesn’t have a clue what’s going on. She’s en- gaged to be married and then another character comes in that she has previous arrange- ment with within an arranged marriage and she’s devastated and that’s how the play starts for her. How did you get into the act-
ing process originally? It’s something that I wanted to
do since I was about 7; I wanted to be an actress. I did whatever I could. I did acting classes, got an agent and started audition- ing, so far so good, I’ve been very lucky. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had my moments when I’ve been out of work but that’s how it goes for any actor. How do you compare work-
ing on television to working in the theatre? It’s a totally different job;
working on EastEnders we were making four episodes a week, so it would sometimes be a 12 hour day, 6 days a week. Fifty actors can’t keep the main sto- ryline and I’d have times when I’d have two weeks off, some- one else was in the spotlight. Then my characters storyline would get big and I’d be very busy so it was very hard work but I can’t tell you how much fun I had, I learned so much. This job (One Man, Two Gu-
vnors) is totally different; it’s do- ing the same script every night and finding new things with it.
That’s a challenge in itself as is having a live audience (which is) a totally different experi- ence to camera. With this show I’ve found many different ways to play the same person and many different ways to play a line, it’s been so much fun.
Was there any truth
in the tabloid sto- ries saying you were planning to go to Hollywood after leav- ing EastEnders? I think its one of the
many things people make up when you leave soaps. I did want to go out to LA and still have hopes to go out there and work. How long will you carry
on with One Man, Two Guvnors? We carry on touring un-
til the end of March and then hopefully I’ll start auditioning again soon. How have you found
doing comedy as op- posed to serious dra- ma? It was actually really daunting seeing myself as a comedy actress, as slapstick comedy requires you to be com- pletely free and really big and bold. I was really terri- fied of going into it, but I’ve learned so much about it, the bigger and sillier I behave the funnier I still find it. For ticket informa-
tion visit call the New Theatre’s box office on 029 2087 8889 or visit newtheatrecardiff.
co.uk.
ROLE: Jasmyn Banks
FUN
ance in 2012, Josie received her third Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination . Throw- ing aside the whimsical repu- tation that she had become known for, a new, more po- litically aware and socially conscious comedian had emerged and captivated the comedy industry in a totally different way. In addition to her numerous DVD releases, TV appearances, sell-out tours, charity benefits and a co-host slot on BBC Radio 6 Music, Josie started an ongo- ing project in 2011 called the Alternative Reality Tour; an anti-cuts, pro-youth, no-profit performance in a bid to fight for social justice and support
7 Theatre
Comic Josie gets childish for showwith difference
Josie Long
public art. They even bring blankets in case it’s cold. She runs a monthly club night in London, The Lost Treasures of the Black Heart, which celebrates the world’s unsung heroes and has since been turned into a podcast. She was recently nominated for a Radio AcademyAward for her adventurous short documen- taries Short Cuts on Radio 4, earned a BAFTA Scotland New Talent Award nomina- tion for her two short feature films, Let’s Go Swimming and Romance and Adventure, and is co-founder of the Arts Emergency Service, a charity to help students from under- privileged backgrounds study arts degrees. Catch Josie at Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff on Tuesday. Call
029 2023 2199.
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