had a “sense” often that something is going to happen a certain way and then it does...that the phone is about to ring, or something bad or good is about to happen. I'm hyper-sensitive in that way. It's weird and a bit freaky sometimes!


eldest child—I wonder if when Kay lost her father, who I get the sense she was very close to, Alan took his place for Kay in some respects. She certainly looks to him to rescue her from her despair in Act Two. I'm excited to explore all this with Gabriel Ebert, who plays Alan (who I hear is a wonderful actor and all round great guy...).


TS: Do you see Act Two as Kay’s premonition of the future? If so, have you personally ever had a premonition of the future? And, if not, what do you think is happening in Act Two?


CP: Funnily enough, I didn't think about the act in that way until reading this question—the idea that the whole act was simply a premonition. I love the idea of exploring that. So far, I had read Act Two as the actual future of the Conway family...which Kay gets a strange sense (premonition) of in Acts One and Three. It would be a lovely thought that Act Two was indeed only a premonition, that didn't actually come to pass that way. That in reality, things turned out so much happier for the family in 1938. I suppose that's the great thing about the play, and how Priestley writes and plays with Time—that the audience can go home, think about and decide for themselves whether act two is simply a premonition or actuality. Considering everything that is being laid in place in 1919, and the personalities and attitudes of the characters, everything that has come to pass by 1937 seems very believable, whether it's really the future or simply a premonition of what could be (depressing as it is!). Personally, I've never had a premonition as clear as Kay's, if we were to read Act Two in that way, but I've certainly


TS: What do you look for from a director when working on a revival of a play? CP: What I love about strong directors of revivals that I have worked with so far is their ability to see the play in a fresh and contemporary way. I know that Rebecca is excellent at this, so I'm excited to get started and understand how she sees this world of the Conways in 1919 and 1937. All the characters are so rich and relatable, and the family as a whole so real and recognizable in their various fragilities


and dysfunctionalities. I love working on plays that are about families, especially large ones like the Conways, as the company usually takes on a familial feel, which can feel really cozy and comforting. Especially as I'm living 2000 miles from my own family back in the UK... Also, I always wished I had come from a big family with lots of siblings, including brothers (which I never had), so it's at least nice to be part of one for a few months!


TS: How do you keep yourself inspired as an artist? CP: If I was to consider myself an artist, it's definitely not just acting. I enjoy that very much, but that's just one part of what keeps me ticking. So, I suppose keeping myself inspired means making sure I continue to fill my life with variety—whether I'm working and doing the same show every night, or auditioning and every day is different. For me this means keeping busy being creative in other outlets...I trained as a patisserie chef at Le Cordon Bleu in London, so I'm constantly playing around at home baking, making chocolates and cakes and patisserie, packaging and selling them...making and selling hand painted cards, writing little stories, messing about with oil paints, and generally getting my hands (and clothes) dirty. I'm obsessed with baking the perfect French macaron at the moment....•


TIME AND THE CONWAYS UPSTAGE GUIDE


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