David Tennant: ‘I found myself improvising Shakespeare’

Earlier this week award-winning actor David Tennant opened a revival of Macbeth in the West End.

He and Cush Jumbo play the regicidal titular duo in Max Webster’s production – which will also be broadcast in cinemas early next year.

While the Scottish play is considered unlucky, we spoke to Tennant about previous ‘goings-wrong’ in other roles, and by chance he shared his experiences with another Shakespeare.

On the opening night of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Romeo and Juliet at the Barbican in 2000, Tennant said that he completely forgot a section of his lines. He told us: “I dried completely… that’s one of the most famous plays that has ever been and I found myself improvising Shakespeare.”

He added: “Luckily it was not the balcony scene, probably not one of those scenes that the whole audience can chant along with you but there was a chunk where I thought ‘Oh, I’ve not got a clue’ and had to make a little bit up.”

It was Keith Dunphy (who was playing Tybalt) who ran on stage and saved the day. Tennant finished by admitting he thought that invited critics, who had seen the play many times, would end his career but mercifully “nobody noticed!”

You can watch him recall the story below:

And watch more opening night celebrations: