Podcasts

WOS Radio: Lots of Method To Country Girl Q&A

| London's West End |

18 November 2010

Last night (17 November 2010) Whatsonstage.com theatregoers turned out in force to see Martin Shaw
take to the stage of the Apollo Theatre, 27 years after he played it in Clifford Odets‘ The Country Girl.

Having originally playing ambitious director Bernie Dodd, in a production which marked the beginning of Bill Kenwright’s West End producing career, he now returns as alcoholic failed actor Frank Elgin, joined in the cast by Jenny Seagrove and Mark Letheren.

A strange story of love, isolation and deception the play is a study in relationships – how they breakdown and reform, and the lies we tell each other and ourselves. The three principals carry this play along on the strength of their beautifully studied performances.

Scott Pask has done a wonderful job of creating a set which is both open but perfectly contained and the set changes, incorporated as part of the play’s theme of the play within a play, add interesting colour and pacing to the piece.

Whatsonstage.com theatregoers were treated to an informative (and longer than usual!) Q&A with the principals after the performance where topics covered included method acting (which was properly emerging around the time the play was set), getting accents just right and how distracting coughing in the audiences can be – especially on Broadway around Tony Award nomination time!

To listen to the full recording of the Q&A, click the ‘play’ button below; or to subscribe and download from iTunes, click here.

For more photos and commentary from last night’s event, visit our Outings blog and for further information and booking for upcoming Whatsonstage.com Outings, click here.