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Michele Austin
21 March 2007
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Biography
Michele Austin’s theatre work includes Generations for the Young Vic Theatre, Out In The Open for Hampstead Theatre, Breath Boom for the Royal Court, Our Country’s Good for Out of Joint/Young Vic and It’s A Great Big Shame for Stratford East. Her film credits include Valentine’s Day, All Or Nothing, Secrets and Lies and Park Stories. On television she played Yvonne Fletcher for over 2 years in The Bill. Her other television credits include Gimme Gimm, Kiss Me Kate, Secret Life and Night and Day.
Interview
Interviewer:
So Michele what attracted you to taking part in this?
Michele:
Well, it sounded quite exciting that’s the first thing and usually when you go for a job you have an idea of what your character will be and what the play will be and in this case I had no idea actually what was going to happen and what it was. Sort of said yes. I had seen a chain play once before and so I sort of knew what to expect. Knew it would kind of twist and turn and it might change. So I said yes and then got the script. So I didn’t really…there was nothing to…
Interviewer:
You just had trust in the Almeida!
Michele:
Exactly, so there was nothing except for the challenge and the sort of excitement of it really. That was the thing.
Interviewer:
And how was it on the first day of rehearsals after having read the script and then meeting everybody else?
Michele:
We were all slightly hysterical cos then you realise the enormity of what it is that you’re about to do but we have laughed, that’s the best thing, we have laughed a lot doing it and it has sort of raised some questions, cos when you have all these different writers who have got different styles – it is quite difficult, your character can change and does change. So the first day we read it and tried to each find our through line and we flagged up the things that we found possibly a bit difficult or a bit challenging and we’ve been working through it, but I have to say we’ve not been reverential to the piece, we have kind of laughed and sort of gone (whispers) “does this bit work?” or “does this make any sense?” and “how can I go here and then back here?” – cos there’s a whole time element of course.
Interviewer:
So there are inconsistencies with that….
Michele:
There are some inconsistencies which people might see – I mean we kind of iron them out, but I think when you have these writers and they’ve had just two weeks to put their bit together so there are going to be things that they might have missed.
Interviewer:
And has this been a different way of working than normal, has the director approached this in the same way or…
Michele:
We are approaching it in the same way as a normal play if you like. I suppose there is a shorthand – we haven’t got time to be indulgent and find “well, what would my character do and how would my character do this”, cos you just don’t have the time.
Interviewer:
You’re working at a different pace.
Michele:
Yes, I mean it’s much quicker, we’ve got two weeks and we need to learn it, so we’re talking about it a lot but we’re also up on our feet and we’re just kind of pushing ourselves around bits of the stage because also we’re on a stage that isn’t ours, so you’ve got that as well – that we are in a very modern piece and we’re on sort of a decrepit Russian …
Interviewer:
That’s right because you’re working on the set of the Almeida’s current production ‘Dying For It’.
Michele:
Exactly. So Tom is kind of pushing us a bit and we’re not getting…actors don’t like to be pushed around a stage…physically
Interviewer:
So you’re feeling challenged?
Michele:
Well, no no, what I’m saying is he’s kind of going well what if you just stand here and do that and it’s fine that he’s doing that cos you just don’t have time to say well organically where would I be, you just cant be indulgent really in that way. But I’m sort of reminded of actors in the Forties and Fifties who did weekly rep and I kind of think, well you know, people used to put on King Lear and rehearse Romeo and Juliet at the same time. I mean it’s possible. So I’m trying not to get too bogged down by the …. (whispers) we’ve only got two weeks.
Interviewer:
(whispers back) I know, you’re going to be putting it on a week today.
Michele:
(louder!) I know, I know! It’s quite odd. It is quite odd. And also I’m sort of thinking in terms of like being in you know in a lot of television unfortunately you do now you turn up you learn it you know you’ve learn it the night before or whatever and then you’re on and your filmed and that’s it. You have your lunch and somebody sends you home. I mean you know we do have the ability to be instant if we are needed to be.
Interviewer:
And that is the spirit of the piece.
Michele:
Exactly. It will be fun. Nobody will know what will happen on the night. I mean I think that it will be exciting on the night and I think that you know there’s bound to be things that may not happen and do happen and there’ll be a few surprises but that’s the exciting thing about the night it’s going to be for one night only – you’re never going to have this experience again – that’s what makes it so special isn’t it…
Interviewer:
Absolutely
Michele:
…it’s a unique one night event really, for everybody – for us and for the audience
Interviewer:
They’re going to have a great time
Michele:
Well I hope so! (slightly nervous laugher )
Interviewer:
Well, thank you very much and the best of luck
Michelle:
Thank you.
The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewees and are not necessarily shared by Coutts & Co.
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