Broadcast on BBC Radio 3
Monday 21 to Friday 25 June 2010 23:00-23:15 (The Essay)
"Acting is half shame, half glory. Shame at exhibiting yourself; glory when you can forget yourself." So said Sir John Gieldgud, one of the greatest exponents of the art.
In this week's series of The Essay, five actors reflect on their profession, from the long periods of unemployment to the tension of audition, through to the triumphant curtain call.
160/44; 80 MB total; sound quality excellent
Part 1 - Diana Quick
Diana Quick sees actors as story-tellers, and reflects on how the voice is the most essential of instruments. Diana Quick was the first woman president of the Oxford University Dramatic Society. She is perhaps best known for her role as Julia Flyte in the television production of Brideshead Revisited. Stage credits include: Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company), Troilus and Cressida (National Theatre), and Mother Courage & Her Children (Royal Court). She has one daughter with actor Bill Nighy; the actress Mary Nighy. Her autobiography A Tug On The Thread is published by Virago.
Part 2 - Simon McBurney
Simon McBurney beckons us to join him on stage, during the run of Samuel Beckett's Endgame, and explores how performing in the same play night after night is a process of refinement rather than repetition. Simon McBurney is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Complicite Theatre Company. He has devised, directed and acted in over thirty Complicite productions. As an actor, Simon has performed extensively for theatre, radio, film and TV. Feature films include Sleepy Hollow, Kafka, Tom and Viv, Bright Young Things, The Manchurian Candidate, Friends with Money and The Last King of Scotland.
Part 3 - Olivia Williams
Olivia Williams reflects on the actor-director relationship, and takes us on the journey that drove her to become a Surrendered Actor. Olivia Williams studied English at Cambridge, then Drama at the Bristol Old Vic. Her first major role was as Jane Fairfax in the 1996 ITV production of Emma. Williams made her film debut in 1997's The Postman, after doing a screen test for Kevin Costner. She went on to play a lead role in Wes Anderson's Rushmore (1998). Other film credits include: The Sixth Sense, Lucky Break, The Heart of Me, and An Education.
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Part 4 - Mat Fraser
Mat Fraser lets us peek inside his Job-Getting Toolbox, that indispensible piece of kit that he carries with him to each audition. Mat Fraser is a musician, actor and presenter. His acting career has encompassed a certain amount of political activism around disability issues. His hit one-man stage show Sealboy: Freak was based on the true story of 'Sealo' who travelled with American freak shows from the 1930s to the 1970s. Other credits include the Channel 4 series Cast Offs and BBC's Every Time You Look at Me.
Part 5 - Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Burton-Hill asks what it means to be an actor, especially when you are unemployed. Clemency Burton-Hill is the daughter of the TV presenter and writer Humphrey Burton. She studied English at Magdalene College, Cambridge. Burton-Hill has combined a career in acting, writing, music, and political and arts consultancy. Television credits include: Hustle, Midsomer Murders, The Last of the Blonde Bombshells, Supernova, and Party Animals.
Producer: Abigail Appleton
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Half Shame Half Glory 100624 Mat Fraser.mp3
Half Shame Half Glory 100625 Clemency Burton-Hill.mp3