» A View From The Bridge Interview
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Hayley Atwell talk to Andrew Kay about A View From The Bridge
Whilst Ken Stott gives a breathtaking performance as Eddie in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge, it is brilliantly underpinned by Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Hayley Atwell. The roles are complex, demanding and without them being utterly convincing Stott would be operating in an emotional void.
I met with the seasoned Mastrantonio and relative newcomer Atwell prior to them going on stage, and talked to them about the process of creating their performances.
Was there a moment when you thought ‘I’ve signed up to do something brilliant here?’
Hayley: I knew that the script was brilliant. In rehearsals though, it is quite a dangerous thing to say ‘this is actually amazing’.
Mary Elizabeth: You have to try and figure out why it is amazing. It is an actor’s piece, the actors are going at it, not even talking in and among ourselves, but just going at it and trying to figure out ‘is she going to Cha Cha or Tango; is he a rugby player or a ballerina?‘ You don’t know so you try and figure out who everybody is.
Hayley: It’s true, Lindsay, the director, observed and contained the space for us to play, to go on a tangent here or this direction there. When approaching a part from a character’s point of view it is important not to comment on the character, the minute you do you become the third eye and you start to look at what you are doing self consciously, and at the piece self consciously, in reality people don’t live their lives this way.
Mary Elizabeth: Yeah, especially these characters. They just get on with it; they don’t have time to sit thinking. They don’t even have time to reflect or be philosophical. They are practical. They have to survive.
Hayley: Also, there’s no foul language. As a consequence everyone is beautifully flushed out because they haven’t been truncated by swear words. They express themselves simply, but fully.
It’s a very intense script, is it draining?
Mary Elizabeth: Yes, but it gives back. Some scripts are good but you have to really tie yourself to the wheel, to steer a little bit every night, otherwise it won’t take care of itself. We do go to extremes as it is very emotional, very passionate. You can feel that you are building to some kind of crescendo, some kind of climax, the play really does take you along with it but it requires a kick, you don’t want to be off your game.
Hayley: When it becomes comfortable it becomes dangerous.
Do you enjoy stage more than film?
Mary Elizabeth: It depends on the film and depends on the live stage. I feel that film is like running on a treadmill, and live stage is running a marathon. It’s all up to the actor. Film is demanding in a different way, but it is a little cushier because it has been put together at another time, so you work really hard on the day and then kiss that scene goodbye.
Hayley: There is something fulfiling about the curtain going up and that is it, you are having an experience and you are taking people on this journey with you. And you are in much more control which has compared to being on film which I think is easier. You become part of a system which has a bigger hierarchy than theatre which feels like a lot more team work.
Does the press response matter to you?
Mary Elizabeth: I think critics in the UK probably see much more theatre than on Broadway. They are less effusive in their praise but less harmful in their criticism, that’s the way theatre survives.
Audiences come to the theatre because they want to be entertained as well as to be challenged and intellectually stimulated.
Hayley: Yeah. You realise that most of the people are coming to see a story, not necessarily to critique the production. Theatre is escapism – and it is a fantasy world where you become engaged in something else.
Mary Elizabeth: Everyone has to participate. You have to realise that as an audience member you have to participate. Don’t come just to sit there because you are part of it. We are giving and you are giving back and in that exchange is where the alchemy is.
A View From The Bridge, Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton. Tuesday 19 May to Saturday 23 May. Box Office 08700 606650 (booking fee)
