Stage: Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing comes to the Theatre Royal Brighton. Laurence Fox talks about the play, the player and the playwright
What are you most relishing about playing Henry?
With the character of Henry I get the chance to play someone who is more intelligent than myself and who has the words in situations where words would fail me.
How would you describe him?
I’d sum Henry up as ‘The Last Romantic’. He believes in fidelity, loving someone even when they’re at their worst, going through life with one person – that’s a very romantic notion, isn’t it?
Do you have anything in common with Henry and what are the big differences?
The things we have in common are that I am the same height, look similar and sound the same. The big differences? That would be telling! But living in someone else’s head for a while, as you do as an actor, is an amazing thing to do and it changes you when you do it.
Why has the play has endured?
Because it was written by Tom Stoppard, our finest living dramatist. Some of it is just sublime, like all of his plays. He’s operating at a totally, massively heightened intellectual level and the language is utterly satisfying – it’s silky and expressive.
Are there themes that will resonate with contemporary audiences?
Well, it’s about love, fear, hope, loss and laughter. Those are themes that at least I hope will resonate.
Why is Tom Stoppard is so revered as a playwright?
Because, as he writes in the play in a speech that Henry gives, “What we’re trying to do is to write cricket bats, so that when we throw up an idea and give it a little knock, it might… travel”. Tom Stoppard is very much like Shakespeare in a lot of ways. The tune of his language is very Shakespearean and also akin to Noel Coward and stuff like that. It’s wonderful to act if you get it right and [laughs] pretty terrible if you get it wrong.
Is this the first time you’ve starred in one of Stoppard’s plays? What particular challenges does his work present to you as an actor?
Yes, it’s my first time doing a Stoppard play. It’s a complete technical and emotional challenge. Technically there’s the fact it’s such an enormously precise play with long, big thoughts being expressed, so that’s a bit tricky when you are playing someone who is smarter than you are. Then the emotional challenge is being able to carry an audience through two hours. It’s tiring but also brilliant.
What do you most enjoy about taking a show on tour?
England isn’t just London, the United Kingdom isn’t just London, so it’s amazing to be able to see culture everywhere.
You’ve worked extensively across stage, TV and film. What have been your highlights?
I most enjoyed working with Kevin Whately and the rest of the Lewis crew, they were such a fantastic bunch and I made some lifelong friends doing it. I
What do you especially enjoy about stage work?
I enjoy the challenge and community of theatre. When you leave a play, you leave as a better actor.
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