Invincible
The Original Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
7th March to 11th March 2017
The Original Theatre Company
Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea
7th March to 11th March 2017
The Original Theatre Company are Invincible and return to the Palace Theatre with another successful production.
The Original Theatre Company founded by actor Alastair Whatley is touring the country with their production of Invincible by Torben Betts. The play is an hilarious, domestic black comedy. Alastair who also acts in the play has taken some time out to chat to Jacquee Storozynski-Toll about the production which is on next week at Southend's Palace Theatre.
Thanks for taking time to chat to me about the tour of the play Invincible. You are becoming a regular at the Palace Theatre.
Yes, we have done several plays there, Birdsong, Night Must Fall and Flare Path among others. We love the Palace, as it is a beautiful old theatre. The stage rake makes it difficult though, especially when we had to use a wheelchair in Night Must Fall. There was a danger the actress would end up in the audience, but she developed strong arms. (He laughs)
Thanks for taking time to chat to me about the tour of the play Invincible. You are becoming a regular at the Palace Theatre.
Yes, we have done several plays there, Birdsong, Night Must Fall and Flare Path among others. We love the Palace, as it is a beautiful old theatre. The stage rake makes it difficult though, especially when we had to use a wheelchair in Night Must Fall. There was a danger the actress would end up in the audience, but she developed strong arms. (He laughs)
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Although you are the artistic director and founder of the company, you also act in the productions. Tell me a little about this play and your part in it. The play revolves around two couples, one pair from the south and the other from the north. With the recession biting, Emily and Oliver have decided to downsize and shift their middle-class London lifestyle to a small town in the north of England. It is 2012 and Invincible is played against a backdrop of the Olympics. Public school Oliver, the character that I play, has been made redundant so the couple can’t afford to live in London any more. In the north, they meet their neighbours who are completely different. The husband Alan (Graeme Brookes) is a typical working class lager drinker. The champagne socialist couple judge Alan and his wife Dawn (Elizabeth Boag) as stereotypes. At the same time, Oliver feels that he is not providing and is not the alpha male, as his wife Emily (Emily Bowker) is now in control. Although they love each other, there is a lot of emotional baggage as an event in the past has driven them apart. All the misconceptions are turned on their head and this funny sitcom also has dark and tragic overtones. It has everything in it, as classes and outlooks collide, and the consequences are as hilarious as they are tragic. What is more the playwright, Torben Betts has used his own experiences for the play. |
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The play previously toured in 2016, but the director has now changed. Why is this?
Unfortunately, Chris Harper, who directed it before, is now acting as an arch villain in Coronation Street, so Stephen Darcy was asked to take over. I knew Stephen, but I haven’t worked with him until now. He was an actor and retrained and I think he will become very well known in future, as he is a very smart director. It is interesting for the company as there is a different approach to the play. We have also had to bring in Elizabeth as Dawn because Kerry Bennett who had played that part is now doing TV work.
Unfortunately, Chris Harper, who directed it before, is now acting as an arch villain in Coronation Street, so Stephen Darcy was asked to take over. I knew Stephen, but I haven’t worked with him until now. He was an actor and retrained and I think he will become very well known in future, as he is a very smart director. It is interesting for the company as there is a different approach to the play. We have also had to bring in Elizabeth as Dawn because Kerry Bennett who had played that part is now doing TV work.
Your tour continues around the country for the next few months, and then you are booked to go to New York in June. That sounds exciting. How did that come about?
Elizabeth Boag had appeared in the Brits on Broadway festival before. The plays they consider the best are invited. The company had a good review in The Times, so she wrote to them. Luckily, they had seen the review and asked us to take part. The contracts came and were signed almost immediately, and we are now headlining. It is a testament to Torben, as they have taken us on trust, as they haven’t seen the play, only read it. We are nervous, as an audience in New York may not understand the north/south divide in England. We hope that the jokes will work, and be well received. Anyway, when we perform in various towns in England the audience’s reaction is often different. The understanding of the humour reflects the demography. Sometimes in the north, audiences feel hostility to Oliver who jokes at their northern neighbour’s expense, However, they realise it is all tongue in cheek and by the end all the audiences have the same reaction
Some people have compared the playwright Torben Betts to Ayckbourn, what are your thoughts on that?
Torben is a protege of Alan Ayckbourn. In 1999, Alan Ayckbourn asked him to be the resident dramatist at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre. Alan has the ability to combine the comic with the tragic and Torben has the same ability.
Elizabeth Boag had appeared in the Brits on Broadway festival before. The plays they consider the best are invited. The company had a good review in The Times, so she wrote to them. Luckily, they had seen the review and asked us to take part. The contracts came and were signed almost immediately, and we are now headlining. It is a testament to Torben, as they have taken us on trust, as they haven’t seen the play, only read it. We are nervous, as an audience in New York may not understand the north/south divide in England. We hope that the jokes will work, and be well received. Anyway, when we perform in various towns in England the audience’s reaction is often different. The understanding of the humour reflects the demography. Sometimes in the north, audiences feel hostility to Oliver who jokes at their northern neighbour’s expense, However, they realise it is all tongue in cheek and by the end all the audiences have the same reaction
Some people have compared the playwright Torben Betts to Ayckbourn, what are your thoughts on that?
Torben is a protege of Alan Ayckbourn. In 1999, Alan Ayckbourn asked him to be the resident dramatist at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre. Alan has the ability to combine the comic with the tragic and Torben has the same ability.
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The company is award winning, and has been in existence for over ten years. What drove you to start it, and how did you get others on board.
I started the Original Theatre Company in 2004 when I was in my second year at University and was about 19 years old. I can’t remember how it started as memories change over time. It was probably an idle summer when I saw some outdoor theatre and thought it was a good idea. I advertised in The Stage and was surprised to find a queue of about 50 people turn up to audition. They were both professionals and non-professionals, but all had a passion for theatre. The following year, the company toured all over the place, both indoors and outdoors. Once the company started, it gathered a life of its own. All kinds of people came on board. The design team were University friends, and I had the set built by a strange Norwegian sailor. How did you get funding? That was a problem and still is. I was naïve, it was funded by blind ignorance, ambition and the hope that people would come to see the first production. Once in York we played to about four people in dress suits. It was a difficult learning experience. Now we often co-produce with theatres and the costs are shared so that makes it less stressful. |
Do you usually act in all the productions?
In the early years, I was cheap so it made sense for me to take part. Now I have cut the touring down. We usually perform three plays a year and I only appear in one. I have toured for eleven years and I now want some time to myself. I will direct occasionally, but that means I don’t have to tour. Now I want to stand back and not be juggling everything and then I will be able to concentrate on one thing.
Do you have a regular company of players?
Not really! We try to cast new people, but also use people that have appeared with us before.
In the past you produced more familiar, classical plays, with Invincible, do you see the future more about new writing.
We want to combine both. The new writers of today will be the classics of tomorrow. Tom Stoppard and Alan Ayckbourn are now classic playwrights. All new writers need to start somewhere, and we have commissioned Torben to write us more plays, to help enhance his reputation and make it stand for perpetuity. It is important that we introduce him to regional theatre, not just London, but we want to continue with a balance of old and new plays.
After this tour what are your plans for the future?
After New York, we are touring with Wait Until Dark in the autumn. We have a lot of plans for 2018 with new plays by Torben Betts and Rachel Wagstaff, who adapted Birdsong.
Thanks very much for taking time from your busy schedule to talk to me and I look forward to seeing Invincible next week.
I hope you enjoy it.
In the early years, I was cheap so it made sense for me to take part. Now I have cut the touring down. We usually perform three plays a year and I only appear in one. I have toured for eleven years and I now want some time to myself. I will direct occasionally, but that means I don’t have to tour. Now I want to stand back and not be juggling everything and then I will be able to concentrate on one thing.
Do you have a regular company of players?
Not really! We try to cast new people, but also use people that have appeared with us before.
In the past you produced more familiar, classical plays, with Invincible, do you see the future more about new writing.
We want to combine both. The new writers of today will be the classics of tomorrow. Tom Stoppard and Alan Ayckbourn are now classic playwrights. All new writers need to start somewhere, and we have commissioned Torben to write us more plays, to help enhance his reputation and make it stand for perpetuity. It is important that we introduce him to regional theatre, not just London, but we want to continue with a balance of old and new plays.
After this tour what are your plans for the future?
After New York, we are touring with Wait Until Dark in the autumn. We have a lot of plans for 2018 with new plays by Torben Betts and Rachel Wagstaff, who adapted Birdsong.
Thanks very much for taking time from your busy schedule to talk to me and I look forward to seeing Invincible next week.
I hope you enjoy it.
The play will be performed at the Palace Theatre Westcliff on Tuesday 7 March until Saturday 11 March Tues - Thu 8pm & Thu 2.30pm - £28.50, £26.50, £21.50Fri & Sat 8pm & Sat 2.30pm - £30.50, £28.50, £23.50
Concessions £2.00 off (exc Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen mid-week matinee special £24.00, £21.50 (exc groups)
Groups 10-19 10% off, Groups 20+ 20% off
To buy tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Concessions £2.00 off (exc Fri & Sat 8pm)
Senior Citizen mid-week matinee special £24.00, £21.50 (exc groups)
Groups 10-19 10% off, Groups 20+ 20% off
To buy tickets go online to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135
Tour Dates
Wed 15 – Sat 18 March Harrogate Theatre
Tues 21 – Sat 25 March The Lichfield Garrick Theatre & Studio
Tues 28 – Thurs 30 March Theatre Royal Brighton
Tues 4 – Sat 5 April New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Thurs 1 June – Sun 2 July 5959, Brits Off Broadway, New York
For more information please visit www.originaltheatre.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre
Wed 15 – Sat 18 March Harrogate Theatre
Tues 21 – Sat 25 March The Lichfield Garrick Theatre & Studio
Tues 28 – Thurs 30 March Theatre Royal Brighton
Tues 4 – Sat 5 April New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme
Thurs 1 June – Sun 2 July 5959, Brits Off Broadway, New York
For more information please visit www.originaltheatre.com.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/OriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre