HENRY IV Part Two
Southend Shakespeare Company
Dixon Studio Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
30th April - 4th May 2019
Southend Shakespeare Company
Dixon Studio Palace Theatre, Westcliff on Sea
30th April - 4th May 2019
UNEASY LIES THE HEAD THAT WEARS A CROWN...
King Henry is trying to head off rebellions as he approaches his death. His son, Prince Hal, is waiting to take the crown and the old rogue, Sir John Falstaff, is cheating and robbing anybody he meets, regardless of rank or birth.
Rarely performed, Henry IV Part 2 is a great stand alone play, full of comedy and drama, with a mixture of noble characters and loveable rogues.
The SSC are delighted to bring this wonderful story to the Dixon Studio.
Do not miss this classic, rarely seen, Shakespeare play!
King Henry is trying to head off rebellions as he approaches his death. His son, Prince Hal, is waiting to take the crown and the old rogue, Sir John Falstaff, is cheating and robbing anybody he meets, regardless of rank or birth.
Rarely performed, Henry IV Part 2 is a great stand alone play, full of comedy and drama, with a mixture of noble characters and loveable rogues.
The SSC are delighted to bring this wonderful story to the Dixon Studio.
Do not miss this classic, rarely seen, Shakespeare play!
Elliot Bigden, 24, from Hadleigh will be playing the role of Prince Hal once again in Henry IV Part Two - find out more about Elliot here!
When did you start to take an interest in theatre? Did you take part in any productions at school?
I started acting from the age of three, when I would perform silly little stories using my windowsill as the stage and blu tack drawings to the windows as sets. My parents pretty much sent me into drama classes as soon as I got into school and got to play the lead role in the Pied Piper of Hamelin. Are or were any members of your immediate family involved in drama? My mother and father both actually enjoy theatre, my mother used to dance as a child and my father used to take me to see a lot of theatre up in London. I was very fortunate to have parents who not only enjoyed my hobbies but actively supported them. Have you done any sort of formal training for acting/singing/dancing? If you could hear my singing you would know the answer for one of them. I have done LAMDA exams from Grade 1 to Gold, getting a distinction in my gold award. But most of my knowledge in performance was gained from performing with local theatre troupes such as the Southend Shakespeare Company. There is such a wealth of knowledge and experience in Southend and so many who are willing to share and influence. |
Do you have any specialist skills – anything from stilt walking to dress-making – which you work into your repertoire?
The only thing that springs to mind is I have a slight talent for voices, it’s only a small thing but I have to make sure that any character I play has their own separate voice to mine. Prince Hal has presented a challenge here, as I wanted to play the same character in both Part 1 and Part 2 of Henry IV. So I had to find the correct voice of someone who is believably a drunkard and a king, but I am happy with how my performance is turning out.
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
That would be playing Chadwick Meade in a performance of Simon Stephen’s “Punk Rock.” For anyone unaware of the play it focuses on 6 children preparing to take their GCSE mocks and it deals with the pressure that and society places on them. It is a glorious play and my character was the timid nerd who was constantly bullied, so when I stood up to my oppressor and gave a monologue on the doomed future of society you could feel the tension in the room.
When I closed the door on my exit, there followed a large round of applause. I will always remember leaning back against the door listening to audience applaud that weak child Chadwick Meade.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
Oh goodness, unfortunately due to my clumsiness there are a few to choose from. The biggest embarrassment for me was actually recently in a performance of Henry IV Part One. During one scene Falstaff is bad mouthing the prince and insulting him, unaware that the prince has entered the tavern and is listening to every word. Unfortunately on one night when he turned around I wasn’t on stage in my place, but instead backstage having a conversation about Game of Thrones. It was rather overwhelming to be dragged to the wings and then have to calmly saunter on stage like nothing was amiss.
How do you earn your living?
I am a bartender at a wedding venue in Pitsea, the Cromwell Manor.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
I take improvisation classes which have helped in running events purely because it just gets me used to thinking on my feet and quickly coming up with solutions to problems, alongside acting helping me pretend to happy and helpful when dealing with customers.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
Most of my friends I have made through theatre, it’s been a pleasure to go to rehearsals and then follow it up with a trip to the pub afterwards all spent in some great company.
The only thing that springs to mind is I have a slight talent for voices, it’s only a small thing but I have to make sure that any character I play has their own separate voice to mine. Prince Hal has presented a challenge here, as I wanted to play the same character in both Part 1 and Part 2 of Henry IV. So I had to find the correct voice of someone who is believably a drunkard and a king, but I am happy with how my performance is turning out.
Which experience/role do you regard as the highlight of your amdram career to date?
That would be playing Chadwick Meade in a performance of Simon Stephen’s “Punk Rock.” For anyone unaware of the play it focuses on 6 children preparing to take their GCSE mocks and it deals with the pressure that and society places on them. It is a glorious play and my character was the timid nerd who was constantly bullied, so when I stood up to my oppressor and gave a monologue on the doomed future of society you could feel the tension in the room.
When I closed the door on my exit, there followed a large round of applause. I will always remember leaning back against the door listening to audience applaud that weak child Chadwick Meade.
What has been your most embarrassing moment involving drama, on or off stage?
Oh goodness, unfortunately due to my clumsiness there are a few to choose from. The biggest embarrassment for me was actually recently in a performance of Henry IV Part One. During one scene Falstaff is bad mouthing the prince and insulting him, unaware that the prince has entered the tavern and is listening to every word. Unfortunately on one night when he turned around I wasn’t on stage in my place, but instead backstage having a conversation about Game of Thrones. It was rather overwhelming to be dragged to the wings and then have to calmly saunter on stage like nothing was amiss.
How do you earn your living?
I am a bartender at a wedding venue in Pitsea, the Cromwell Manor.
Following on from the previous question, has your theatre career ever been useful in your day job, and/or have you ever drawn on your day job for any of your stage activities?
I take improvisation classes which have helped in running events purely because it just gets me used to thinking on my feet and quickly coming up with solutions to problems, alongside acting helping me pretend to happy and helpful when dealing with customers.
Are your friends mostly involved in theatre - perhaps even working with you on a regular basis - or do you socialise across a wider circle?
Most of my friends I have made through theatre, it’s been a pleasure to go to rehearsals and then follow it up with a trip to the pub afterwards all spent in some great company.
Below: Elliot in rehearsal alongside Dave Lobley who returns to his role of King Henry IV
Which actor (s) do you most admire and why?
Robin Williams has always been one of my biggest influences, I always admired that each of his characters could meet in a room and you wouldn’t be able to tell they were the same man. But mostly, it’s because of the aura of passion you could feel was there around him. I could always tell that he loved what he was doing and had such a talent to be able to bring joy to others through his passion, if I could take one thing from an actor I’d just like to take a little bit of that.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I was very fortunate to have actually had the chance to perform my dream role last year as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I always loved Puck for the chance to be a mischief maker and run around the stage like a madcap, clearly the emotional depth all actors look for in a role. And so with Puck ticked off my bucket list, I guess at the risk of seeming egotistical, I would really love a shot at Hamlet.
I’ve always seen Hamlet performed as a sad and crying guy, when I think personally he is in some ways the first millennial. Slap a coat of nihilistic humour on top of “to be or not to be” and you have a voice of a generation written 400 years ago. I would like to see whether or not my theory actually plays out.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
When I was in a production of “It Runs in the Family” by Ray Cooney, my character had to climb in through a window after escaping from a police officer. In my haste and exuberance, I managed to leave the curtain and window falling into shambles on stage after my entrance. Luckily since it was a farce the audience absolutely adored it. I didn’t realise what had happened until I turned to see the curtains draped across the floor and everyone on stage looking at me waiting for me to say my next line, clearly holding back their own laughter. I couldn’t help but turn away and laugh, which got the audience cracking up all over again.
Robin Williams has always been one of my biggest influences, I always admired that each of his characters could meet in a room and you wouldn’t be able to tell they were the same man. But mostly, it’s because of the aura of passion you could feel was there around him. I could always tell that he loved what he was doing and had such a talent to be able to bring joy to others through his passion, if I could take one thing from an actor I’d just like to take a little bit of that.
What role would you most like to play and why?
I was very fortunate to have actually had the chance to perform my dream role last year as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” I always loved Puck for the chance to be a mischief maker and run around the stage like a madcap, clearly the emotional depth all actors look for in a role. And so with Puck ticked off my bucket list, I guess at the risk of seeming egotistical, I would really love a shot at Hamlet.
I’ve always seen Hamlet performed as a sad and crying guy, when I think personally he is in some ways the first millennial. Slap a coat of nihilistic humour on top of “to be or not to be” and you have a voice of a generation written 400 years ago. I would like to see whether or not my theory actually plays out.
Ever corpsed on stage? What happened?
When I was in a production of “It Runs in the Family” by Ray Cooney, my character had to climb in through a window after escaping from a police officer. In my haste and exuberance, I managed to leave the curtain and window falling into shambles on stage after my entrance. Luckily since it was a farce the audience absolutely adored it. I didn’t realise what had happened until I turned to see the curtains draped across the floor and everyone on stage looking at me waiting for me to say my next line, clearly holding back their own laughter. I couldn’t help but turn away and laugh, which got the audience cracking up all over again.
Tell us a bit about your part in "Henry IV Part Two".
I play the heir to the throne of England, the man who would go on to become Henry V but he’s not there yet. In Part One I wanted to show the scared side of my character, the fear of becoming the king of all of England weighing heavily on a young boy. But in Part Two, Hal is in a sort of Limbo. He’s turning away from the drunk rascal he used to be, but hasn’t quite accepted his place under the crown yet either. But with his father sick and dying, he has the eyes of England upon him wondering what he will do.
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I always try to split my monologues into different sections, so instead of learning a great chunk of text you learn them all bit by bit. Slowly building up till you look back and can recite an entire page of text, still that’s how it works in theory!
Any plans for the future, after "Henry IV Part Two"?
I want to try and push forward with one of my own plays that I am currently writing after the success of my previous one “Come The End.”
And also I look forward to auditioning for Richard III coming up soon with the SSC.
I play the heir to the throne of England, the man who would go on to become Henry V but he’s not there yet. In Part One I wanted to show the scared side of my character, the fear of becoming the king of all of England weighing heavily on a young boy. But in Part Two, Hal is in a sort of Limbo. He’s turning away from the drunk rascal he used to be, but hasn’t quite accepted his place under the crown yet either. But with his father sick and dying, he has the eyes of England upon him wondering what he will do.
Any tricks for remembering your lines or other useful tips to pass on to others involved in drama?
I always try to split my monologues into different sections, so instead of learning a great chunk of text you learn them all bit by bit. Slowly building up till you look back and can recite an entire page of text, still that’s how it works in theory!
Any plans for the future, after "Henry IV Part Two"?
I want to try and push forward with one of my own plays that I am currently writing after the success of my previous one “Come The End.”
And also I look forward to auditioning for Richard III coming up soon with the SSC.
For tickets to see Henry IV Part Two go to www.southendtheatres.org.uk or call the box office on 01702 351135