Richard, I know you won regional honours at rugby
when you were young. What made dancing take first place and when did you start
to do it professionally?
I was at a private school; back at home in Nottinghamshire and my mother
actually had her own local dancing school. Obviously, that helped me get into
it at a young age. I really did rebel against it I have to say. I wasn't
pleased so much but I guess I just didn't like the idea of performing - that was
the problem. I loved the feeling I got from performing but didn't like the
actual rigorous training – and I really loved playing sport. As you mentioned,
I played rugby up until the age of sixteen – I played for County and the
Midlands and had England trials (laughs) when I was about fifteen but didn't
think I was ever really going to be a professional rugby player. To be honest,
training-wise, dancing is far more strenuous and physically demanding.
But… I never wanted to be a professional ballet dancer - it was just had
a kind of discipline. I went to dancing school and drama school alongside it. I
had a whole combination and really found Matthew's work appealing at the end of
it all.
Was the auditioning process a long one?
I didn't have to audition and nor did Sam. I've been working with Matthew on
and off for about 4 years and have done three or four other shows with him, and
have created two others, so he knows the characters very well and know what
they can deliver. He has had auditioned for the ensemble and that has gone on
for about three or four months prior to the start. He knows what we're capable
of and what we can offer him.
How long does is take you to transform your
appearance into Edward Scissorhands?
At the moment, we've been in the costume about three or four different times –
because we've had photo shoots for Times magazine and things like that. At the
moment make-up is taking and hour to an hour and a half. The costume itself
takes about 20 minutes to put on because we've got a big padded lycra suit
underneath, then a leather kind of armoury type suit over the top and it's very
body-hugging so we have to be all strapped in when it's on our body. It takes
about three people to help us into the costume, then 45 minutes to an hour to
finish it all. And once we've got it on we can't actually go to the toilet…
I was going to ask you… how on earth do you take a
toilet break? With those blades on your fingers it could be pretty risky
business…
Well, it's just not going to happen. We have to get changed about an hour
before the show
What is your training and rehearsal schedule like?
I'd imagine it's gruelling and do you have to work hard to stay in shape? There
aren't any crazy diets or anything are there?
No, (laughs) there really isn't…. Sam and I do have a different physique and
the hands are… well, not heavy as such, but they make us move in a different
way. We have physio during the week to help prevent strain on our shoulders,
elbows and back. We are doing extra things – we do a class every day for an
hour and a half and the whole company has rehearsals from 10.00 until 11.30
where we warm up and do a ballet class or a contemporary class. Basically,
rehearsals takes so much out of you that you don't have to change your diet or
anything because you burn it all off anyway.
Matthew Bourne is a legend in his own right… and
has been hailed as "the best thing to have happened to British dance in the
past 20 years" (The Mail on Sunday). I know you've worked with him on the
'Little Mermaid' and on the creation of 'Play Without Words' (June 2002). Also
on 'Spitfire' - What has it been like to work with the man himself?
It is absolutely fantastic to work with Matthew... I mean, I can't imagine
working with any other choreographer or director at the moment because he is so
into what he's creating. He knows what he wants to put across to the audience
and what he wants us to put across to the audience. He knows how to develop a
character and will give us a kind or a freedom to work with the character. With
Edward especially, we hope that it will be different – from the beginning when
we start to six months down the line…we'll have developed the character and he
allows us to do that and gives us such good tips and really knows what he
wants.
It's great to have someone like that trusting you – it's brilliant.
Are there any jaw dropping scenes in the new
performance?
Gosh, well… there's a point when Edward is in a big Christmas ball and we are a
little bit drunk and we lose control of ourselves and break out into a big
well, 'solo' of sorts. Difficult to explain – but it's a combination of lots of
different styles. In the film Edward was a very good mimic – he was taught by
films and books. He'd seen all the old Fred Astaire films and ballet films and
from those memories he could go into these routines and solos – without any
prior warning. There is one really big scene in which he just goes off and
finds lots of different ways of moving; falling and capturing the characters
around him. He pulls them into his dance and it's very impressive.
Swan Lake moved
me to tears and converted this little ballet virgin for life… I'm now hooked.
Perhaps the most powerful thing for me was observing the grace and talent of
the all male dancers. Is this one a testosterone filled performance or do we
have the best of both worlds in this one?
The cast is mixed… it's 50/50 with girls and boys. There are some beautiful
women in the company and some very good-looking, strong men. I would say less
testosterone than swan Lake but it makes up for it in the kind of atmospheric
quality that the film itself has – and Matthew brings it to the stage. Also,
the music is just so powerful – like Swan Lake but this music is has more of a
modern feeling. It's more of an up-to-date score that we can really play with.
What do you get up to when you're not dancing?
Sam and I are actually flatmates – which everyone finds quite interesting.
We've been flatmates for over a year and a half before we even got this part so
it's quite a coincidence. We play golf a lot – it's the one way to be
competitive without getting injured. It's good for relaxation too.
So, do you
think you'll see Johnny in the audience sometime soon?
Certainly, he said he's going to come along with Tim Burton as well.
Better
yet, have you drawn on him for advice on playing the mysterious scissor-handed
man?
No but I think we probably will do so – we've been watching the film an awful
lot and have read a lot of interviews that he and Tim Burton have given on the
film. So, in that sense, we've drawn on what he's said but we haven't
particularly spoken to him yet. It would be nice to. So if he's out there… come
along!
Good luck with the London opening night Richard, Sam, Matthew and all
the cast and crew – it has been wonderful to chat to you – we'll see you on
stage. Just remember, to limit your fluid intake before the show lads!
If the bite-sized morsel I sampled in the rehearsal is anything to go by, you
don't want to miss it! Make a holiday of it… from New York to London. Lovely!
Get the Christmas shopping done while you're there.
