BWW Exclusive: Diary of an Englishman in New York- You're British? You know Fergie?
By: Rufus Wright Mar. 31, 2015
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Academy Award winner Helen Mirren returns to Broadway as Elizabeth II in Peter Morgan's The Audience, which just opened at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Playing one of Her Majesty's twelve Prime Ministers is Rufus Wright, who takes his audience with the Queen nightly as the UK's current PM, David Cameron.
Follow along as Wright takes us behind the scenes of The Audience's Broadway journey with 'Diary of an Englishman in New York'. Be sure to check back later this week for his latest installment!
Follow Rufus on Twitter (@rufusgwright) for even more updates!
27 March 2015
You're British? You know Fergie?
As someone with an Accent, I'm often asked where I'm from.
The real answer is a bit long winded so I tend to smile and say 'London'. And wait for the nod of satisfaction. People with British accents tend to say they're from London as it saves time. Unless they're Scottish, Welsh or Irish, in which case God help you if you've asked if they're English. The real answer for me is that I was born on an army base in Germany, moved 14 times, in four different countries, by the time I was 10, and moved to London in 1996. So: yeah, London. Do we all do this? Because trying to explain just exactly which small town near Lincoln I spent my adolescence seems a little dull. But once I say London I feel like I conform to a category that's easy to identify. But the problem with saying you're from London is even though it's a vast city, dwarfing New York, to many foreigners it means you probably know their friend Colin. Because he lives in London.Previous entry:
24 March 2015
British Prime Minister attempts passable 'Fugeddaboudit'
Having a British accent in New York is a mixed blessing. As the four British actors making their Broadway debuts in The Audience opposite Helen Mirren are discovering.
For every bookstore employee to whom our rounded vowels sound like Charles Dickens resurrected, there's a taxi driver who needs the address spelled out three times, mimed, and pointed to on a map with the business end of a City umbrella. If this fails, and yesterday it did me, the next step is to speak with brio in a broad New York accent to see if that works. Once they've stopped looking at me like some sort of shape shifter from Star Trek, there's usually a 'Well, why didn't ya say?' Before we speed off.
This isn't the only time I've put on my best imitation of my Broadway hosts. Automated call answering services and Siri seem to respond better to a U.S. accent. I have been seen on the phone in the dressing room, dressed and made up as Britain's current Prime Minister- the millionaire Old Etonian David Cameron- and barking 'Lorst Metro-card, for pity's sake' into my phone repeatedly. Then looking carefully over my shoulder, cupping the phone to my mouth and saying- while ACTUALLY DOING THE FACE- the same phrase, as De Niro in Taxi Driver. But at least I'm pretty sure I'll get through.
Rufus trained at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. He created the part of David Cameron in the West End production of The Audience and previously worked with Peter Morgan on the original Donmar Warehouse production of Frost/Nixon and in the filmThe Special Relationship. Other theatre credits include: The 39 Steps (Criterion), The One, The Backroom (Soho Theatre) The Empire (Royal Court), Serious Money, The Madness of George III (Birmingham Rep), Private Lives (Hampstead), Crown Matrimonial (Guildford and Tour), Mary Stuart (Donmar Warehouse and Apollo), Journey's End (Duke of York's), Trust Byron, Life With an Idiot and Franziska (The Gate), Single Spies (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Secret Garden (Salisbury Playhouse), and Richard II (London Pleasance)
Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos
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