Interview: Clare Perkins Talks EMILIA Ahead Of Online Stream

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm's groundbreaking piece Emilia gets another outing in online form after empowering audiences on the Southbank and in the West End last year. The show will be streamed on emilialive.com tonight and made available for two weeks on demand.

Its premiere will be hosted by Deborah Frances-White, who will also introduce an Instagram watch-along with the playwright and members of the cast. Actress Clare Perkins recalls what she thought when she read the play for the first time, and tells us about her role and visionary speech.

Do you remember how you felt while you were reading the play for the first time?

I got goosebumps. I thought "Well, this has to be mine".

How does Emilia compare with other roles you've played?

For me, it's about the roles that have real meaning and resonance in my life. Strangely, the character I played in Sweat the same year as Emilia also chimed somewhere in my soul. This equals when I played Alice Walker's Meridian, which had been one of my favourite books, as wells as The Lamplighter in Jackie Kay's epic poem/play of the same name. These characters came through like I'd actually lived their lives. Having said that, though, Emilia and that speech seem as though they were destined to be a part of my life.

You deliver one of the most powerful monologues in contemporary theatre - why do you think it's made such an impact on people?

I did a lot of the work for the speech in my bedroom and I just let it come, not knowing really how it would be received. The first time in the rehearsal room, I was stunned. A lot of acting is about intuition and the courage to translate and manifest how the words make you feel. I went for it as I had the night before in my room. It was the feeling emanating from all those women, that wonderful talented company, that let me know that I was on the right track. Also, Morgan's words filled me up and let me speak from the deepest part of myself - truly magical stuff for an actor.

Do you think the show will translate well to the screen?

I really have no idea how it will translate. But I hope that, though the experience cannot be the same as live theatre, it will shine in its own way.

So much has changed in the world since it first premiered - do you think it's gained new meaning? And do you have a favourite line in the show that sums this feeling up?

Yes, the world has changed massively, and the most fitting line I can think of is "Time to listen".

Did you get any audience feedback that's stuck with you?

I had nothing but positive feedback. I remember the first time I did that speech, I got to about the fourth line in it and I looked up to the third balcony at the Globe, I saw a woman's face and thought "Oh that woman is going to cry". She was looking right in my eyes and basically just silently cried all the way through. Afterwards, I could see so much recognition in the women's faces - it was truly astonishing, humbling, and powerful. What a night.

What's something you'd say to someone who's going to watch it?

To someone seeing it for the first time, I'd say sit back, relax, have no expectations, don't believe the hype, judge for yourself. 2019 was one of the best years of my life. Thank you Morgan, I will never stop loving all the Emilians [the official name for hardcore fans of the show].

Watch Emilia on this link from tonight for two weeks

Photo credit: Helen Murray

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