the shadow of your shadow

I don’t always feel like a very articulate person, and with acting you’ve just got perfect words. I mean, not always, because often really good dialogue is about the miscommunication between two people. But as an actor you’ve been given the words, and you can immerse yourself in that perfect language and just let it wash over you, which is really quite nice.

(Source: singlespies)

If you want more people to come to the theatre, don’t put the prices at £50. You have to make theatre inclusive, and at the moment the prices are exclusive. Putting TV stars in plays just to get people in is wrong. You have to have the right people in the right parts. Stunt casting and being gimmicky does the theatre a great disservice. You have to lure people by getting them excited about a theatrical experience.

(Source: jaimelynivy, via ms-lonelyhearts)

A young girl grows up - beside a lake; she loves the lake like a seagull and she’s happy and free, as a seagull. But one day, by chance a man comes, and sees her, and having nothing better to do, destroys her, like this seagull here.

My confidence came to me very late in life. I felt distinctly unworthy because I had such an instant success. I was quite exposed, and I never went to drama school. I didn’t feel very good — and I’m pretty self-critical now. But I’ve started to get off my own back, because, you know, acting is just pretending, after all. In our society, there’s a lot made of acting, when ultimately the essential thing is you’re playing — you’re paid a lot of money just to play, and you’ve got to be responsible and take it seriously, but, at the same time, Jesus, it’s not a Nobel Prize endeavor. - Helena Bonham Carter

(Source: ohne-dich)

ofbananapancakes:

Title: Old Times
Author: Harold Pinter
Year: 1971
Recommended by: Helen McCrory
Quotes:

“Deeley: I was off centre and have remained so” (26).

“Anna: There are some things one remembers even though they may never have happened. There are things I remember which may never have happened but as I recall them so they take place” (27).

“Kate: I remember you dead” (67).

From Sam Mendes at the Donmar: Stepping into Freedom by Matt Wolf. (See More)

Theatre, which is nothing, but uses all languages (gestures, words, sound, fire and screams), is to be found precisely at the point where the mind needs a language to bring about its manifestations.

(via snagamat)

“You can hear the audience outside all arriving in their cabs, and then you have the call, ‘Miss Miller, Miss McCrory, please come to the stage. You have five minutes.’ You’re standing there in the wings and the lights go down and there’s that hush. And then it’s yours.” (x)

“Bit cliched, isn’t it? But I suppose we at least knew there was a chemistry there. At the time I was sitting – in LA actually. Reading a lot of uninspiring words and I was sent this script for this play. I thought it was rather brilliant, muscular and poetic. I said to the producer there is only one person who should play the female lead and that’s Helen McCrory. I didn’t know her, but I called her up and tried to persuade her to do it. I remember her saying, ‘It’s very unusual hearing from you’, and I just kept saying, ‘You must play this role, you must play this role.’
She called me back when she’d read the script and said, ‘Don’t you think this might be better on the radio?’ And again I kept saying, ‘No, no, it’s wonderful, it’s muscular, it’s exciting, we’ll have a great time doing it.’ So eventually she said yes – and it was universally slammed by every critic. Helen always says that it’s the worst reviewed production that she has ever been in, and she blames me entirely.” (x)