Zoë and her husband discuss their ‘National Histories’

20 October 2013 18:38

Last Wednesday evening, theatregoers gathered at the National Theatre’s Olivier, on London’s South Bank, to hear a special discussion between Zoë and her husband, Gawn Grainger, about their memories of the National as both actors and audience members.

The event forms part of the National Histories series of talks, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Theatre.  Asking the questions during the evening was Angus MacKechnie, who produces and programmes talks, debates and interviews at the venue.

Angus kicked off the fascinating discussion by asking Zoë and Gawn to cast their minds back to their first encounters with the National Theatre.  He pointed out that Gawn, who has performed in numerous productions there since the early 1970s, has ‘one of the longest trajectoriesÂ’ of any actor at the National.  Later on during the discussion, Gawn emphasised that he loves his work and is fortunate to have always been an actor. 

For his original audition, Gawn delivered a compilation of Shakespearean speeches, while playing the character of a drunken man.  He laughed as he remembered the considerable risk he had taken by giving such an unconventional audition - but the risk paid off when he was offered a place in the National's company.

Zoë’s encounters with the National began in the 1960s, when she was in her teens.  She well remembers being taken by her father, Sam, to watch the National TheatreÂ’s famous production of Othello in Chichester, starring Sir Laurence Olivier in the title role.  Zoe described Dame Maggie SmithÂ’s portrayal of OthelloÂ’s tragic wife, Desdemona, in the same production as ‘a revelationÂ’.

Another memorable early production for Zoë is Peter Schaffer’s Royal Hunt of the Sun, also staged in Chichester, with Michael Gambon and Derek Jacobi among the cast.

SmithÂ’s Desdemona has made a lasting impression on Zoë, who cited the performance as one of her favourites from all of the National Theatre productions she has seen.  In addition, Zoë much admires the combination of ‘pathos and ridiculousnessÂ’ in Dame Judi DenchÂ’s portrayal of Christine in the NationalÂ’s 1995 production of Absolute Hell by Rodney Ackland.

When the discussion turned to events off-stage, both Zoë and Gawn were keen to nominate the NationalÂ’s dressers as their unsung heroes and heroines.  Zoe emphasised that working as a dresser is a wide-ranging job, requiring an ‘intimateÂ’ bond with the actors.  As Gawn pointed out, dressers are sometimes likened to ‘mother-figuresÂ’ who go out of their way to help the cast.  Gawn remembers one dresser particularly fondly; he joked that when he asked her for a cup of tea during the interval, the dresser always knew that what he actually wanted was a pint of beer!

Working for the National has clearly brought both Zoë and Gawn much enjoyment.  As Angus noted, Zoë listed almost her ‘entire National Theatre CVÂ’ when she was asked to choose her favourite of the productions in which she has appeared!

Zoë described acting in David HareÂ’s pair of plays, The Bay at Nice and Wrecked Eggs, in 1986, as an ‘extraordinaryÂ’ experience, not least because she acted alongside Irene Worth.  Zoe greatly admired WorthÂ’s command of her character and the audience; in particular, she remembers her colleagueÂ’s ability to introduce long pauses in the dialogue while continuing to hold theatregoersÂ’ attention.

The fast-paced His Girl Friday, from 2003, also stands out in Zoë’s memory as a particularly enjoyable production.  Everyone involved with the show ‘had a good timeÂ’, she explained; and she liked listening to the ‘feedbackÂ’ from audience members.

Another favourite show for Zoë is Much Ado About Nothing, which ran from late 2007 to early 2008 and received particularly positive reviews.  The Telegraph's Charles Spencer, for example, was moved by the 'unforgettable tenderness and humour' at the heart of the relationship between the two former lovers, Beatrice (played by Zoë) and Benedick (Simon Russell Beale).  Zoë notes that the director, Nicholas Hytner, took ‘a riskÂ’ by casting actors more mature than those who typically play Beatrice and Benedick; but audiences and critics alike thoroughly enjoyed the pairing.

If Zoë could wear any of her National Theatre costumes to a fancy dress party, she would choose the lovely ‘taffeta, purpleÂ’ dress that she had hoped to wear as Beatrice during the party in Much Ado.  Ultimately, the dress was the wrong choice for the character, but Zoë remembers it fondly.

Highlights for Gawn include his work with director Katie Mitchell, on productions such as 2011Â’s A Woman Killed with Kindness, a drama written by Thomas Heywood in the early seventeenth century. 

Gawn enjoys MitchellÂ’s experimental approach to the process of rehearsing and performing plays.  The director's innovations have included sets located off-stage, where the actors improvise in-character during performances, when not required to be on-stage.  Mitchell's ingenuity is clear: Gawn remarked that if you returned to the stage at the allotted time, walking as your character would walk, you would make your entrance at precisely the right moment!

Many of Zoë’s productions at the National have been staged in the Olivier Theatre, which she describes as her favourite place at the venue, whether from the perspective of an actor or a theatregoer.  The Olivier, she remarked, is a ‘wonderfulÂ’ place, despite the technical and vocal challenges that its unusual shape poses to those who appear on its stage.

Gawn agreed with Zoe about the OlivierÂ’s charm and added that his favourite part of the National is the foyer, where he likes to sit and observe the comings and goings of staff and visitors.  If you are rehearsing a play, you will surely find your character among the people in the foyer, he emphasised.  If not there, he joked, travelling on the London Underground's Circle line is the next best option!

Zoë’s ideal day at the National Theatre would involve a morning spent watching Kneehigh’s production of the medieval Tristan & Yseult; the ‘divine’ 2001 production of August Wilson’s Jitney as a matinee; and the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel, which was staged at the National in 1992, in the evening.

These choices, in addition to Zoë's and Gawn's own work at the venue, demonstrate the fantastic quality and range of National Theatre productions during the past fifty years.  The National is clearly among the leading lights of UK theatre.

Incidentally, Gawn is taking part in another National Histories talk, 'Old Vic Voices: Acting with Olivier', on Tuesday 22 October at 6pm, focused on the National's first Director, Laurence Olivier.

BBC Radio 4 Extra's new documentary, The National Theatre at 50, provides listeners with a brief insight into Zoë's debut appearance at the venue, in Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest.

The documentary, presented by Daniel Rosenthal, includes part of a recording of the 1982 production in rehearsal.  Zoë, who played Gwendolen in the play, can be heard discussing the significance of one of her lines with the production's director, Sir Peter Hall.

The National Theatre at 50 was broadcast on Saturday and is available to listen to on the BBC iPlayer until next Saturday, 26 October.  The segment featuring Zoe begins about 1 hour and 18 minutes into the 3-hour programme.

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