Zoë Wanamaker: "In Conversation"
5th September 2003, Royal National Theatre, London


As part of the Royal National Theatre's summer 'Platforms' series, a group of notable writers and performers connected to the Theatre, including Zoë Wanamaker, were asked to participate in discussions about their work.  Other actors to take part in these events included Alex Jennings and Robert Lindsay, Zoë's co-stars in His Girl Friday and My Family, respectively.  Held in the National's Terrace Café, the 'In Conversation' events were styled as informal discussions over afternoon tea. Several members of the Fanclub went to listen to Zoë's talk, which took place on Friday 5th September. 


The discussion was chaired by journalist and broadcaster Al Senter.  He began by introducing Zoë to the audience, giving a useful overview of her numerous film, stage and television credits.  Mr Senter led the discussion, interspersed with questions from audience members.

His Girl Friday, as Zoë's current project for the National, naturally formed the initial focus.  Zoe explained that she had also been offered a role in Chekov's "fantastic" work, The Three Sisters, but eventually chose to perform in His Girl Friday because, she remarked, it "smelt good". 

Her character in the production, Hildy Johnson, has a particularly interesting history, originating as a male journalist in Hecht and MacArthur's comedy The Front Page, until Rosalind Russell's star turn as Hildy, estranged wife of Walter Burns, in the classic film, His Girl Friday, re-defined the story.  By making Walter's ex-partner on the newspaper a woman, what does this add to the production?  "Sex!" replied Zoe. 

Clearly the formula works: His Girl Friday has garnered rave reviews.  Zoe also felt that the presence of Broadway director Jack O'Brien, was essential to the show's success. She remembers laughing a great deal during rehearsals.  Working with a team of people in this way is always exhilarating - "acting is like a relay race, passing the baton on from actor to actor".

Her triumph, both in the UK and on Broadway, in the title role of Electra received special mention.  After opening to instant acclaim at Chichester, then playing to packed houses at the Donmar Warehouse, Zoë described the fight to send Electra to Broadway.  The presentation of a 2500 year-old Greek play defied the archetype theatrical hit, and many producers felt that the production was too big a risk.  Luckily, however, one producer who went to see a performance of the show at Princeton, saw the potential for success.  Electra went on to become a sell-out show.

With regards to Zoë's numerous other stage works, Mother Courage is "a favourite".  Zoë's role, Kattrin, was fascinating to play, as the character did not have a single line! The ambitious set for the play, however, frequently created technical difficulties.  Mother Courage's great cart (a ton in weight) would cause the revolving platform, to which it was attached, to tilt, raising the whole set in the air.  Dame Judi Dench (Mother Courage) and Zoe joked about this when they starred together in The Importance of Being Earnest - at least they weren't pulling that cart around!

After leaving drama school in the 1970s, Zoë initially intended to perform new writing, which held particular importance when she was growing up.  Having also been cast in numerous productions of 'classic' plays, however, she is glad to have found herself equipped for a wide variety of writing. 

Zoë has been "fortunate enough" to work under every single artistic director of the National Theatre, since it opened in the 1970s.  In contrast to some of the more "corporate" moods to be found in some theatres elsewhere, the staff and other actors at the National make it a fantastic place to work.  Now an NT Associate, Zoë has not yet decided exactly what to do with her newfound power, but she still has a great interest in new writing and looks forward to fulfilling her role for the Theatre.

Zoë is also, of course, firmly connected to Shakespeare's Globe.  Her late father, Sam Wanamaker, was the driving force behind the project, and the Theatre remains a lasting legacy.  Although, she emphasised, the Globe is a monument only to Shakespeare, it is nice that visitors greatly appreciate her father's efforts. 

She was also asked for her opinion of the work done by the theatre's current artistic director, Mark Rylance.  Zoë is extremely pleased by the quality of The Globe's productions, and believes that her father, too, would have strongly approved.  Several audience members expressed a wish to watch Zoe herself perform there; although she hasn't ruled out the possibility altogether, she would want the play to be "the best...production ever!".

Her family came to Britain when Zoë was just three years old, in order to escape McCarthyism in the United States.  This means that Zoe now feels neither entirely English, nor entirely American.  It is in the US that she actually feels most 'English' - why?  "Because I never know where I am!"  

On average, Zoë completed only one project for television per year, "really until Love Hurts".  The phenomenal success of this show brought many new opportunities, allowing her television work to go from strength to strength.  

No discussion of Zoë's work for TV would be complete without mentioning the popular BBC comedy My Family, in which she stars as Susan Harper, the long-suffering wife of dentist Ben (Robert Lindsay).  Zoe recalled the fun she has working with Robert, and also Kris Marshall (who plays the Harpers' eldest son).  She loves working with both actors, and praised Kris Marshall's talent, evident in his fantastic "creation", Nick Harper.  Although one audience member joked that he could quite easily strangle Nick, if he were to fall foul of any of his madcap antics, Zoë believes that many viewers actually identify with the character, as "they've got one like him, or they are like him!"

The filming schedule for My Family is extremely fast-paced.  Whereas Robert Lindsay "has been doing sitcoms since he was 21", the genre is still relatively new to Zoe, and she commented that Robert needed to be patient with her, particularly when learning lines.  They work at different speeds: he can learn a script quickly, whereas Zoë likes to take her time. 

As episodes are filmed live in front of a studio audience, Zoe also mentioned the difficulty in knowing whether to play to camera or for the audience! 

Filmmaking, she said, is "an Art in itself".  Much of the time spent on set is spent waiting, rather than acting.  For example, in the first Harry Potter film, although the special effects for the Quidditch and broomstick flying scenes are breathtaking, filming was a slow and time-consuming process, involving Blue Screen techniques and computer-aided 'magic'.

The flying lesson sequence, filmed at Alnwick Castle, working with an eager troop of young 'wizards', was "a joy" to make.

Zoë also discussed filming Wilde, a dramatisation of Oscar Wilde's adult life.  She chose the part of one of Oscar's few loyal friends, Ada 'Sphinx' Leverson, as she felt that Wilde was "a good film", and praised the stunning performances from both Jude Law as Bosey, and Stephen Fry, seemingly born to play the title role.

Although Zoe has worked with a multitude of distinguished actors, there remain "many, many" with whom she would still like to star.  She cited Robert De Niro as an example: making a film with an actor like De Niro would, she thinks, be a "scary", yet brilliant experience.  There are also a number of directors with whom Zoë would still like to work; and she would like to have the opportunity to act once again under the direction of Katie Mitchell (who directed The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd). In fact, Zoë describes herself as a very "director-based" actress, as she enjoys following a director's 'vision' for each project.

As for future roles, one audience member suggested Zoë should tackle Cleopatra in Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra, a suggestion which met with general approval from the rest of the audience.  But as with any part, it is, said Zoë, a matter of finding "the right production".

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