Aimee Howarth brings you an interview with The Yorker directors on the final day of the advent articles
Aimee Howarth speaks to YUSU's sabbatical officers about their Christmas Day routine for day 17 of the advent calendar
For the final time this term, Vicky Morris updates you on this weeks film news
50 years after the publication of 'James and the Giant Peach', the works of Roald Dahl continue to celebrate success.
‘Life on Mars’ gained both critical and audience acclaim and has already made it across the Atlantic and spawned its own spin-off.
Lancaster is starring in York Theatre Royal’s production of ‘Wuthering Heights’ from 2nd June. He plays four characters; Old Earnshaw, Linton, Edgar Linton and Joseph which sees him enacting three deaths. Lancaster says; ‘the key is to try and die in as many different ways!’
the key is to try and die in as many different ways!
Joseph, Lancaster’s only character to survive the duration of the play, is written as having a thick Yorkshire accent, and as a Macclesfieldian, Lancaster says, ‘I’m having a go at it! There’s not a lot of it, and it’s quite easy to pick up and there’s plenty of Yorkshire people about to pick it up from.’
‘Wuthering Heights’ is seen as a classic love story but is this version staying true to its roots? ‘We’ve kept to the story, it’s not been modernised in what we wear and it’s set in the time it was, the only difference is really that we have a lot of narration in, so I think it’s good for people who don’t know the story so well’.
After hours the cast are staying in York and enjoying the nightlife: ‘We’ve been to Fibbers, we had a bit of a jump around in there, and just the round the corner from here Theatre Royal in the Three-legged Mare, we really like Evil Eye too.’
Lancaster’s big break came during Drama School: ‘The first time I went I was 18, and I didn’t get anywhere, so I went again when I was 21 and then I just got picked up by an agent. In my last year I got picked for an audition and I ended up leaving early, I was very very fortunate, and ended up doing ‘The Lakes’.
’Life on Mars’ was a huge hit on the BBC and has achieved somewhat cult-status. ‘It’s gone down the ‘Doctor Who’ road’, Lancaster says. The series was snapped up by American TV, and has since won an Emmy, which Lancaster says has apparently caught the eye of Hollywood. ‘Steven Speilberg is looking at the tape, and they’re probably going to re-do it. But even knowing he’s watched it is quite something.’
Lancaster also discussed the spin-off series ‘Ashes to Ashes’. It contains the same characters, but is set in the 80’s and filming is due to begin at the end of July, giving Lancaster just a few weeks off before he’s back in the action. ‘It’s set in 1981, and I’m really looking forward to it. Apparently, we start off coming up the Thames in a speedboat to Adam Ant.’
With our interview coming to an end I took the opportunity to ask Marshall some questions of a different sort:
Where do you see yourself in five years time? ‘Just on holiday in the Dominican Republic! I don’t try to look too far ahead, or aim too high, just see what comes along and go with life at the time.’
What advice would you give to budding actors? ‘I’d say to them, get some good money behind you if you can before you get into it, try and get yourself into Drama School. The main thing I’d say is to get an agent. The only other way is to do student films and be in films and get them on DVD and send that off. The only way you’re going to get taken on is if they see you in something.’
Which is your favourite film version of ‘Wuthering Heights’? ‘I’ve not seen any of them, and when I found out I was doing this I purposely didn’t want to watch them, I think it’s very easy to start copying other people and imitating them.’
Have you ever Googled yourself?‘ No, not really, I know there are websites out there, I was shown in rehearsals that someone’s made me a Myspace site. I know there’s a load out there, there’s ‘The Railway Arms’ which is a proper ‘Life on Mars’ one, there’s loads of people on that and they’ve invented the ‘Cult of Chris’.
Who would you like to take to dinner, dead or alive? Probably Carol Smilie, I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for her, I don’t know why!’
Marshall Lancaster is starring in Wuthering Heights at York Theatre Royal, 2-23 June, tickets for students cost ₤5. See www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
