We are stoked that Tim was able to share some insights with us about this gripping play and the process behind piecing it all together. Read on to hear what they have to say.
Becoming the character:
The process of playing Carl has felt quite fluid, really. I am an actor that likes to do quite a bit of homework before rehearsals begin, because I’m always looking for a hook into how the character thinks. I put the Mother Play script on my kindle and would read it at night, as this helps me to imagine the world of the play in little glimpses. I felt a bit like a magpie collecting little, shiny pieces of information or observations or patterns in the script – you never know how they might end up revealing pieces of who the character is to you.
I also like to take on the character’s interests as my own interests. With Carl, I got very interested in the authors and books he references, which led me to the Bloomsbury group and the paintings and illustrations of Duncan Grant. He had this collection of bright, vibrant male nudes which he’d kept secret most of his life and entrusted to a friend before he died. These paintings helped me tap into the enormity and necessity that Carl experiences while discovering his sexuality in a way that felt true and relatable to me – despite us being decades apart from one another.
"I felt like my brain began to take a back seat to my body and Carl began to emerge."
Once we ran the show for the first time in its entirety, I felt like my brain began to take a back seat to my body and Carl began to emerge. Playing this character is a lot of fun, because there’s a mysterious element to it. I know that he has emerged as a product of all the things we looked at, discussed and investigated during the process, but I couldn’t quite articulate it in words.
Working with the rest of the Mother Play team:
The entire rehearsal process has felt very calm and methodical, despite it being quite condensed. It felt like the show came to life quite organically, which is an absolute testament to Sophie Roberts’ leadership as a director. I love her ability to oscillate between the micro work of discovering the characters and their relationship with the actors, to zooming out and holding the macro vision of the show, collaborating with the entire production team. It’s pretty amazing to witness.
Above: Sophie Roberts, Jennifer Ludlam and Amanda Tito during rehearsals
I’ve also loved working with my two fellow cast members. Jen (Jennifer Ludlam, who plays Phyllis) is wickedly funny and has an amazing ability to transform thoughts and ideas into very precise choices as an actor. It’s the same with Tito (Amanda Tito, who plays Martha). Their depth of emotion feels boundless, and their performance of Martha is grounded and embodied. I feel very fortunate to be working with two performers who are both incredibly generous and present.
Managing the pace and emotions of the play:
The play moves very quickly from the beginning, and it really doesn’t slow down until right at the end. It asks quite a lot of you as an actor, and of the audience going along with us. You really don’t have time to settle into any one scene before the next one comes crashing, or dancing, or sweeping in...you just have to go with it.
Before each performance, it sort of feels a bit like doing a bungee jump, when you’re standing on the very high ledge with the harness on and you have a small moment to yourself while the technician is getting the all-clear to start the show. You glimpse over the edge at the ground and how far down it is, and your brain and body clock the reality of what you’re about to do. But I don’t sit in that feeling for too long. It’s a lot more fun to just trust the harness and jump.
The creative design of the show:
I am a huuuge David Lynch fan and on the first day of rehearsal, Sophie joked that instead of the red room from Twin Peaks, we were going to have a pink room! Not only does that make my little camp heart explore with joy, but I think the overall design of the show is so sophisticated, cohesive, and harmonious with the script.
The play has quite an unusual sensibility and pace to it – there’s humour and devastation, surreal and subtle sensitivity, and each element of the production is attuned to that. There are moments in the play that feel quite sobering for the characters, and I’ll catch a glimpse of the curtains and floor, and somehow, they’ve morphed into these greenish-blue hues. Not only does it help transport the audience into the different places the play goes to, but you can feel the atmosphere shift around you as an actor, which makes the whole experience feel so immersive.
Mother Play: A play in five evictions is on in Q Rangatira until the end of this week, 20 September. Click here to book your tickets.
Image credits: Production photos by Andi Crown, rehearsal photos by David St George.
