Atlantica - 01.03.2002, Qupperneq 34

THE RETURN OF THE VILLAIN
The Feast of Snails takes place in the
space of one evening. A highly successful
business tycoon, Karl Jónsson, a connois-
seur of the good things in life, is embrac-
ing himself for a glorious, solitary
gourmet feast in the sumptuous sur-
roundings of his home, when a young
stranger, David Paulsen (played by Philip
Glenister), knocks on his door. The reason
for the stranger’s visit is not quite clear,
but the venerable businessman invites the
stranger to join him for dinner. What fol-
lows is an entertaining battle of wits in the
course of which dark secrets of jealousy,
betrayal, infidelity and love are revealed.
David Warner portrays Karl Jónsson, a
role far removed from the rather one-
dimensional film villains he refined after
quitting the stage for films and television
in the early 70s. Warner’s strong looks and
English accent made him the perfect can-
didate for the typecasting Hollywood is so
fond of, but there is more to Warner’s
career than the embodiment of bad guys.
Much more.
32 A T L A N T I C A
Before Warner left the theatre, he was regard-
ed as one of Britain’s finest young actors. For
the Royal Shakespeare Company, he played
the title roles in Henry VI, Richard II and
Hamlet. And his first and last West End play,
up to The Feast of Snails, was as the limping
emperor in I, Claudius, in 1972. Shortly after
the curtain fell on Claudius, Warner left the
live audience of the theatre behind due to a
case of stage fright.
"It had crept up on me and I didn't quite
understand. I'd get this panic, a cold sweat. I
didn't know what it was. Even going to watch
a play, just being inside a theatre felt
strange," he told The Evening Standard when
discussing his comeback to British shores.
Actually, he made his return to the stage last
year playing Undershaft in Bernhard Shaw’s
Major Barbara on Broadway. It was a tri-
umphant string of performances and his fear
of theatres vanished.
Understandably, Ólafsson is thrilled to have
Warner playing his leading man in The Feast
of Snails.
“It’s a real pleasure and honour for me that
David should have chosen to make a come-
back in my play. I know it was very important
THEATRE
Dressing up for the premiere: director Ron Daniels (left) with actors David Warner, Siwan Morris, Philip Glenister, Sorcha Cusak and
author Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson.
“It’s a real pleasure and
honour for me that David should
have chosen to make a comeback
in my play. I know it was very
important for him that he shouldn’t
return in the role Hollywood had
typecast him in.“
Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson
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