Atlantica - 01.03.2002, Síða 36

34 A T L A N T I C A
for him that he shouldn’t return in the role
Hollywood had typecast him in. His char-
acter in the play has both humour and
warmth; he’s a man who loves life, a bon
viveur and an old womaniser, who at the
same time is a bit of a tyrant. What makes
it even more of an honour for me, is the
fact that the well- known director and for-
mer head of The Royal Shakespeare
Company, Peter Hurst, has been offering
David roles every year for the last 18
years in an attempt to get him to return to
the stage, but without success.”
THE CREW AND THE CAPTAIN
The actors are onstage going through
their second dress rehearsal at the Lyric.
It is a joy watching Warner perform. He is
in excellent shape for his age, tall and
slim, and has a commanding presence.
He is well supported by his co-star, Philip
Glenister, who plays the young stranger
with the hidden agenda. Glenister is one
of Britain’s young leading actors and has
starred in some of the most critically
acclaimed TV dramas in recent years,
including Vanity Fair, Clocking Off and
Roger Roger, all for BBC1. In smaller, but
important roles are actresses Sorcha
Cusak, last seen on the widescreen in
Guy Ritchie´s Snatch, and West End
debutant Siwan Morris. Actually, the
entire cast and crew is top notch, includ-
ing the choreographer who has worked
on such projects as The English Patient
and The Talented Mister Ripley.
Pulling the production’s reins is director
Ron Daniels, a man with bags of experi-
ence. Daniels is an honorary Associate
Director of the Royal Shakespeare
Company, who now lives in New York and
works as a freelance director. Among his
directorial works are plays and operas in
New York, London, Tokyo and São Paulo.
Thus far, the play’s rehearsal schedule has
been gruelling: the first dress rehearsal in
the Lyric was last night, the second one
has just ended and in two hours audi-
ences will get their first look at Feast Of
Snails. But director Daniels just shrugs it
off.
“This is no big deal, just the standard pro-
cedure,“ he says smiling, not looking a bit
tired. But then again, Daniels has just fin-
ished directing a troupe of 100 actors in
the Detroit production of Carmen. A play
with only four actors and one fixed stage
must be a relief after such a gigantic task.
But what’s it like jumping from the staging
of a world-renowned opera to taking hold
of a new play by a relatively unknown
author?
“I’m used to that, because my career as a
director has always been the big shows –
Shakespeare and operas, and then new
plays. I work a lot with new writers. It’s
almost one for one: big show, new play.
That, for me, is a polarity which I find very
exciting,” he says.
Daniels notes it is “very, very rare nowa-
days” that a completely new play like The
Feast of Snails comes straight to the West
End. The draw this time around is, how-
ever, David Warner’s return.
“There is tremendous expectation for him
coming back. It was absolutely a great
coup getting him on board. The strange
thing about David is that he has played all
these villains, but he is actually a very sym-
pathetic and charming actor,” Daniels
says.
But the best villains are always like that.
Daniels laughs in agreement.
“Absolutely, that’s why I’m hoping that he
will create a very interesting resonance,
because the audience have pictured David
as this dour creature, but his character in
the play is very witty.”
GOING GLOBAL
Theatres all over the world have already
started to enquire about The Feast of
Snails. Speaking with Ólafsson, he men-
tions that a theatre in Israel has just
requested to have a manuscript sent.
However, Ólafsson is nonchalant and says
humbly that the reason for the interest in
his play is probably due to how simple it is
to stage.
“It’s every producer’s dream – only four
actors and one stage to build,” he explains
modestly.
Fair enough, but it’s more than the ease of
production. Feast of Snails is a new play
being staged in London’s West End with
name producers and a stellar cast. In other
words, it’s a play of quality.
The Feast of Snails is at the Lyric Theatre,
Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1. Booking
information: (+44) (0)870 899 3339.
What brought the young stranger to visit the business tycoon? Actors David Warner (left) and Philip Glenister square up in The Feast of Snails.
THEATRE
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