Oonagh Murphy. A Director. At last! And not a moment too soon. Hopefully we won’t be thinking that at 12pm on Sunday. Otherwise we’ll all be kaiboshed.
Have you taken part in THE 24 HOUR PLAYS before?
First time for me.
What is the most memorable dramatic experience you have had, and why?
Having to go on instead of an actor at the last minute is always memorable (in that it can induce PTSD). During Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse, I went on with the script in hand. There was a lot of choreography, overhead pyros, and a scene where I had to sweep up blood downstage of Tom Hiddleston as he showered. I slipped in the bloody water, fell over, upstaged half-naked Tom, AND there were camera’s filming for National Theatre Live.
Also, having being sung “Happy Birthday” on the Abbey stage by the company of Alice in Funderland (dressed in refashioned sleeping bags).
When did you first know you wanted to be involved in the performing arts?
Playing an Ugly Sister aged 6: I was wearing a tinsel wig, generously applied lipstick and a polka dot polyester blouse as a dress, lip syncing lines that were being fed in from the wings when I knew.
Who (living or dead) would you most like to work with?
Frances McDormand. Julie Walters. Kate Winslet. Tilda Swinton. Ryan Gosling. Leonardo Dicaprio aged about 21. Liam Neeson (if he promises to stop making TAKEN sequels).
Tell us a little about your next big project.
I am working on the RSC productions of the WOLF HALL books which are transferring to Broadway – epic, sexy, complicated machines – and we have about three weeks to lick them into shape for a New York audience.
What are you anticipating the most about THE 24 HOUR PLAYS?
Spending a large chunk of time persuading an actor (or actors) that something either is a really good idea or a really bad idea. Multiply that by 7 hours. Add too much coffee. And subtract twenty minutes of frantically trying to make it look like a play.
Sum up your feelings about THE 24 HOUR PLAYS in five words or less!
Actors are beautiful, courageous beings.