CULTURE CLUB
THE HOLY GRAIL
SET TO STAR IN ANTHONY MCCARTEN’S PAPAL PLAY THE TWO POPES, MIRIAM BALANESCU SPEAKS TO VENERATED ACTOR ANTON LESSER Cut from the Same Cloth
expressing something. Theatre has the benefit of allowing you to concentrate on the relationship. The scenery is better – because you make it up!” The Pope ’s 2019 cast is near intact, with director James Dacre reinstated, and lead Nicholas Woodeson taking up the mantle of Francis once again – although expect a reinvigorated feel. “I’m hearing the lines in my head in a slightly different way, with new ways of responding to them. I’m not sure whether that’s anything to do with what’s happened in the world between then and now, or if it’s simply having a fresh eye,” Anton reflects. “I’m excited to look at it again in rehearsal.” Anton is well-versed in playing real characters who hold jurisdiction. “Perhaps it’s because I’m good at pretending I know what I’m talking about – but I actually don’t,” Anton laughs, noting a possible subconscious thread linking one character to the next, as suggested in Jonathan Miller’s Subsequent Performances . “The real-life characters I’ve played, alive or dead, have all been in wonderful scripts – there’s an integrity to the work. My concern is not about whether I’m doing the right thing as regards to that living person; it’s serving the writing as well as possible.” With roots in theatre, beginning his career with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the 70s, Anton often looks forward to getting back to the stage. “When we did The Pope in Northampton, I hadn’t done a play for about ten years. As you get older, you start to question if you have the physical and mental capacity to do a big part. But when the scripts arrive, you think this is great, and your body starts to remember that lovely feeling of live interaction with an audience.” Anton is acting in Cambridge for the first time, so don’t miss this chance to see The Two Popes at the Arts Theatre, 27 September to 1 October.
rom playing prime ministers in The Crown and A United Kingdom , to regal roles in Wolf Hall and The Hollow
Crown , Anton Lesser is no stranger to characters of authority. Renowned for screen appearances in the likes of Game of Thrones , Endeavour and Killing Eve , Anton will soon make his stage return as one of the most imperial figures of all. The Two Popes last ran as The Pope in 2019, and its popularity persists post- pandemic. “People are fascinated by a human being who has authority thrust upon them,” says Anton. “When you put a crown or mitre on their head, they become something other than human. It’s an enduring theme of all the great writers: what is it to be in authority, and does that authority persist even when the trappings are taken away? “As we go into a world where there are bigger problems common to us all, and we’re dealing with things on a global scale,” Anton continues, “institutions like monarchy must be continually re-examined as to their relevance and function. Whether they’re actually an expression of something that’s true, or something that’s been outdated. That’s why a series like The Crown is interesting, because it shines a light on what’s been a mystery, but is increasingly less mysterious as the world becomes more connected.” Hinging on conversations between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis (then Cardinal Bergoglio) before the former’s resignation in 2013, Anthony McCarten’s original script soared to the big screen with Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce. “I remember watching the film and feeling two things,” says Anton. “Envious of the breadth of canvas – you can actually go to the places that Francis talks about in his past – but also happy that it’s a different genre, a different way of
DIVINE EXPERIENCE Anton relishes his work on the stage, where live interaction with an audience is a real buzz. With The Two Popes, the journey of the Catholic church gives him plenty to get his teeth into
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