Debra Baker appears in MGC’s production of Orlando which sees Emma Corrin returning to the London stage in the title role, from the novel by Virginia Woolf in a new version by Neil Bartlett. Michael Grandage directs, reuniting him with Corrin, following their recent collaboration on the feature film My Policeman for Amazon.
joining Emma Corrin, in the title role, are Deborah Findlay (Mrs Grimsditch), Jessica Alade (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Debra Baker (Virginia, Favilla, The Captain), Akuc Bol (Virginia, Euphrosyne, Prue), Lucy Briers (Virginia, Queen Elizabeth, Officer), Richard Cant (Virginia, Harriet, Kitty), Melissa Lowe (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Jodie McNee (Virginia, Marmaduke), Oliver Wickham (Virginia, Clorinda), and Millicent Wong (Virginia, Sasha, Nell).
Michael Grandage’s production opens at the Garrick Theatre on 5 December 2022, with previews from 26 November, and runs until 25 February 2023.
You’re appearing in Orlando at the Garrick Theatre, what can you tell us about this play?
The play is a fantastic adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel, about a young nobleman who travels across time and gender in their search for: love, what they believe is missing in life, but ultimately themself.
What were your first impressions when you read the script?
I thought it was funny and clever and bonkers, and I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. It felt so alive and free, full of energy, fun and play. I don’t think I’d been so excited by a theatre script in a very long time.
What was it about Neil Bartlett’s adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s novel that impressed you the most?
I love the way Neil has been so specific with such attention to detail, and yet so free and open with the script. This has given us really clear boundaries to work in but also space to play, explore and discover.
Neil is so knowledgeable and a real master of his craft and that gives an actor a real sense of safety – I feel very safe in his hands and completely trust in the writing. I also love the way he has written all the different ages throughout the play, in the style of the writers of the times, with references to other literature, tv shows, in-jokes, and famous quotes all thrown in as well.
Tell us a little about the different characters you play, what do you love and hate about them?
I play Virginia; Favilla a debutante; The Captain; and A Wit. I love that as well as getting a range of characters to play, I get to play a range of genders too. I don’t want to give too much away but I love Virginia’s intelligence and curiosity in the testing and discovery of Orlando.
I love Favilla’s self-belief in a competitive and unfair system. I love the Captain trying to maintain his status and role in the face of difficulty and being completely out of his comfort zone, and I love The Wit’s complete inability to hear or see anything other than himself and his own desires!
There is nothing I hate about them, that’s a very strong word, and as an actor I could not hate the characters I play – you always have to find the good in them or at least understand why they are the way they are. I’m sure the audience may have their own thoughts on some of the characters though!
What are you looking forward to most about working with this cast, and director Michael Grandage?
I am looking forward to discovering the characters we all play, their relationship to each other, and just creating something wonderful for the audience together with this cast. I haven’t worked with any of them before, and one of the wonderful things about working in this industry is that you get to meet and know new people very quickly and well.
It will also be an honour to work with and understudy Deborah Findlay. I am thrilled to be working with Michael Grandage – at the audition he had such a lovely energy and seemed open, gentle and fun but with a clear vision, and I’m so looking forward to being directed by someone of his calibre and seeing his process.
What would you say to anyone thinking of coming to see Orlando?
Bring your friends and an open mind, and be prepared for a thrill of a ride that will keep you engaged, curious and entertained from start to finish.
