Emily Bruni stars alongside Hilton McRae and Lindsay Duncan in the UK tour of August Strindberg’s The Dance of Death.
The Dance of Death is adapted by Academy Award-winning playwright Rebecca Lenkiewicz and directed by Arcola Theatre’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.
The production opened on 31 May at the Ustinov Studio, Bath, and is then touring to Oxford Playhouse, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Royal & Derngate, Northampton, before completing its run at the Arcola Theatre from 28 June – 30 July.
You’re starring in The Dance of Death, what can you tell us about the play?
It’s an Edwardian-era Swedish Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. Alice and Edgar are engaged in a psychological battle or ‘dance’ of wills, at times hilarious and at times terrifying. Into this comes Katrin, Alice’s cousin, who carries her own ambivalent history with the couple onto the stage. And the dance that ensues is the drama of the play…
What was it about Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s adaptation of August Strindberg’s work that made you want to be a part of it?
I could feel that Rebecca was doing such a smart thing with the writing, where she was both honouring and channelling the strangeness of the original whilst writing specifically for the voices of the actors she was working with. I laughed out loud many times the first time I read it and still do.
You’re playing Katrin, tell us a little more about the character and what you’re enjoying most about rehearsing it?
Katrin is a religious woman who enters the play with a strong set of moral values all of which are challenged by the ‘dance of death’ she becomes caught in. One of the exciting aspects of playing her has been understanding where the gender change (Katrin is a man in the original) affects the emotional temperature and ultimately also the meaning of aspects of the story.
What are you looking forward to about touring ahead of a run at the Arcola Theatre?
We are visiting some of the most remarkable cities in England and it’s a privilege to live and work albeit briefly in each of them. The weird theatre geek in me enjoys the changes of theatre space too and subtle adaptations of the work in each venue.
Everywhere we are visiting is a vibrant creative hub in its own right. What James Dacre has been creating at Northampton for instance is so exciting not only in terms of the service role the theatre plays within its own community but also in its reach and collaborative relationships with other venues.
It’s energising to be in really creative environments such as these. My own experience of growing up in a provincial city and connecting to theatre through the local venue also makes me feel passionate about the ongoing work of our regional theatres.
What have you enjoyed most about working with Lindsay Duncan and Hilton McRae?
I saw Lindsay in Private Lives some time ago and it was one of the greatest stage performances I have ever seen. Unforgettable. I’ve admired Hilton for years through his work in musical theatre (I love song and dance) and for his work with Nina Raine whom we share as a fellow collaborator. So it’s been a great joy and privilege to see them both working up close.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see The Dance of Death?
It’s a gripping hilarious and unsettling eighty-minute experience in the theatre. You’re getting up close to the work of two great writers August Strindberg and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. And the pleasure of seeing Lindsay Duncan and Hilton McRae tearing it up on stage!
