Following two acclaimed runs at the King’s Head Theatre and the White Bear Theatre, The Diary of a Nobody returns for a limited three-week run this November. We spoke to director, Mary Franklin to find out more.
The Diary of a Nobody is returning to The King’s Head Theatre, what can you tell us about it?
It’s my adaptation of George and Weedon Grossmith’s Victorian illustrated. It’s the diary of Charles Pooter for just over a year in his life, including his beloved and wise wife Carrie (who has many of the best lines), his neer do well son Lupin, and a host of other characters. It’s a cult comic classic; the most extraordinary thing about directing this play has been watching audience members mouthing along to favourite lines, even in some instances shouting them out before the actors.
Why have you decided to bring it back?
This is the show’s fourth time round. The first three times we did it were in pretty quick succession. This time we have had an almost two year gap. I was excited by the idea of revisiting the show and revamping it. It is also, very simply, the most fun to make. There is nothing I would rather do than spend time in the rehearsal room with this cast and this play, so it was impossible to refuse. There is also a nice symmetry as the play was the first show under the King’s Head new management, opening their inaugural season and it will now be among the last shows in the building. Part of my decision was I thought we might be allowed to destroy the theatre throughout the run….
Were you surprised it got such a great reaction?
Truthfully, both absolutely amazed. When we were first rehearsing it for the White Bear we spent three weeks in a room doing absolutely mad things.. I was very lucky in that process that most of the actors had worked with me before so there was an element of trust. I know that they were all unsure quite whether what we were doing was genius or mania. However when we did our first run through for the creative team (which was about 6 hours long) I couldn’t stop laughing. I sensed then it might work. The show was built around its actors, in many ways it is a love letter to their individual talents, and I always trusted audiences would love them.
What was it about the original Victorian novel which made you think it would make a great comedy stage play?
The book is, in it’s very essence, undramatic – it’s the diary of a fundamentally ordinary man. The impossible nature of staging it appealed to me. Myself and my designer knew we wanted to replicate both the mundane and surreal qualities of the original text, so everything in the ‘normal’ Victorian parlour including the actors have black outlines. I think the audience root for Pooter, in the same way they root for the characters in Peep Show or Catastrophe. There is something very tender about the book, about this man and his normal life being given this time. He exposes himself again and again, as you do in a diary. I loved the sense of celebrating and lamenting everyday trials and tribulations. In our show we also celebrate the danger of live theatre. In our first run we had an actor leave during previews so all the cast had to take on new roles on press night. This skin of your teeth nature has remained. It is very rare for the set to be in one piece after a weeks run of this show. All of this is celebrated.
You set up Rough Haired Pointer, the company behind this production, what inspired you to do that?
We actually set it up because we had to have a company name to sign the theatre contract for our first show. It’s named after my dog… Myself and designer Carin Nakanishi set it up (design is always extremely important to our shows) and the company has expanded to include a producer, three regular designers, a composer, and a company of actors. Developing it as we go means that everyone involved is very clear on what we stand for, but it’s not set in stone from something we wrote 6 years ago. It’s a company built on people rather than ideals. Jordan Mallory-Skinner’s music for example has become absolutely integral to how we work, as has Chris Hone’s design, Jake Curran’s acting and stand alone doors, but it happened along the way. Now I wouldn’t work any other way.
You learned your craft at The King’s Head Theatre, what would you say to any budding directors reading this?
Find people you love to work with, people you admire and who will teach you along the way.
If you are making comedy stand firm with what you think is funny, however unlikely it seems, and ensure that everyone in the room shares your sense of humour. If you don’t think it’s funny – no one else will.
Make work you believe in, and make as much as you can. You learn much more in the rehearsal room than from books on how to be a director.
Never treat actors like children.
Don’t rush to define yourself or what you are interested in.
Don’t wait to be given jobs, there aren’t enough out there. Do it yourself.
The Diary of a Nobody is at The King’s Head Theatre 31 October – 18 November 2017
