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Seventh Row Editors / March 2, 2022

Ep. 124: Olivia Vinall on performing Shakespeare

On today’s episode, we’ll be doing something a little different. Instead of our usual discussions of films with a panel of critics, Alex interviews British actress Olivia Vinall about performing Shakespeare. In this conversation, we talk about each of Olivia’s four Shakespearean roles: Desdemona, Cordelia, Juliet, and Rosalind. We talk about how she finds a way into the text, what it’s like working with different directors, and why she loves Shakespeare so much.

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Olivia Vinall as Cordelia in King Lear. She is kneeling and her hands are clasped.
Olivia Vinall as Cordelia in King Lear

On this episode:

  • Other recent Shakespeare episodes (1:48)
  • Background on Vinall’s career (3:55)
  • What Vinall loves about Shakespeare (8:28)
  • Contemporary acting style in Shakespeare (15:50)
  • Performing Shakespeare in different venues (28:28)
  • Rosalind in As You Like It (33:07)
  • Working with directors (37:47)
  • Seeing other performances of Shakespeare as an actor (46:52)
  • Acting in a live recording (51:14)
  • Vinall’s next projects (55:32)
  • Conclusion (57:38)

Show notes

  • Follow Olivia Vinall on Instagram (@olivia_vinall)
  • Read Alex’s career profile interview with of Olivia
  • Read Alex’s review of Sam Mendes’ production of King Lear, starring Vinall
  • Vinall’s performance in Othello is available through National Theatre at Home
  • Olivia Vinall has narrated 13 audiobooks, including Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. They are available through itunes and Audible.

Related episodes

  • Bonus 24: Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing (Members Only)
  • Bonus 22: Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth (Members Only)
  • Bonus 17: Saoirse Ronan and James McArdle in The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre (Members Only)
  • 21st Folio, ep. 6: Maxine Peake talks Hamlet

Filed Under: Actors on Acting, Film Interviews, Podcasts Tagged With: Acting, Alex Heeney podcast, Interview podcast, Shakespeare, Shakespeare podcast

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Bonus Episode 24: Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing
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