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.
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
