the AU review talks to actress Michele Williams talks about playing Betty in Neil LaBute’s In A Forest Dark And Deep, which is currently in an encore season at Northcote’s Winterfall at The Theatre Husk, until November 23rd.
You’ve kicked off the season… how have the show(s) gone so far?
So far we have only had one show, but it went really well. Opening nights are always tricky but judging from the audience response, I would say that the audience enjoyed the show, which is the main thing.
What does playing this character mean to you?
I find this character challenging, because there are a lot of contradictions in her. She is the Dean of a University Department, and is obviously highly intelligent. But her emotional intelligence lags behind, and she makes a series of dangerous choices when it comes to her personal life. Neil LaBute is very good at forcing his characters to eventually take an honest look at themselves, and so for me, playing Betty is very much about bringing these contradictory elements together.
And what did it mean to you to have the opportunity to reconnect with this character for the encore performances?
That’s a very interesting question, because at certain times in rehearsal, I wondered why I was doing this again! It’s a tough play that demands a very high level of focus. It’s intense. However, having the opportunity to play the same character again has enabled me to find a number of qualities in her that I may have missed the first time. You can never do enough work on one character.
How would you best describe your character?
As someone who has gained a middle class status through her work, but comes from working class origins. She is very clever, and uses language to conceal a number of dark secrets, and to hide from her many demons
What do you think is most surprising about this play?
The way Neil LaBute unravels the secrets that are hidden in the plot.
Tell us what it’s like working with your other half in this play?
Chris Connelly plays the character of Bobby who can be deeply misogynistic and even terrifying. I would say that Chris is the polar opposite of his character. He is very self-aware, level headed, and extremely easy to work with. It’s been a joy to work with Chris and also with the director, Denis Moore.
NEIL LABUTE is one of the most prolific of the modern playwrights – to say the least – how familiar were you with his work before you took on this role? Had you performed any of his work in the past?
I remember seeing Neil LaBute’s film In The Company of Men many years ago, and I was blown away by it. I had also seen some of his plays, and watched interviews with him on the net. I found him to be a fascinating character, and also one that unfairly maligned. He has been labelled a misogynist, simply because he writes these kinds of characters extremely well, which to my mind is a bit like calling Stephen King a murderer! Neil comes across as incredibly gentle and there is a vulnerability in him that is also present in his characters- no matter how vile they can be! I had not done a play of his before this one, but had always been interested in his work.
If we were to enjoy another NEIL LABUTE work, what would you recommend?
I really love the film Nurse Betty by Neil LaBute and would recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen it,
After In a Forest, Dark and Deep, what is next for you?
I am looking at a play by Tennessee Williams for early next year. It is not completely locked in yet, so I can’t really name the play, except to say that it’s one of his less well-known works.
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In a Forest, Dark and Deep is performed Wednesday to Friday at 8pm and Saturdays at 4pm and 8pm until 23rd November at Northcote’s Winterfall at The Theatre Husk. Tickets are only $15 for first week performances until Saturday, 9th November.
BOOKINGS: www.trybooking.com/64452
