ACTOR ADAM BEST DISCUSSES PLAYING KETCH AND MAJOR ROSS, THOUGHTS ON DRAMA TRAINING AND WORK SO FAR...
How did you first come to work for
Original?
I auditioned for Journey's End. I'd been
called to read for Stanhope, the lead, but as I was reading the play it became
immediately obvious to me that I was far more suited to the part of Mason and
he had far fewer lines and no emotional journey to undertake - he just bookended
scenes with funny lines. I asked Whatley if I could read Mason as well as
Stanhope and Whatley said no, just read Mason. I did it in a Northern accent,
because Northern accents are funny and I thought that would make the funny lines
a bit funnier. I got the part of Mason. Whatley subsequently told me that
calling me for Stanhope had been a wretched mistake.
What's been your highlight of the tour
so far?
The highlight of the tour so far has been
Kingston probably as the audience reaction was great there and I got to go home
to my own bed every night after work. I'm also looking forward to Buxton
because there's free spring water and the literally the best breakfast I have
ever eaten. Jersey was not a highlight.
You did a long stint as a regular on
Holby and have a number of TV and film credits to your name - would you say you
prefer the theatre or screen work?
I prefer working in theatre to be
honest as I enjoy the process of rehearsal and text-based work. I think I'm a
frustrated academic. Or a frustrated actor. Definitely frustrated. I did
English literature to A-level and had considered a career in journalism, so I
have always enjoyed breaking texts down. Telly and film stuff I find less
rewarding than theatre purely because, like most actors, I quite enjoy the
immediacy of the audience reaction. TV and film work is better paid and
technically far different. I enjoy how small camera acting allows the actor to
be, which really appeals to the lazier side of my work. The film
"Blooded" that I did actually required no acting whatsoever. That was
a note from the director. "Not acting" when acting is actually far
more difficult than acting.
You and I trained together at for 3 years at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. What
advice would you give young actors looking to find the right drama school for
them?
I think that as far as drama schools go, I would suggest young guys trying to get in audition for them all and see
which ones, if any, offer places. Decide then based on the kind of place you
want to live. London might not be right for everyone, so maybe you look to
Cardiff or Glasgow or Manchester. I think times have changed now and where you
train has less of a bearing on where you might end up in terms of your career.
Agents and casting directors do see graduates from outside of London, so I
don't think that needs to be the be-all and end-all. The most important thing
for people considering going to drama school is, in my opinion, to realise that
it's fucking hard work. It's a full time, practical and partly academic course.
It's competitive (no matter what anyone says, it is competitive) and you will
spend some of your time feeling completely inadequate. I am yet to meet anyone
that hasn't applied to. It's pretty much a vocational career choice. Also, not
getting into drama school isn't the end of the line. There are a million ways
of trying to launch a career in acting, drama school is but one.
What's it like playing two such
different characters in OCG and what was your approach in bringing Ross and
Ketch to life?
I reckon I have the easiest double in
the play because the 2 characters are so completely different. Simply, Ketch is
the lowest status character in the play, and Ross one of the highest. Because
they are at either ends of that spectrum, it sort of makes my job easier to
portray them as different. In terms of bringing them to life, I don't have a
"method" as such to do that. I simply try to say their words and say
them truthfully.
I don't come across you much during the
show...what do you get up to backstage?
Backstage I spend my time playing
computer games and laughing at people in the dressing room.
Ketch is the only Irish character in the
play and spends most of his time being cursed and spat on - do you think his
experience represents the general feeling towards the Irish at that time?
Irish people were different. Anyone
different gets treated as such - it's probably a similar deal for Wisehammer the
Jew.
If Ross and Ketch were allowed one
luxury item in Australia what would it be?
Ross' luxury item would be a Sega Mega
Drive and Ketch's would be a silver medallion depicting a woodland scene.
Describe your experience of the tour so
far in 3 words.
Act, travel, worry.
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