INTERVIEW: What’s cooking in ‘Caroline’s Kitchen’
Photo: Caroline’s Kitchen stars Caroline Langrishe and Tom England. Photo courtesy of Sam Taylor / Provided by Karen Greco PR with permission.
The kitchen at the center of Caroline’s Kitchen is a metaphor for the life and struggles of Caroline Mortimer, the nation’s favorite TV cook. In the studio, she is in her element and enjoying the beeps and whistles of her new kitchen. Back home, without thousands of people watching her cooking, Caroline has a few secrets (and an unexpected guest) that disrupt her seeming happiness.
Caroline’s Kitchen is a new dark comedy written by Torben Betts and directed by Alastair Whatley. It ran successfully in London and around the United Kingdom, and now it is being presented at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan as part of the Brits Off-Broadway festival. The production comes courtesy of Original Theatre Company, Ghost Light Theatre and producer Ellene Davidson.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with actor Caroline Langrishe, who has previously appeared in Alan Ayckbourn’s How the Other Half Love and BBC’s Lovejoy. She portrays the title character. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
How do you approach the role of Caroline Mortimer?
I suppose first and foremost I try to identify anything in her character that I can relate to in my own personality background and emotional history. That’s the first thing I do. The next thing I do is try and learn as much of it as I can before rehearsals start. And then once we are rehearsing on it, I explore the extremes of her character and behaviour until I arrive at something that feels truthful. As a mother of adult children I have experienced and can relate to a lot of her frustration and the inherent love that you have for a child whatever age they are. With regards to her marriage I’ve had to be a little more imaginative. The religious aspect of her character was also an area where I had to be creative, but I am ashamed to say her outrage and anger was not that hard to access.
What do you believe the play says about one’s public image versus their private reality?
Perhaps the private reality of a certain celebrity’s life is so chaotic that they present a public image that they would like to be rather than what they actually are. It must be very difficult for people in the public eye who present an image of such capability, to spin the plates of their private life at the same time as having a very active career.
What has it been like working with director Alastair Whatley and this ensemble?
Alastair is an extremely conscientious director and encourages us with a forensic attention to detail. His overriding desire is for us to commit wholeheartedly to any given situation during the play, as it unravels, and this has been incredibly helpful. We’re a very tight-knit group of actors and have created a family-like connection during our eight-week tour of the UK, and it’s a great adventure for us to bring our very English play to the States.
Do you feel American audiences will respond differently to the play than audiences in the United Kingdom?
I’m very curious as to see whether the American audience respond differently, but I would also add that even in varying towns across the UK the audiences have responded differently. So we’ll see!
What do you love about live theater versus your work in TV and film?
I love the immediacy of it and the fact that as an actress it’s much more rewarding to feel more in control of your performance, unlike TV where a lot of one’s work is left to the mercy of the editor. It’s very exciting to elicit different responses from different audiences on any given show, and I enjoy the camaraderie of backstage life.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Caroline’s Kitchen, starring Caroline Langrishe, plays through May 25 at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
