INTERVIEW: You have been summoned to jury duty at this classic Agatha Christie play
Photo: Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution stars Taz Skylar as a man on trial for murder. Photo courtesy of Ellie Kurttz / Provided by The Corner Shop PR with permission.
At performances of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution, now playing an extended engagement in London, theatergoers play the jury members for the dramatized trial at the center of the gripping narrative. Even better, the audience members have a seat in the old London County Hall, where the show has been running for three years. This means the intense dialogue is matched by the characteristic legal surroundings.
The play follows the literal trials and tribulations of Leonard Vole, played by Taz Skylar. He is facing accusations that he murdered his wife in order to inherit her wealth — a classic Christie setup, but one that produces more than a few theatrical surprises.
Skylar is an accomplished actor who has appeared in Warheads at the Park Theatre and on film in The Kill Team, Villain and The Deal. Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Skylar about his new role in this classic play, which is booking until Sept. 13 at London County Hall. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What do you find interesting about the character of Leonard Vole?
He’s [a] very difficult character to get right, I think (not that I assume I have gotten it right … haha), but through the various incarnations of this character, I’ve seen versions I’ve liked and versions I’ve not liked.
It’s important to ground him in something real. He’s going through a lot of emotions throughout the play, so it’s important to connect with them, without making him a blubbering sobber and at the same time not making him so strong that he loses his innocence.
I see him almost as a young boy in a young man’s body. He’s not fully aware of the world, or the things he’s saying, but still comes across as charming because of his sheer enthusiasm for the idiosyncratic things that interest him. His inventions. His wife. His gadgets, etc.
Have you always been a fan of Agatha Christie’s work?
My mum always was. My mum used to read me her books when I was little. I was too young to appreciate the intricacies of her work. The excellence of her plot structures. She is to murder mystery stories what Shakespeare is to soliloquies.
What’s it like acting only inches from audience members in this unique theatrical setting?
It’s a balancing act with the scale you perform at. The front row is very close, but the back row is also fairly far. So it needs to have enough scale to fill the space, yet not so much that it puts off the people who are close to you.
The first time you read the play, were you surprised by its twists and turns?
Hahahahh yeah. I was. I think most people would be. Unless you’re well versed in Christie’s beforehand. Sometimes I hear audience members whispering, ‘There’s an Agatha twist coming.’ They know it’s never that simple.
Because so much relies on your character, do you get nervous or excited before a performance?
Everyone in the cast is dope. As people and as professionals. So I’m never really nervous. Because I trust everyone around me so much that whatever happens, I know we’ll find a way out of it. Plus … I mean … I jump out of planes in my spare time, and I ride a motorcycle to work. I love a bit of rain on the road or a few thick clouds to fall through. Raises the stakes. Makes it fun. When something goes wrong in the show, it’s an opportunity to give the audience something special that night, something happening live. Actors fully immersed in their characters, thinking on their feet, solving problems as they speak.
What do you love most about being a professional actor?
When I see a blue sky, I want to fall through it. When I see a large mountain, I want to climb it. When I see waves in the ocean, I want to surf them. I’ve always been someone who needs to express their love for the world in a very active way. It’s not enough to appreciate from afar. Acting quenches my fascination for people. One day I’m learning how to flare bottles to play a bartender. The next I’m riding on top of a tank. The next I’m on stage recreating 1950s England with a group of wonderfull people.
It’s a way to express a love of history. A love of future. An opinion on the present.
To steal a paraphrased quote from one of the best plays ever written (People Places and Things): acting is life, with all the boring bits taken out.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Witness for the Prosecution, by Agatha Christie and starring Taz Skylar, continues at London County Hall, with tickets on sale until Sept. 13. Click here for more information and tickets.
