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One Man, Two Guvnors by based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni with songs by Grant Olding Background pack

The National's production 2

Carlo Goldoni 3

Commedia dell'arte 4

One Man, Two Guvnors - a background 5

Lazzi - comic set pieces 7

Characters 9

Rehearsal overview 10

Richard Bean interview 13 Photo () by Phil Fisk

Grant Olding Interview 15

Further production detailsls: This background pack is Director Discover Workpack writer nationaltheatre.org.uk published by and copyright National Theatre Adam Penford The South Bank Board London SE1 9PX Editor Reg. No. 1247285 T 020 7452 3388 Ben Clare Registered Charity No. F 020 7452 3380 224223 E discover@ Views expressed in this nationaltheatre.org.uk Rehearsal and production workpack are not necessarily photographs those of the National Theatre Johan Persson

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 1 This production of One Man, Two Guvnors opened The National’s production in the National’s Lyttelton Theatre on 24 May 2011

Dolly SUZIE TOASE Lloyd Boateng TREVOR LAIRD Charlie “the Duck” Clench FRED RIDGEWAY Pauline Clench CLAIRE LAMS Harry Dangle MARTYN ELLIS Alan Dangle DANIEL RIGBY Francis Henshall JAMES CORDEN Rachel Crabbe JEMIMA ROOPER Stanley Stubbers OLIVER CHRIS Gareth Alfie TOM EDDEN Ensemble POLLY CONWAY JOLYON DIXON DEREK ELROY PAUL LANCASTER FERGUS MARCH GARETH MASON CLARE THOMSON

Director NICHOLAS HYTNER Associate Director CAL McCRYSTAL Designer MARK THOMPSON Lighting Designer MARK HENDERSON GRANT OLDING Sound Designer PAUL ARDITTI Fight Director KATE WATERS Choreographer & Staff Director ADAM PENFORD Company Voice Work KATE GODFREY

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 2 Carlo Goldoni

Carlo Goldoni was born in 1707 into a a series of plays, experimenting with form middle-class family in Venice. As a child, and honing his skills. It was whilst he was he was fascinated by theatre, playing with installed with this company that Goldoni puppets and writing his first play at the age achieved his now infamous challenge of of twelve. His father attempted to distract writing sixteen in two seasons; him from a dishonourable career in the a play a week. Goldoni’s relationship with theatre by sending him away to study at Medebac deteriorated over rows about various schools, but each time Goldoni royalties, and in 1753 he defected to the either ran away or got expelled. During one Vendramin family at the rival Teatro San of these incidents, he joined a company Luca, where he stayed until 1762. of touring actors and travelled back to Venice, the adventures he experienced on These years were dogged by a rivalry with this journey solidified his love of theatrical fellow playwright, Carlo Gozzi [1720-1806], life. Eventually, in 1731, he graduated which played out publicly in the press from law school and started practising and divided Venetian theatre audiences. in Padua. The lure of the theatre was too Gozzi felt Goldoni was destroying the strong however, and the following year he traditions of Commedia dell’arte and was back in Venice, writing. Goldini’s path making the form banal; Goldoni, in turn, to stardom was not smooth; his first play, believed Gozzi’s work to be too fantastical a tragedy called Amalasunta [1733], was and therefore artificial. By 1762, Goldoni a flop. He threw the manuscript in the fire, was tired of the dispute and accepted and wrote a , Belisario [1734], an invitation to direct Italian plays at the the success of which launched his career. French court of Louis XV [1710-1774]. After his contract ended, he stayed Over the next ten years, Goldoni took at court to teach Italian to the royal up a succession of resident dramatist family, and was subsequently granted a roles at various large theatres and pension for life. Unfortunately, the French houses, writing opera librettos and tragic Revolution [1789-1799], interrupted these works, before discovering was payments and Goldoni lived out the rest of his ideal form. His first major comedy, his life in poverty. He died in 1793, having L’uomo di mondo (The Man of the World), never returned to Venice. premiered in 1738 and he followed it with a succession of hits, including, in 1746, Il Goldoni lived a colourful life, he was often Servitore di Due Padroni (The Servant of involved in disputes over money and Two Masters). The play was written for a women, and many of his experiences famous harlequin called Antonio Sacchi, ended up in his plays. His memoirs, (whose stage name, Truffaldino, is the published in 1787, are full of amusing servant’s name in the play) and based anecdotes, although many have on an existing old plot. In 1748, Goldoni questioned the accuracy of some of these joined Girolamo Medebac’s company, adventures, suspecting he preferred a who were resident at the Sant’Angelo good story over the truth. He wrote 200 theatre in Venice. Medebac was a famous plays, including 150 comedies, redefining theatrical manager who had assembled a Italian theatre. cast of eminent actors, and Goldoni wrote

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 3 Commedia dell'arte

Commedia dell’arte is shortened from performers in Covent Garden). From ‘commedia dell’arte all’improviso’, jongleurs, commedia inherited lazzi, meaning ‘comedy through the art/craft comic verbal or physical set pieces, of improvisation’, but also translates which they studied and honed, as ‘comedy of the guild’; Europe’s incorporating them into the action first professional theatre. Previously, when applicable. theatre had been provided by amateur academics, writing and performing Goldoni’s earliest writings for the their own plays (known as ‘commedia theatre consisted of sections of erudite’; ‘learned comedy’). Commedia dialogue for the players to improvise originated in Italy in the mid-16th century with, but he soon recognised that with companies consisting of ten or so in order to become a playwright like touring players, often playing improvised the European writers he admired outdoor venues. The more prestigious such as Moliere [1622-1673], then he companies had patrons amongst the needed total control over the whole nobility and the rest relied on carnival play. He began writing full scripts and organisers hiring their services, or banned masks which he felt were an audiences tipping them. The actors unnecessary barrier between performer specialised in playing particular stock and audience, his changes met characters and wore masks depicting with resistance from the actors who these personalities. Unlike British theatre, resented handing control of their art where Shakespeare’s heroines were over to a new party. Commedia as a being played by young male actors, form was 200 years old however, and commedia used actresses; attempts becoming stale; Goldoni determined to by the church to ban actresses for their explore real Italian life onstage, and the corruptive influences never succeeded. audiences responded. His plays often had a satirical edge, commenting on There were no written scripts in contemporary issues and relationships, commedia; companies improvised and he fairly portrayed people from their shows along predetermined plot different classes, condemning the scenarios, knowing the rough structure immoral whether they were poor or of the narrative. Each actor knew rich. where their character’s story began and concluded, and therefore the various plot-points they needed to hit in order to complete their character’s journey. They memorised speeches, songs, poems and sections of dialogue so they could recall them on stage as necessary. Commedia also had roots in the art of touring jongleurs, wandering entertainers, who performed a mix of acrobatics, songs and audience interaction (not dissimilar from the likes of contemporary street

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 4 One Man, Two Guvnors - a background

One Man, Two Guvnors is an Improvisation adaptation of The Servant of Two Commedia has its origins in Masters. Richard Bean, the playwright, improvisation and this has been retained has altered the names of characters, in One Man Two Guvnors when the relocated the geographical setting, central character, Francis, interacts and changed various plotting points, with the audience. By getting audience but the play is still recognisably based members on to stage to help him move upon Goldoni’s original. Richard and the trunk, or asking them for suggestions the director, Nick Hytner, set out to on where he should take Dolly on their find a contemporary equivalent for first date, the production is combining Goldoni’s play. This involved two traditional commedia with twentieth objectives: firstly, to locate an updated century comedy. In the tradition of equivalent of 1740s Florence, which stand-up , James Corden, the became 1960s Brighton [see Richard’s actor playing Francis, has several stock interview on page 13]; and secondly, responses written by Richard Bean and to find a British style of theatre himself which cover most eventualities, comparable to commedia through but often James improvises in the which to tell the story. The production moment and this allows the play to feel incorporates elements of variety, music fresh like commedia would have done. hall, , stand-up comedy, and end-of-the-pier shows; all of which, in Music, Song and varying degrees, owe something to the Traditional commedia would include genre of commedia. song and dance. The innamorati (lovers) would frequently sing duets, 1963, Brighton they memorised popular contemporary Not only did relocating the play to 1963 songs, and some characters would play in Brighton allow the show’s creators instruments, such as the guitar. Many to explore the popular entertainment performers had honed the popular which would have been on offer in a form of madrigali, a specific genre of British seaside town, it also fulfilled a song with close chromatics and difficult dramatic function. The Servant of Two Masters was located in Florence, with the lovers fleeing from Turin; Richard Bean was able to designate that his lovers fled from London to Brighton. This allowed him to involve the characters in the criminal underworld of the East End (the Kray twins were at the height of their fame in the 1960s) and therefore explain why the characters carry weapons (in 1740s, Italy, most men would carry swords) which is essential to the plot.

Francis (James Corden) and Dolly (Suzie Toase)

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 5 One Man, Two Guvnors - a background (continued)

. One Man Two Guvnors Themes makes similar use of music by having a Richard Bean, after Goldoni, has retained band in the auditorium that play as the the themes which were popular with audience enter before the production and commedia audiences in the 18th century. during the interval. They take the form Plot lines included jealousy, old age, of a 1960s band, similar to the Beatles, love and adultery, popular themes that and take to the stage between scenes. still drive most television soap . At various points, the actors themselves These themselves originated in ancient come on stage during these numbers Greek theatre and were passed on via the and play a speciality act such as the car Romans and Renaissance to the present horns, the xylophone, or ukulele. This day. Scattered amongst the plotlines of deliberately evokes the era of variety and commedia plays were old gags and punch which was popular in the early lines, as well as contemporary and half of the twentieth century, particularly . Richard Bean has incorporated a in seaside towns such as Brighton where combination of jokes, some of which are One Man, Two Guvnors is located. reminiscent of the gags of end-of-the-pier stand-ups and some which are politically motivated. (As the play is set in the 1960s, he also plays with historification - jokes built around the dramatic of the audience being more knowledgeable than the characters – for example, Dolly’s prediction in Act Two that one day there will be a liberal woman prime minister.)

Stanley (Oliver Chris) and Rachel (Jemima Rooper)

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 6 Lazzi - comic set pieces

Derived from the Italian ‘lazzo’, meaning Examples of Traditional Lazzi ‘’, lazzi is a comic set piece which has been handed down through Running-Around-The-Balcony Lazzo generations of commedia improvisations. Arlecchino, pursued, or to prove his Traditionally, the Harlequin character identity as Arlecchino, leaps from the (played by James Corden in One Man, stage to the first spectator box and runs Two Guvnors) would have over 100 lazzi around the railing or the three sets of at his disposal. All the characters would balconies. recognise the lazzi so as soon as the Harlequin decided to perform one, they Lazzo of Unspilled Wine would immediately recognise the role Startled, Arlecchino, holding a full glass they had to play in the improvisation. of wine, executes a complete backward The examples of traditional lazzi below somersault without spilling the wine. wouldn’t look out of place in a Charlie Chaplin film, an episode of Fawlty Slapping Lazzo Towers, or a pantomime. A Zanni, with either his hands bound or holding plates of food, slaps another character in the face with his foot.

Innocent Bystander Lazzo Arlecchino and Pedrolino meet each other face-to-face and are armed to the teeth. They heap abuse on each other, relying on others to hold them back physically. Finally, when the Captain seeks to separate them, they strike out at each other with the Captain receiving most of the blows.

Source: http://sites.google.com/site/ italiancommedia/lazzi

Alan (Daniel Rigby)

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 7 Lazzi (continued)

Goldoni incorporated several lazzi in The same scene in Richard Bean’s The Servant of Two Masters including One Man, Two Guvnors the scene where Truffaldino uses bread (Enter Francis. Francis starts going through to seal his master’s letter which he has the letters of which there are four in all, two wrongly opened. It is believed this was a letters, and two authorisations.) lazzi that the well-known actor, Antonio Francis: Authorisation letter. Let’s put Sacchi, who originated the role, was that in this pocket. Rachel Crabbe. Let’s famous for performing. In One Man Two put that in this pocket for now. I’m good Guvnors, this lazzi has been altered to a at this. I could work for the Post Office. set piece about Francis accidently eating a That’d be three jobs. Authorisation. That letter. goes in the authorisations pocket. Stanley Stubbers. (Puts it in his mouth. Chews a Literal translation from Italian of Goldoni’s little. Mumbling) Don’t really need these The Servant of Two Masters authorisation letters any more do I? (He puts the authorisations in the same pocket Truffaldino: I am pleased we’re not as the Rachel letter.) going. I wanna see how this all pans out. So this pocket is now for Stanley Stubbers’ I wanna test my abilities, serving these letters. Good. What are these then? I’m two masters. This letter, which is going to getting confused now. Two authorisation my other master, I don’t wanna deliver it letters. If there’s two letters they definitely open like this. I’ll try to fold it shut again. need their own pocket. What’s this? (He tries different ways of folding it, badly). Stanley Stubbers. That’s the one that Now I have to seal it. If only I knew how! tasted quite good. I saw my Nan seal them with a bit of chewed-up bread. I’m gonna try it. (he (Puts it in his mouth. Chews a little more.) pulls out a tiny piece of bread from his pocket). I feel bad using up this dear piece Mm. of bread; oh well, must be done (he chews on a little piece of the bread to soften it but (He takes a proper bite.) swallows it involuntarily). Oh bloody hell! it’s gone down. Now I have to take another Not bad for paper. Bit dry. Could do with bite (he does the same and swallows it). a bit more ink. There is no way, this is just against nature. I’ll try again (he chews, as before. His (Really eats the letter.) impulse is to swallow it but he stops, with great effort, and manages to pull it out of his mouth). Oh, here we go. I’ll seal the Other lazzi in One Man, Two Guvnors letter (he seals it with the bread). I think it’s includes the trunk-carrying; Francis’ fight come out pretty well. I’m just amazing! with himself; the waiter opening the wine with a cork screw; and various food and drink related activities in the dinner scene (Act One, Scene Four).

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 8 Characters

Richard Bean has changed the names Goldoni himself had adapted the traditional of Goldoni’s characters, but he has commedia characters for his own dramatic predominantly retained the function of purposes (for example, Florindo – called the character from the original source Stanley Stubbers in One Man Two Guvnors material. Commedia dell’arte characters – is actually an amalgamation of two were usually stock characters, often commedia characters: Il Capitano and known by the same name (or at the most, Innamorati). Richard has striven to find a handful of names), because they always a 1960s equivalent of Goldoni’s original fulfilled the same purpose in the drama personalities. and exhibited the same characteristics.

Character Table

A Servant of Two Masters / Commedia One Man, Two Guvnors

Truffaldino / Harlequin or Zanni Francis Henshall (played by James Corden) Tricky servant An Essex chancer, juggling two masters

Pantalone / Pantaloon Charlie Clench (played by Fred Ridgeway) Old, rich man, motivated by money Gangster, tight with money

Brighella Lloyd Boateng (played by Trevor Laird) An upbeat, enterprising servant Black ex-con, now runs a pub

Florindo / Il Capitano Stanley Stubbers (played by Oliver Chris) Blaggart, slightly cowardly Public school nitwit

Smeraldina / Columbina Dolly (played by Suzie Toase) Intelligent servant Feminist secretary

Dr Lombardi / Il Dottore (Doctor) Harry Dangle (played by Martyn Ellis) Old academic Latin-speaking solicitor to the Clenches

The remaining three characters are all examples of commedia Innamorati (lovers) whose main objective is to overcome obstacles to their love. They had many different character names.

Beatrice / various names Rachel Crabbe (played by Jemima Rooper) Dresses as dead twin brother, Roscoe

Silvio / various names Alan Dangle (played by Daniel Rigby) A wannabe actor

Clarice / various names Pauline Clench (played by Claire Lams) Pretty and stupid

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 9 Rehearsal overview

Day One actors try putting it on its feet. Nick is Rehearsals traditionally begin very hands-on and constantly jumps with a ‘meet and greet’ session. up to make suggestions of how actors Representatives from all departments could speak a particular line, or when at the theatre stand in a circle and and where they should move. There introduce themselves to the new is a mark-up of the stage stuck to the cast and creative team one-by-one. floor, with lines designating where the At the NT, this can take quite a while flats and front cloth will be, to allow as there are so many departments - the actors to get used to the space. from marketing to armoury to digital We also have rehearsal doors, furniture media – the circle only just fits into the and props; the stage management cavernous Rehearsal Room Two. After team are on hand to grab anything we introductions, Nick explains his vision might need. Nick works through each for the production; why he decided scene in this way during the first two to direct the play, a brief history of weeks, running the whole scene through commedia dell'arte, the period and once or twice when we get to the end. location he’s setting the play in. Then Whilst Nick is staging the scenes, the everyone crowds around the model associate director, Cal McCrystal, a box [a scale model of the set], and the comedy specialist, is concentrating on designer, Mark Thompson, and Nick rehearsing the comic set pieces. This talk through the design scene by scene. includes working closely with James The design is very handsome and as the Corden on devising material for the flats [flat pieces of scenery] are manually trunk lazzi and staging the very physical slid and flown in and out, swiftly and demanding dinner scene, which transforming locations, the excitement provides the climax of act one. in the room grows. After lunch, only the cast and creative team remain for the Whilst these rehearsals are taking first read-through of the play around place in the main rehearsal room, the tables. Some actors instinctively really production machinery of the NT is perform at read-throughs, whilst others grinding into motion. Actors are being give a softer and less-acted reading; grabbed when they’re not being used either way, there is lots of laughter, a to attend rehearsal calls in singing, promising sign for a comedy! dance, spoken voice, comic set pieces and stage fighting. Some of the Weeks One and Two actors, particularly James Corden, are Nick approaches each scene of the required by the marketing and press play in the same way. Firstly, the actors departments to film segments for read through a scene aloud around video trailers and give press interviews, tables, and then everyone discusses either on the phone or in person. Mark its content. As this is a new play, Nick Thompson also begins the process is very keen to ensure that the plot is of designing costumes, starting with clear and logical. Writer, Richard Bean, ‘costume chats’ with each member of is in rehearsals all the time during these the cast to discuss their ideas of how early weeks and small rewrites occur the character should look. Mark and constantly. After reading the scene, the the Costume Supervisor, Poppy, have

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 10 Rehearsal overview (continued)

photographs and newspaper cuttings of rehearsal room so we can hone the people in the 1960s as a starting point. scene changes and practise the songs. All this is designed to make the Weeks Four and Five transition into the technical rehearsal Once Nick has worked through each in the theatre as smooth as possible. scene in the play in detail, he starts back The rehearsal props, furniture and bits on scene one again, adding another layer of costume are gradually replaced by of detail to the performances and the the real things [they’re called ‘actuals’]. staging. Sometimes decisions made in Most importantly, real food for the later scenes have a knock-on effect to dinner scene is tested. We have two the logic of earlier scenes and changes full run-throughs of the show which are made. Richard Bean starts delivering audiences are invited to attend and larger rewrites and we all abandon our Rehearsal Room Two is full to the original scripts, which are now full of seams with 100 A-Level students crossed-out lines and hand-written squeezed in. We use their reaction additions, in favour of an updated version. to gauge when a scene is too long, A timeline appears along the back wall when the plot isn’t clear and when the of the rehearsal room listing the events – action isn’t funny enough. New sets of both onstage and off - that happen during rewrites and cuts are introduced after the twelve hours that is the play is set in. each run. Nick also encourages all the actors to think about key things that occur in their characters’ lives before the timeframe of the play starts [their ‘back-story’]; how old they are, where they were born, how long have they known the other characters in the play and how did they meet. We spend an afternoon in rehearsal ‘hot-seating’ where Nick interviews the actors in character about how they feel about the other characters in the play and the events that occur. This leads to improvisations of the key events; such as the moment Alan asked Charlie for his daughter Pauline’s hand in marriage; and Francis and Rachel’s car journey to Brighton. With a cast of comedy actors, the improvisations are very funny.

Week Six During our last week of rehearsals, the four-piece band joins the cast in the James Corden and Oliver Chris in rehearsal

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 11 Rehearsal overview (continued)

Technical Rehearsal Eventually, the decision is made to The ‘tech’ proves to be a relatively give the actors a tech session off (3 smooth process, especially when hours) in order to allow the production considering the complexity of the show’s team to fit new lighter, but sturdier, design; a live band, sliding flats, flying doors, with more reliable catches. At flats, trapdoors, automation (which the end of the tech, there are two dress transports the microphones from sub- rehearsals which go very well; although stage to stage level). Over three days, the decision is taken to change some we work through the whole play; often sections of action and the cast have running complicated sequences (such to implement changes in front of an as scene changes) several times. audience during the first preview. Paul Arditti, the sound designer, has a complicated job as he has to mix Previews the band and singers for each musical The first preview goes very smoothly number in order to get an attractive and the audience response borders on aural balance, as well as providing direct hysterical. Rehearsals continue during sound effects. the daytime throughout previews: scene changes are sharpened, alternative There are some complications such as punch lines are tested and discarded, the automation system, which makes blocking is changed and cuts are made. a loud whirling noise which distracts The overall purpose, as it has been from the dialogue when the mics are throughout the process, is to make the moved at the end and beginnings of story as clear and funny as possible. scenes. It is decided in previews to only cue the automation after the dialogue has finished, and Grant Olding, the , has to extend the music to allow the mics time to travel before the singer is due to begin. Another major issue is the two doors, located on either side of the stage. These are used in most scenes and the action requires a lot of them. (, or plays with farcical elements, are notorious for their reliance on doors). In different scenes they have to open in a different directions (denoting external locations where doors open inwards, and internal rooms where doors open outwards), they are frequently slammed and crashed against by actors, must stay firmly shut once closed, but not be so heavy that the cast has trouble operating them. At several times during the tech the doors don’t go according to plan.

James Corden in rehearsal

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 12 Richard Bean interview

Richard Bean was born in Hull decade. The solution we came up with and worked as an occupational was a marriage of convenience because psychologist and stand-up one of the parties was gay and wanted before becoming a playwright. His to hide that fact by marrying a woman. many plays include Honeymoon Suite, That was my first big breakthrough. Harvest, , , The Big The second problem was the sword Fellah and an adaptation of Moliere’s fighting that features in the original. The Hypochondriac. England People I remembered Baz Luhrmann’s film, Very Nice premiered at the NT in 2009. Romeo + Juliet [1996], where he got He talks about the play during the last around his updating of Shakespeare’s week of rehearsals. play by branding the automatic guns the characters used as being made by a How does writing an adaptation manufacturer called ‘Sword’ so he didn’t compare to writing an original play? have to change the text’s references to Most writers like to do an adaptation swords. This made me think that in the once a year as you know what 1960s East End gangsters would have happens next. The pain of doing carried around flick knives and that original work is it’s up to you to decide introduced the gangster concept to the where the plot goes. With an adaption, adaptation. you just have to make the plot work in the context you’ve decided on, so in One Man Two Guvnors it’s set in 1963, Brighton. Then all I have to worry about is making it funny. It’s a great pleasure to do adaptations; I’m not saying it’s easier, but it’s more pleasurable because someone’s already written the ending. Deciding how to end a play is a writer’s torture.

A Servant of Two Masters has a complex structure and is very much of its period. What are the problems in adapting and updating a work of this genre? The main problem to solve is that the plot revolves around arranged marriage and that doesn’t exist in contemporary society, except within certain cultures. But we wanted to set the play in the 1960s so it would have been a very different play if I’d explored immigrant marriages in that

Richard Bean in rehearsal

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 13 Richard Bean interview (continued)

You’ve relocated the play from 18th critics will find it a bit too close to century Venice to 1960s Brighton. pantomime. But Nick and I wanted to How did that come about? make an accessible, popular comedy I remember having many early that would find a new audience for discussions with Nick [Hytner, the the NT. The first draft had quite a lot production's director] about where of swearing in it because that’s how to set it. Because food is such a East End gangsters speak, but Nick main motivating factor for the central felt very strongly that we should take character, my original idea was to set all the swearing out so that family it just after WWII because food was audiences could watch the show. still being rationed. I thought the kind There’s only one use of the ‘F-word’ of period music and clothes we could in the play now, right at the end. incorporate would be very stylish. But Nick wasn’t very keen on that as he You’ve been sitting in on rehearsals thought the colours [both literally in quite a lot. How do you find the set and costumes, and stylistically handing over the play to a director in terms of the mood of the music] and actors? would be too muted; browns and I would normally only be in the room greys and military colours. Nick was for the first week of rehearsals, but set on having more primary colours in with this there’s been a lot more the mix so we settled on 1963. work, partly because of how all the physical business that’s being You’ve retained many elements created affects the script. Nick has of Commedia Dell’arte. Was this wanted me around much more than important to you? I usually am which I’m very happy to I certainly wanted to keep most of do, but usually I’m only too happy to the stock characters from the genre. get out of the way and let the director Nick and I sat around a lot and talked and actors get on with it. Nick about how those characters fitted into and I have worked on three plays , music hall, Variety, together now and my involvement even Monty Python; you can imagine really depends on the project. With John Cleese playing a pretentious England People Very Nice, our first middle-class gent spouting Latin [like collaboration, I was in the rehearsal the character of Harry Dangle, played room all the time because we wrote by Martin Ellis, in One Man, Two it as we rehearsed. We did a lot of Guvnors]. We wanted to put a bit of rewriting on that and we’ve found a a 1963 spin on the stock characters. way of working together on rewrites So, for example, the birth of feminism whilst I’m in the room and he’s gave us the character of Dolly [played directing. I don’t consider any of my by Suzie Toase]. The physical stuff plays to be finished until the Friday was quite a challenge and also it’s not of the first week of performances. fashionable in contemporary theatre I know the play will get better once to have asides to the audience. The it’s in front of audiences and it’s physical gags and business we’re that performance draft I send to the doing is a risk. I’m quite sure some publishers, not the first rehearsal of the more pretentious broadsheet draft.

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 14 Grant Olding interview

Grant Olding trained as an actor at some workshops and I got the band Central School of Speech and Drama. playing all kinds of crazy stuff that He has written several musicals including hasn’t actually ended up in the show; Simply Cinderella, Robin Hood, Tracy bones, paper bag, musical saws. This Beaker Gets Real, Spittin’ Distance and inspired me to write the first song, Three Sides. He has also written music ‘My Old Man’s a Gannet’, which was for plays including England People Very about food, a major theme in the play. Nice, The Alchemist, The Man of Mode Nick liked the idea that all the songs and Southwark Fair, all at the NT. should incorporate various ideas from the play, without actually being about What were your initial discussions events which occur on stage. He told with the director about the role music me to write a series of songs based on would play in One Man Two Guvnors? that concept and we would decide at The first conversations I had with Nick a later point where those songs might were about time, place and style. He fit in within the structure of the play. I told me it was set in 1963, Brighton, and had written about six songs before we mentioned Ealing Comedies [a series started rehearsals and it was only then of films produced at Ealing Studios that we started talking about where in between 1947-1957], Carry On films the show they might fit and who would [low-budget comedies, 1958-1978] sing them. and early Beatles music. Later, he abandoned the above in place of skiffle music. Later still, it was Variety acts. Finally, we decided we would make our own rules up and create a hybrid of all the styles we wanted to incorporate. Nick began sending me YouTube clips of crazy Variety acts; people playing car horns and xylophones. We decided there would be music inbetween scenes, but we didn’t know if that would just be incidental music, or actual songs, or if there would be underscoring during the actual scenes. Before rehearsals began, we did a workshop and decided the band would be on stage and that would be the skiffle band that the character of Francis mentions in the play.

What was your process for writing the music once you knew what the director required? Once I knew the type of instruments I needed to incorporate then the line-up of the band formed in my head. We did Grant Olding in One Man, Two Guvnors

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 15 Grant Olding interview (continued)

Was the decision to have four for position. Within the first hour we members in the band a budgetary were laughing and joking and messing choice or because that’s how many around. This is a different show for me musicians would be in a 1960s group? because I haven’t written out specific Originally, the NT had budgeted for three parts for each instrument. Instead, we players, but I argued for four because it all come up with ideas and try them out seemed impossible to do beat combo and work out what’s best. [three guitars, plus drums] music without four members. All those 1960s bands They are very versatile musicians. - the Beatles, the Kinks, plus skiffle Yes. One plays the double and the bands - had four musicians. These electric bass. The guitarist has learnt the discussions were before we’d decided musical saw and the ukulele, although if the music would consist of songs or we don’t use them in the show now. The music, and if we’d settled drummer learnt the washboard, paper on instrumental we definitely would bag, bones and spoons. The tricky have needed a fourth member to play bit is to keep it realistically 1963. How the . I don’t think I’d want to do people perform now on stage is very it with more than four though, it’s the different from then. 1960s performers perfect number. Also, there was a point stand in a certain way and bob their in rehearsals when we were discussing heads. It comes from a dance band having a cast of actor-musicians, who tradition. Even the instruments that rock would play the characters and then play groups played in the 1960s came from instruments on stage during the musical dance bands. The performance style interludes. We’ve kept an element of that is more polite. It’s very different from in the production. the rock that’s played now. Any time our drummer throws in a fill or plays a How easy is it to find musicians who bass drum pattern that doesn’t feel like are willing to be seen on stage rather it comes from the early sixties, it takes than hidden in an orchestra pit? the audience out of it. And that’s been It’s not very easy. I knew I needed a real challenge. The bass drum is just young people, who were happy to get keeping it really simple, keeping it to the up on stage and would actually care 2 and 4 counts, not pushing beats and about the show. Plus, Nick wanted us syncopating. The bass player’s problem to feel like a real band, because of that is not to funk it up, because he is usually I had these four players in my mind a really funky bass player. The guitarist from the beginning. All of us have been has had to do lots of research into in pop or rock bands before and I’ve . For me as a composer, worked with all four of them before, and the big challenge was writing three they’ve worked with each other before chord songs, something really simple, as musicians on various musicals and real pop songs. No middle eight, just are great mates. We had four band verse and chorus, two sections. Two or rehearsals before they joined the actors three chords at the most. in rehearsal. If we didn’t know each other it would have been a nightmare as everyone would have been jostling

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 16 Grant Olding interview (continued)

Which do you write first: lyrics or take the visual picture away and still tell, music? by the music, the way the characters are I always write the lyrics first because I feeling. That’s more like . come from a musical theatre background. In a musical the music is always driven by You’ve worked with Nick a lot. Can you a character, and therefore by lyrics. Saying say something about the collaboration? that, most times when I’m writing a lyric I We’ve worked together on five plays, and do actually hear the of the song in we have a common language; he doesn’t my head, so I have a vague idea of how have to take ages explaining an idea to me. the melody might go and then I’ll refine I like to be in rehearsals a lot so I can feel that. Sometimes, when I get on to writing like I understand the production and Nick the melody it takes over and I have to go encourages that. I like to get to know the back and rewrite the lyrics from scratch actors and what they’re doing with their again. Many of the skiffle songs in the character; the actors’ physicality tends show are story songs, they have a plot to influence the music you’re writing for progression. I often work out the story of that character. Nick is brilliant at guessing the song first, where in the plot I have to exactly where the music should start, how get to in each verse and chorus, before I long it needs to be to cover the scene start writing. change, and what the mood should be. Not many directors have that level of instinct. How does writing music for plays differ from writing songs for musicals? The main difference is that in musical theatre you tend to be in control of the whole show; in plays, you’re trying to serve everyone else. In a musical, the emotional journeys and themes, and therefore the structure of the show, are driven by the composer; so you’re dictating where the underscore goes, how you’re going to get into a song etc. In a play, the director gives you a list of what music they need; for example, scene change music or underscoring. If a scene change takes longer than expected, then they will ask you to write an extra twenty seconds of music. In One Man, Two Guvnors, there’s only one piece of scene change music which tells you something about the emotion of the characters [the blues music before the pier scene in Act Two which depicts Stanley and Roscoe’s depression]. The test is that you could

discover: National Theatre Background Pack 17