Performing rights
Showtime talks to British actress Evelyn Duah, who is in Malta to appear in Masquerade's upcoming production of Doubt.
When did you decide you wanted to be an actress? And how did you go about achieving your ambition?
I've always wanted to be an actress from early childhood. My nursery teacher insisted that my parents sent me to some kind of dance or drama class.
She really did keep on going on at them, so my parents started looking for some classes for me.
There wasn't much going on in Hackney at the time so I started off by going to ballet and then getting involved in whatever kind of drama that was going on my primary school. In fact I started attending drama and dance classes from the age of four.
Did your family encourage you in your aspiration or try to put you off?
No, they were very realistic about the precarious nature of acting and encouraged me to have a firm educational background.
The acting profession is notoriously precarious. When not working, do you have a second string to your bow?
When I'm not working I teach drama and dance as extra-curricular subjects as well as teaching professional drama classes to both children and adults.
Following on from that: If you hadn't become an actress what would you have done instead?
I have a passion for fashion and would still like to explore a parallel career in design. I'm not particularly fantastic at drawing, but in terms of putting things together I do love playing with fabrics and textiles, so I would have probably found my way into the fashion world.
Let's find out a little more about you. Where were you born, grow up, educated etc...? Is acting/theatre something that runs in your family?
I was born in Hammersmith, West London. I grew up in Hackney, east London, to the age of about eleven and then moved to Barnet in north London, so I'm obviously a Londoner. Is acting something that runs in the family? Not as a profession but definitely in terms of big personalities.
These days there seems to be a lot more opportunity for black actors to get work. Have you noticed this and how has the situation changed (if at all) since you first began in the profession?
I don't consider myself as just a black actor. I'm an actor by profession and I'm black by colour, fact. I would describe myself as Black British of African origin of Ghanaian descent. I would say I was British because I was born here. I perceive myself as British more outside of Britain than I do actually in Britain. But acting is about propelling one's imagination. I would therefore define myself as open to all possibilities and it's never got in my way before... that may seem idealistic.
Will this be your first visit to Malta? How did it come about that you were cast in Masquerade's production of Doubt?
Yes this will be my first visit. I have a very good friend who has directed several productions with Masquerade and he's always tried to engineer a partnership. Finally, myself and Tony Bezzina met and what I hope will be a long partnership has begun.
From your CV you seem to have had a very eclectic career so far. Allowing for the fact that they all require differing techniques, what medium - stage - film - TV etc... do you prefer?
I try to allow myself the opportunity to explore as many mediums as possible and diversity allows me to continue to grow as an actor. There is much more money to be made in film and television of course, but the craft is in the theatre. It's where you kind of really learn your technique and understanding of it and so I love doing theatre. The pressure and the fear are extreme and it's a very intense process in comparison to film and television, where you have an opportunity to stop and make it right. In theatre its very much living in the moment and I think that's where the adrenaline and the thrill of acting comes from.
Which of the roles that you have played was the most successful and which was the most enjoyable... and why?
Every role is a success once you open yourself to the business of discovery and if I didn't enjoy what I do, I wouldn't do it. All the roles I have done have been fascinating, so there isn't one that I would say is a favourite because each of them presented a challenge in their own right and living in the moment as you do, I was just so fortunate to be trusted by those directors with those roles.
You seem to have worked with some very good directors and in some prestigious companies. Which company gave you the most satisfaction... and why?
Yes I have worked with some very, very good directors. I'm incredibly grateful for the trust every director puts in me while allowing me to explore the journey of a play or a film or a TV credit. It's an honour.
I think the biggest thrill was working for the Royal Shakespeare Company, because of some of the kudos that goes with it and the fact that so many of the world's best actors have trod the boards at the RSC.
There is a great deal of prestige in working for them and in fact as an environment to work in, its very much almost like going back to college again because so much is available to you and its going to take a life long learning process within the company, so you do have access to iconic people such as Cecily Berry, the legendary voice coach and the great director John Barton - and what he doesn't know about Shakespeare, the world doesn't need to know. So, you have these people there, that you can have access to, so its kind of amazing to have that facility at hand as well as all the training that goes along side it.
Allowing for the fact that we have seen black Hamlets and at least one notable black Lady M. Are there any roles that you feel could never be played by black actors?
No.
Which parts, that you are yet to play, do you covet?
I don't covet. What's mine won't pass me by. But if there is one part that I would love to play it would have to be Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. I think that's a life long ambition for me to kind of do that at some point. Yes, that's my most coveted role.
I've always wanted to be an actress from early childhood. My nursery teacher insisted that my parents sent me to some kind of dance or drama class.
She really did keep on going on at them, so my parents started looking for some classes for me.
There wasn't much going on in Hackney at the time so I started off by going to ballet and then getting involved in whatever kind of drama that was going on my primary school. In fact I started attending drama and dance classes from the age of four.
Did your family encourage you in your aspiration or try to put you off?
No, they were very realistic about the precarious nature of acting and encouraged me to have a firm educational background.
The acting profession is notoriously precarious. When not working, do you have a second string to your bow?
When I'm not working I teach drama and dance as extra-curricular subjects as well as teaching professional drama classes to both children and adults.
Following on from that: If you hadn't become an actress what would you have done instead?
I have a passion for fashion and would still like to explore a parallel career in design. I'm not particularly fantastic at drawing, but in terms of putting things together I do love playing with fabrics and textiles, so I would have probably found my way into the fashion world.
Let's find out a little more about you. Where were you born, grow up, educated etc...? Is acting/theatre something that runs in your family?
I was born in Hammersmith, West London. I grew up in Hackney, east London, to the age of about eleven and then moved to Barnet in north London, so I'm obviously a Londoner. Is acting something that runs in the family? Not as a profession but definitely in terms of big personalities.
These days there seems to be a lot more opportunity for black actors to get work. Have you noticed this and how has the situation changed (if at all) since you first began in the profession?
I don't consider myself as just a black actor. I'm an actor by profession and I'm black by colour, fact. I would describe myself as Black British of African origin of Ghanaian descent. I would say I was British because I was born here. I perceive myself as British more outside of Britain than I do actually in Britain. But acting is about propelling one's imagination. I would therefore define myself as open to all possibilities and it's never got in my way before... that may seem idealistic.
Will this be your first visit to Malta? How did it come about that you were cast in Masquerade's production of Doubt?
Yes this will be my first visit. I have a very good friend who has directed several productions with Masquerade and he's always tried to engineer a partnership. Finally, myself and Tony Bezzina met and what I hope will be a long partnership has begun.
From your CV you seem to have had a very eclectic career so far. Allowing for the fact that they all require differing techniques, what medium - stage - film - TV etc... do you prefer?
I try to allow myself the opportunity to explore as many mediums as possible and diversity allows me to continue to grow as an actor. There is much more money to be made in film and television of course, but the craft is in the theatre. It's where you kind of really learn your technique and understanding of it and so I love doing theatre. The pressure and the fear are extreme and it's a very intense process in comparison to film and television, where you have an opportunity to stop and make it right. In theatre its very much living in the moment and I think that's where the adrenaline and the thrill of acting comes from.
Which of the roles that you have played was the most successful and which was the most enjoyable... and why?
Every role is a success once you open yourself to the business of discovery and if I didn't enjoy what I do, I wouldn't do it. All the roles I have done have been fascinating, so there isn't one that I would say is a favourite because each of them presented a challenge in their own right and living in the moment as you do, I was just so fortunate to be trusted by those directors with those roles.
You seem to have worked with some very good directors and in some prestigious companies. Which company gave you the most satisfaction... and why?
Yes I have worked with some very, very good directors. I'm incredibly grateful for the trust every director puts in me while allowing me to explore the journey of a play or a film or a TV credit. It's an honour.
I think the biggest thrill was working for the Royal Shakespeare Company, because of some of the kudos that goes with it and the fact that so many of the world's best actors have trod the boards at the RSC.
There is a great deal of prestige in working for them and in fact as an environment to work in, its very much almost like going back to college again because so much is available to you and its going to take a life long learning process within the company, so you do have access to iconic people such as Cecily Berry, the legendary voice coach and the great director John Barton - and what he doesn't know about Shakespeare, the world doesn't need to know. So, you have these people there, that you can have access to, so its kind of amazing to have that facility at hand as well as all the training that goes along side it.
Allowing for the fact that we have seen black Hamlets and at least one notable black Lady M. Are there any roles that you feel could never be played by black actors?
No.
Which parts, that you are yet to play, do you covet?
I don't covet. What's mine won't pass me by. But if there is one part that I would love to play it would have to be Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra. I think that's a life long ambition for me to kind of do that at some point. Yes, that's my most coveted role.