KRAZYKIRST INTERVIEWS ACTRESS
CHRISTINE WEST
12TH
OCTOBER 2007
Q. DO YOU THINK MRS MEERS EVER CONSIDERED GETTING THE
LIFT FIXED?
(CHRISTINE
APPEARED (2007) IN THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE AS MRS MEERS)
A. (LAUGHS
ha ha ho ho) THAT’S A QUESTION I DIDN'T EXPECT. NO, SHE WOULDN'T SPEND MONEY ON
ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AS LONG AS SOMEBODY CAN MAKE IT WORK BY HOOK OR BY CROOK,
SHE'D GO ALONG WITH THAT.
Q. HOW
DID YOUR ACTING CAREER BEGIN?
A.
WHEN I WAS FOUR I WAS IN A SCHOOL PLAY CALLED THREE LITTLE PIGS, AND I WAS THE
PIG THAT WAS IN THE HOUSE OF BRICKS. I FELT VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET
EATEN BY THE WOLF. I GOT BITTEN BY THE BUG THEN AND I DON'T THINK I'VE STOPPED
SINCE. I WENT ON THROUGH SCHOOL, TEENAGE YEARS, AND EARLY MARRIED LIFE. I'VE
AUTOMATICALLY ASSUMED I'D BE GOING OUT TO REHEARSALS EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK
ALMOST. I LOVE IT YES.
Q. YOU
WORK WITH VARIOUS COMPANIES,
A. I
LOOK TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE DOING AND IF THERE'S SOMETHING I WANT TO
AUDITION FOR. IT HAS TO BE PLANNED CAREFULLY BECAUSE REHEARSAL TIME IS
IMPORTANT AND YOU HAVE TO COMMIT. THAT'S ASSUMING YOU GET CAST.
Q.
DO YOU APPROACH THEM OR DO THEY APPROACH YOU?
A. IF
I SAY THEY APPROACH ME, THE TERM IS, THEY ASK YOU IF YOU WOULD AUDITION. MOST
WELL RUN COMPANIES TELL YOU IN ADVANCE WHAT THEIR PROGRAM IS GOING TO BE FOR
THE NEXT YEAR OR SIX MONTHS. YOU RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THE PARTS ARE,
WHAT THE PLAY'S ABOUT AND THEN JUST PUT YOURSELF UP FOR AUDITION. IT'S AS
SIMPLE AS THAT.
Q. CAN
YOU TAKE ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF GETTING THE ROLE AS MRS MEERS?
A. ON
THAT OCCASION THE DIRECTOR AT THAT TIME, (ORIGINAL DIRECTOR UNABLE TO CONTINUE,
REPLACED BY STEVE BLACKMORE), SAID WOULD I AUDITION FOR MRS MEERS. I SAID YES,
I ONLY KNEW THE FILM AND NOT THE STAGE PLAY. I AUDITIONED AND GOT
THE PART.
Q. HOW
DO YOU APPROACH A CHARACTER, IS IT THROUGH DIRECTION/DIRECTORS NOTES, DO
YOU RESEARCH?
A. I
DO RESEARCH IT A LITTLE BIT. IT'S AN ACTORS RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE ON BOARD
SOMETHING OF THE CHARACTER AND TRY TO WORK OUT FOR YOURSELF WHAT YOU ARE GOING
TO DO. THEN YOU TALK TO THE DIRECTOR AND BETWEEN YOU TRY AND COME UP WITH WHAT
YOU BOTH WANT. IF THE DIRECTOR’S ANY GOOD YOU RESPECT THE DIRECTION AND IF THE
ACTOR’S ANY GOOD THE DIRECTOR LISTENS TO THE ACTOR. IT'S TWO PEOPLE WORKING
TOWARDS THE SAME END. WITHIN A COMPANY AND WORKING ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE.
ACTING IS THE ART OF REACTING.
Q. DID
YOU BASE YOUR PORTRAYAL OF MRS MEERS ON BEATRICE LILLY'S SCREEN PERFORMANCE?
A. NOT
REALLY. THE LOOK WAS BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T BETTER IT. THE
PERFORMANCE NO, THAT WAS ME.
Q. AT
THE END OF THE SONG MAMMY (FROM THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE), YOUR CHARACTER, MRS
MEERS, EXITS WITH A WINK TO THE AUDIENCE. WAS THIS YOUR OWN INTERPRETATION,
INSPIRATION?
A. MY
WINK TO THE AUDIENCE JUST HAPPENED ON THE FIRST NIGHT WHEN THERE WAS AN
AUDIENCE TO SHARE MY WICKED LITTLE SERCRET WITH. THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN FOR
ME, JO PUBLIC ADDS ANOTHER DIMENSION.
Q. DO
YOU THINK AS A STAGE PERFORMER YOU NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACT/SING/DANCE
AKIN TO CAROL BURNETT OR DOROTHY LOUDON?
A. IT
ALL HELPS. THE MORE I DO THIS THE MORE I REALIZE THAT NONE OF US ACTUALLY WORK
TO OUR FULL POTENTIAL. I DIDN'T TAKE ON A SINGING ROLE UNTIL THE 1970'S BECAUSE
I ASSUMED I COULDN'T DO IT. ALTHOUGH MY VOICE ISN'T A SINGERS VOICE, THE ODD
ROLE COMES ALONG WHERE A CHARACTER VOICE IS APPROPRIATE. THE NOTE FROM THE
MUSICAL DIRECTOR AGAINST MRS MEERS WAS 'BELT' AND THAT SUITES ME DOWN TO
THE GROUND.
Q. HOW
BEST WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ACTING SKILLS?
A.
WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I USED TO DANCE QUITE A BIT, ALTHOUGH I DON'T DO SO MUCH OF
THAT NOW. I THINK COMEDY TIMING IS SOMETHING I'VE ACQUIRED OVER THE YEARS AND
HOPEFULLY THE DRAMATIC ROLES. I CAN LAUNCH INTO THOSE AS WELL. I'M ALWAYS
LEARNING.
CHRISTINE
ADDS; THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH ARE ALL MY FRIENDS. THE
THANKYOU
CHRISTINE WEST.
AUTHORS
NOTE: KRAZY AND I HAVE A FAIRLY RANDOM VIEW OF THIS WACKY, MAD WORLD ON WHICH
WE RESIDE. REALISM IS NOT SOMETHING WE
SERIOUSLY CONSIDER…IS IT REALLY ALL IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE? YOU DECIDE. THIS
RESULTS IN OUR HUMOROUS TAKE ON ALL THINGS WE ATTEMPT TO DO. ALTHOUGH WE WERE
EXCITED AT THE PROSPECT OF MEETING CHRISTINE WEST, WE WERE ALSO VERY, VERY
NERVOUS…I MEAN NERVOUS, KRAZY WAS EXPERIENCING THE CREAM CRACKER CHALLENGE AND
FOR ME CAMERA SHAKE WAS NEVER FAR AWAY
EVEN WITH THE HELP OF OUR TRUSTY TRIPOD. WE NEEDN’T HAVE WORRIED. CHRISTINE
WASN’T WEARING MRS MEERS WIG AND COSTUME AND SHE DIDN’T ONCE SAY,’SAD TO BE ALL
ALONE IN THE WORLD’ SHE WAS AS HER SELF, PROFESSIONAL AND BEAUTIFUL. A RIGHT
GOOD SPORT. (SAID WITH NORTHERN ACCENT).
OUT OF
RESPECT I HAVE TO MENTION THE LITTLE FILM COMPANY ROLLS ROYCE (1990 ESCORT), IT
HAS GONE MISSING. THE GENIUS BEHIND THIS HEIST HAS LEFT US BEREFT…OF TRANSPORT.
OUR CAR HAS ITS OWN VICTORIAN PORCELEIN