So… One report on the Evening Standard Q&A coming up! I’m cross-posting this at OLove too as we've not had a Q&A report over there yet. I hope that’s okay. I also hope it's okay that this is long. If it's too long please feel free to delete it mods :)

The cast went off after their curtain call and there was a fifteen minute gap or so. When the curtain came back up there were chairs and the sofa across the front of the stage. Orlando sat right over on the left hand side of the stage on the sofa. He had on a white t-shirt, grey sweatshirt, The Jeans and suedey type boots. He’d mussed his hair up so it wasn’t trapped in brylcreme stasis, which was very considerate and kind of him for those of us who love his curls. He had what looked to me like lime soda/water and sipped at it throughout the session.

My shorthand wasn’t good enough to get everyone’s responses so apologies for the focus on Orlando’s input. Anything in square brackets is my comment or note. Shorthand, in the dark, when trying to listen and not fall into chocolate brown eyes is tricky. Please don’t take this as a verbatim record.

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Moderator: Most of the cast here are long established stage actors but Orlando of course you’re fairly new to this.

Orlando: Mmm.

Mod: What was behind your decision? [paraphrased]

Orlando: It was long overdue really. I trained I think it was eight, nine years ago and I was beginning to feel a little bit thin as an actor and in the films. Not that I wasn’t enjoying the films […] but I wanted to do some theatre and I met Anna, the director, […] it was originally another play they had in mind which was also a very good play but I wasn’t really sure about and then this play she said was […] but so I read it and it quite obviously was and so we got into rehearsals […]

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[There was a brief discussion of rehearsal time. They had 4 weeks. At the National you’d have 6-8 weeks.]

Lynda joked: 6-8 months!

Orlando: Could have done with that actually.

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Mod: [This theatre also saw a production of another Storey play ]The Changing Room where the entire cast had to appear naked. Unfortunately they didn’t tonight.

Orlando: “I did ask but they said no.” [Much, much laughter. Oddly enough.]

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Audience Member: International heart throb, star of the West End […] Tim.. how are you coping with the female attention.

Mod: A question to Orlando – how does he cope with all the female attention.

Different Audience Member: No, it was a question to Tim.

Mod: To Tim!

Tim: Yes, it is extraordinary. What’s been wonderful about this is the fact that Orlando is a huge heart throb and there’s all these young girls come in to see him. And what we’ve done is brought in a new audience to watch something that they would never normally come and see. I remember the first couple of nights that we were on the audience was gobsmacked with this play, it was not what they expected to see, so it’s been brilliant that we’ve done this sort of play with Orlando because it’s given a whole generation of young.. girls in particular.. men as well but {laughter} There were two in last night. But it’s given them the chance to see something completely new like a kitchen sink drama like this.

Lynda: And they’ve been marvellous audiences.

Tim: Absolutely.

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Audience Member: I was overwhelmed by the claustrophobia of the whole piece and I just wondered if it was intense on stage as it was as a member of the audience.

[All nodded and agreed, including Orlando. Tim started the answer off, then Lynda offered that it made them cry in rehearsals.]

Moderator: Orlando.. you’ve got one of the most difficult roles because it’s quiet.

Orlando: I thought that was going to be easy actually. Yeah, it’s been quite a challenge […] There’s a whole load of emotion there and there has to be some release which can be a quite painful process […] and it’s just all the way through, the emotion is.. palpable you know. Thankfully I’ve got a great cast with me to work with and there’s a lot of support there..

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Audience Member: It was just two things really.. First of all I just wanted to say whoever made the decision to put the cheap tickets on for under 26’s – thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s so hard to encouraging teenagers to read plays and so having that ability to come here and afford it .. thank you very much.

General Cast : Thank you [and much nodding].

Audience Member: And secondly.. I was just wondering.. the brothers. Obviously it’s very intense and I’m still pondering kind of how they felt about each other at the beginning but do you think there are any sea changes by the end about how the brothers feel about each other or are they going to slot back into the relationship that was there beforehand. I don’t know if that’s something you feel able to talk about but I was just wondering.

Paul: I can’t speak for the other brothers and I don’t want to say too much ‘beyond’ the play if you see what I mean because it treads on other people’s ideas about the play but I do think that Andrew has come to a point of realisation through his brother [gestured to Orlando] about the nature of compassion and has had to deal with his own crisis so he’s definitely taken a step forward in the right direction.

Orlando: I think this is a family that hasn’t seen each other for maybe four years which is quite some time so all the information is very new and very vital and I think that’s sort of key to helping trigger the different aspects of the play. We all have to be very present in the immediate play and what’s happening because the stakes are high all the time.

Gareth: [Answers to the effect that Colin will probably go back to his life as if it hasn’t happened.]

Kate Lonergan (Assistant Director): That’s what’s so wonderful about this play is that it sends all sorts of questions.

Orlando: It doesn’t give you any answers.

Kate: No answers, and it prompts a debate. So when people come out of the theatre and friends who have seen it together come out and say “So what do you think’s going to happen” […]

Orlando: Mmmms in agreement.

Kate: We’re very used these days to things being all tied up [..] in those days asking the very question was enough. Now we say “Oh I’m like this because…” and they didn’t then. And it’s actually quite a brave play in that it allows debate.

Tim: Hopefully it’ll make you want to come back and see it again.

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Audience Member: What’s been your favourite moment of the experience so far?

Tim: Rehearsal process [abridged]. It’s very hard work but well worth it in the end.

Moderator: Orlando?

Orlando: I was just trying to think what my favourite moment was. Errrr… I was thinking that it’s…

Lynda: (leans down to look at Orlando). Eating chicken salad.

Orlando: (laughs) Yeah.. hoover lips. [Can’t begin to think what this is a reference too *lol*] Erm … Getting to know these wonderful people. Right from the word go it’s sort of filled every hope and expectation that I had for the experience. I think it could be a very different experience and it’s been […] I’ll be able to move forward as an actor, on film or whatever I do, with a new level of confidence.

Moderator: Would you like to do more?

Orlando: Certainly, I’d love to. It’s a very challenging process to go through though. Part of it is finding the right play and the right director and you know, it’s, you know, it’s kind of like lightning in a bottle I think.. Which is like what it is to make a film. Getting the right people together in the right place at the right time. Getting everything to be, you know, the stars aligned so that the show gets off the ground. I thought it wouldn’t be that difficult in the theatre and it’s proved to be much more difficult than I thought. More difficult than film really because, you know, it’s finding…. It’s a very challenging process.

Moderator: [Makes reference to the difficulty of finding something fresh for every performance, six days a week, twice on Saturdays.]

Orlando: And Tuesdays!

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Audience Member: Question to Orlando. I was just wondering what you find most personally challenging, theatre or film, and for what reasons. [I think she must have been so nervous about asking her question that she didn’t listen to the previous answer]

General mutterings of “He’s just answered that”.

Audience Member: Sorry..

Orlando: No, no, that’s alright. Theatre is definitely, […] a bit of a mountain […] and I have to keep climbing as it were. It’s definitely been the biggest challenge in more ways that I expected perhaps.

And that was the last we heard from Orlando. Throughout the Q&A Orlando often stared at the ceiling, but must have been listening because he always had something appropriate to offer when asked. He also made eye contact with the people in the audience who asked questions, and really talked to them when he answered.

It’s 3.30am now so I’ll leave it there, but if I remember anything else of import I shall post it!

[Edit: I forgot to say that afterwards Orlando, unbelievably considering how much effort he'd already put in, still stopped to sign autographs. That was my second visit and he stayed out longer last night than before I think. However, the crowd was even larger than before, during the previews, including a line of people standing in the street. There was much more screaming and jostling. I have mixed feelings but I sort of feel that if Orlando feels he wants to stop and meet people then he's made that decision for himself and so it's fine. Except for if it was because the road was blocked as it was last night :what: I just so hope he isn't embarrassed, especially in front of his workmates, about some of the more Beatle Mania-esque behaviour.

However, what I did find really really unsettling and rather unpleasant were the girls chasing his car. I walked back through Trafalar Square and at every set of lights it was caught at they caught up again and told people around them who was in the car and just *stared*. I may be being oversensitive here and maybe he loves every last second, but I felt that was a bit much. Orlando seems to be giving an awful lot of himself at the moment and there comes a point where I just think... "Let the man go home and relax."

The video I took outside the stage door is over here:

Video

You can see a very helpful tall person passing many programmes forward - possibly more than you can Orlando actually! I think his help made some fans very happy indeed. Because I was at the back I saw more from this video than I did in the moment! ]

Beaten to it with a report :lol: - I also attended the Q + A session, and found it really interesting and enjoyable. hehe, Orlando bless his cotton socks did look a little nervous, sat there chewing his nails a fair bit. Was quite :wub: as well though, we got locked in eye contact for a little while whilst the long, final question was being asked.

Idrillia's done such a great job reporting I don't really think there was much to add, except one audience member did chip in with a considerably lengthy question (took her a number of minutes just to ask it I kid you not) about the political undertones of the play and any reading the cast had done into it, which ultimately prompted something of a debate between herself and Dearbhla Malloy who, to the agreement of the whole cast, stated she didn't feel it was her job to act as an emissary of the political messages a play may contain, its a layer that some audience members wouldn't even pick up on, and she felt it was more important to be true and honest to the human being she was representing, and that David Storey had written.

I must give enormous kudos to Dearbhla for her response, the question asker was quite persistent, frequently interrupting with rebuttals, but Dearbhla remained very composed and gave a very considered and convincing answer. She was also very courteous in saying she hoped she had not offended the question asker.

And on a side note, when Tim Healy was mentioning Orlando attracting some male fans, I was genuinely laughing, and got a glance from Orlando who smiled at me, which was incredibly sweet, and of course - :hot:

:woot: Thank you so much for the wonderful report Idrillia. :friends:

It's absolutely fine to cross-post to OLove Idrillia. They are a great bunch over there and support us well. And, it's not too long at all. I have a tendency to do long posts sometimes. :lol:

Bless him! He knows what the ladies like! :lol:

I think he did a perfect job with the rehearsal time he had given to him. In my honest opinion I don't think he could perfect the role of Steven any more.

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Ahhhhhhh! Now then, I wonder if all those rumours about Orlando appearing naked on stage was a confusion between the two David Storey plays?

I am so pleased that Orlando has got the new confidence that he was hoping to gain from this play. It will certainly be a huge boost to him.

I don't know how anyone else felt, but when I watched Orlando up there on that stage, he just seemed...to belong!

There should be one there for you now. ;) I've bumped you up a member group to give you that option. By default new members are unable to edit posts (we've had problems in the past). :)

I have to agree with Dearbhla, I didn't pick up an any political messages, but I know a lot of people read into things a lot differently. Everyone has their own take of a film or a theatre production. I think she answered that question really well.

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Thanks for your report as well Kyle. If you do want to add anymore thoughts of your own please feel free to do so.

Bless Orlando for acknowledging you in what could have been an awkward moment. I can still the look on his face the very first time he saw you stood in that crowd at the KOH premiere.

Thank you so much Idrillia and Gonedeaf for your reports. :thankyou:

GoneDeaf: Sorry to beat you to it! Jesse had earlier wondered if I might post something and so I did.. Sorry again.

Your description of that last question was spot on. It was just ridiculous and now I know what Orlando looks like with a "WTF" expression on his face from when he looked over at Dearbhla after the girl asked her if she was side-stepping the question. I was sitting near them actually and afterwards her friend had a go at her for going on, saying you’re meant to ask one question not go on. I would agree. I think there may have been an icy silence on their trip home. It was a bit of an off moment to end on I thought :(

That's so great that Orlando recognised you and made that link with you during the discussion of men coming to the play :clap: I'm really happy you got that moment or three of a proper kind of connection :)

Jesse: You're right! That probably does explain the confusion over the nakedness. I hadn't thought of that at all. Trouble is, there's probably some rule about doing something in a theatre that you know will bring on heart attacks in the audience and so they couldn't do that play this time. Woe.

I was delighted with what he said about confidence... that the experience has helped with that. Funny.. I have confidence issues myself and it's so strange to think of someone who's done so spectacularly well in their chosen field to have confidence issues.

RosieB: I hope he was having a good time - he certainly came out with the comment about having asked if they could without any hesitation and with a smile on his face!

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Just saw this link on orlando_news about last night's Q&A..
The Stage: Mob Scenes on St Martins Lane.

Wow amazing report Idrillia! Thank you for taking the time to share it with us! :friends:

Well at the risk of going on a bit myself, I definitely think she protracted her opportunity to ask a question way too far. I mean, she even took time at the start to go on about why she was wearing her sunglasses indoors. :flirt:

A fantastic article on the Q & A by Mark Shenton from The Stage

Mob scenes on St Martin’s Lane….