Ewan Wardrop on North By Northwest at Alexandra Palace Theatre
Get your heads down – crop plane incoming!! Well, possibly… This iconic image is known to many as featuring in the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest, and an adaptation of the film by the inimitable Emma Rice and her Wise Children company is currently touring, due to hit London soon. We were more than a little excited to get the opportunity to chat with Ewan Wardrop, who plays leading man Roger O. Thornhill, about the infinite possibilities of a Wise Children/Hitchcock crossover. This is surely going to be bonkers?
North by Northwest is a really familiar story, but I just know Wise Children are going to make it special. Before we get into that, is the plot basically the same?
Yes it is the same plot, complete with much of the film’s fine dialogue written by Ernest Lehman. Emma Rice has written into it in order to make it work on stage, and in the rehearsal process things can shift and change to enhance the story. It’s not an easy film to stage which I think is why the show has been so successful. It’s quite remarkable that it manages to tell such an intricately plotted story in a great new way in just over two hours!
You’ve got a terrific background as a musician and as a dancer as well as in acting. With all these skills, can you tell us a bit about the character of Roger and why you wanted to play him?
Thanks! Roger Thornhill is a kind of everyman, albeit a charming and very dapper one. He leads a somewhat shallow existence as an advertising executive and in a case of mistaken identity becomes involved in an international spy plot worthy of James Bond. I wouldn’t have thought of myself as playing a Cary Grant type to be honest, but watching the film I found it interesting how funny Grant is. Particularly physically, Grant having been in an acrobatic Vaudeville troupe in his youth. That made me think I could use some of the qualities I have to portray Thornhill, including my background as a dancer. Etta Murfitt our choreographer has played an essential role in this production and her evocative choreography which is woven throughout the show, was a real key to finding the character.
What has the remarkable Emma Rice got you doing then, and can you tell us anything about the staging? I have to ask, is there going to be a crop duster flying in?
What hasn’t she got me doing would be more the question! There are the great scenes from the film, dancing and even a bit of lip synching! The staging is quite remarkable. Rob Howell, the show’s designer, has created a wonderfully iconic look that nods to the film but is a very stylish thing in its own right. I think simplicity is the key in this show – there are many ways you could present a crop duster flying in onstage; it’s not an easy task though. I can’t say exactly how we do it in our show, suffice to say it gets one of the biggest audience responses of the evening!
Wise Children thrive on unique, collaborative performance. What’s it been like working with them and have you learned anything new?
I consider myself very fortunate to work with them. The rehearsal process is such a pleasure. From day one of rehearsals all of the creative team are involved. So you will have Simon Baker our composer, for example, writing a score and backing music in real time. Etta Murfitt, our choreographer, works with us every day as dance is a big element of the show. Even the lighting designer Malcolm Rippeth will be present early on: the lighting can tell a lot of story so he has to be involved throughout.
The show has been on a UK tour, which finishes at Alexandra Palace in June. How has it been received in the many regional venues?
Every theatre has a different feeling and character in terms of playing the show. We have been lucky to perform in some great ones on this tour and the audience response has been wonderful! Fans of the film have been delighted and also people new to the story. We are all looking forward to playing the beautiful theatre at Alexandra Palace!
Thanks very much to Ewan for taking the time out to tell us about this fab new production. North by Northwest runs at Alexandra Palace from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 22 June.
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