Game of Thrones actor Ian Gelder has swapped Casterly Rock for Richmond in his latest role as Mr Pasmore in David Storey’s The March on Russia
Actor Ian Gelder is no stranger to family drama. As even-handed Kevan Lannister in the global TV sensation Game of Thrones he was forced to negotiate many a clan clash before [spoiler alert] being killed in the Destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor, a cataclysmic fire orchestrated by his niece.
This autumn Ian takes on the role of Mr Pasmore, another patriarchal figure who has a few demons of his own to battle – albeit not of the sword-wielding, psychotic-niece variety.
“Pasmore’s story is a very universal one,” says the 68-year-old actor. “He is from working class stock and has worked hard to educate his children. But when they return, they are changed by the opportunities education has given them. They don’t have patience for his ways or his views. The chances he provided for his kids have led to them growing away for him.”
The March on Russia tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate Mr and Mrs Pasmore’s 60th wedding anniversary. Written by David Storey (This Sporting Life, Saville), this is the first major production of the play since it premiered in 1989 at the National Theatre. Its setting amid a northern coal-mining-town reflected not only the breakdown of the traditional working-class family but also of the breakdown of traditional communities following the miners’ strike earlier that decade.
“The domestic drama is a great format,” enthuses Ian. “We find out all kinds of things. Yes, it’s a 60th anniversary, but both my character and his wife are questioning why they have stayed together all these years. And, yes, the children have come home to celebrate, but they have all come home separately. It’s not a planned event. Each one is surprised to see the other there, which shows they, too, have grown apart as siblings.”
The play opens the Orange Tree’s autumn season on September 7, running for four weeks, and while Ian is really looking forward to tackling the role of Mr Pasmore, he points out that the enormity of the part “has had me beavering away at my lines for weeks”.
Aside from his role in GoT, Ian, who is based in Tooting, has recently appeared in two other TV blockbusters, Victorian crime thriller Ripper Street and the glamorous Netflix original Riviera.
“I was so delighted to get Game of Thrones – it’s an absolute phenomenon and I am very proud to be part of it. The new age of television is really great for us actors,” he says. “I used to call my agent and be told, ‘Sorry, it’s really quiet’. But now, it’s so busy. Great actors are now happy to do TV, so when they do a play, more people go to the theatre, so each is feeding the other. It feels like we’re part of a growth industry.”
- The March on Russia is at The Orange Tree, Richmond, from September 7 – October 7. For more info or tickets, visit: orangetreetheatre.co.uk; (020) 8940 3633
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