As the Orange Tree prepares to stage a revival of Caryl Churchill’s Blue Heart, Jane McGowan catches up with two of its stars, Amelda Brown and Janet Henfrey
Caryl Churchill is one of Britain’s most influential contemporary playwright’s. Her works, which include Top Girls, The Striker and Cloud Nine, all deal with hard-hitting themes such as feminism, corruption and politics and have all been met with acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
This month, in a joint production with Bristol’s Tobacco Factory Theatre, Richmond’s Orange Tree stages two one-act plays – Heart’s Desire and Blue Kettle – which come together as Blue Heart. Both deal with complex issues of family, loss and expectation. But in true Churchill style, nothing is quite what it seems and the plays’ structures ultimately collapse amid a confusion of bizarre language and unusual happenings.
I caught up with two of the stars Amelda Brown and Janet Henfrey to find out more.
What can you tell me about the plays?
Amelda Brown “The story of Heart’s Desire is that we are creating a lunch for our daughter as she returns from Australia. But we never actually get to that point because the play is hijacked by ourselves because the anticipation of this arrival means we say things to the other person we would not normally say and also external things happen – for example hordes of children run across the stage and later a giant bird enters – which mean we can never quite complete the play.”
Janet Henfrey “The second play Blue Kettle is actually a comedy but it’s like a virus has got into the language and we gradually substitute words for either blue or kettle. The premise – of a man inveigling five women into believing he is the son they gave up for adoption 40 years ago – is a possible one. But again, it’s Caryl playing with language and tone. For the most part the meaning of the substituted words is quite clear and as an actress it’s a very interesting process.”
Janet Henfrey & Amelda Brown
Would you say that family is at the heart of both plays?
JH “Oh yes. My character in Blue Kettle is over the moon to have her ‘son’ back and even when she is told he is definitely not her son she refuses to believe it because she likes him and wants them to be a family and to have a future.”
AB “In terms of Heart’s Desire, I can safely say that if I had been the child in this family I would have left a long time ago. And in Blue Kettle my supposed son is the product of an affair and although my character is very keen to meet him, once she realises she will have to tell her husband and children about him, she quickly withdraws as the revelation changes what she is.”
The plays offer strong parts for several women. Is it fun to be working in a mostly female cast?
JH “Absolutely. It’s great – especially for women of a certain age as we all are. There are actually few good parts being written for older women in any of the disciplines of theatre, TV and film. But Caryl has always written interesting roles for women and I only wish more people were doing the same.”
With such serious issues at the core of these plays what can audiences expect?
AB “Don’t worry, they’re very funny too.”
JH “They are fun and challenging but they don’t dictate. The plays are entertaining in the best sense of the word and everyone will take away something to think about.”
Blue Heart runs from Oct 13 – Nov 17. For tickets visit orangetreetheatre.co.uk
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