The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes by Gyles Brandreth

Author:Gyles Brandreth [Brandreth, Gyles]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780191066528
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Published: 2020-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

ALBERT FINNEY

(1936–2019)

Albert Finney was a British stage and film star, whose distinguished career began auspiciously when, in 1959, he was at Stratford-upon-Avon understudying the great Sir Laurence Olivier in Coriolanus. This recollection comes from an interview with Clive Goodwin.

Q. At Stratford you had the dream of every understudy come true. Laurence Olivier injured his leg and you took over the part of Coriolanus.

A. Yes, that was smashing. I don’t know what was wrong with my work at Stratford. I mean it was more wrong then than it’s ever been before or since, and I was aware of it being wrong. It was one of those times when you feel that everything you do—you know that kind of tunnel—and there’s nothing you can do to get out of it. The more you try to get out of it, the more you’re in it. My work was awful, just vile. Every time I went on the stage I felt, get off, get off, what are you doing? But when I went on for Sir Laurence in Coriolanus, all the difficulties I seemed to be going through left me. Because, first of all, the audience kind of expect you to come on in flannels with a book. Sir Laurence isn’t playing—big groan. His part will be played by Al—Albert Finney. And then I came on, and I had the costume on, and so they immediately think I’m talented because I’ve actually got into the clothes. I’ve put the body make-up on and then I start and they can’t see the book. And I actually got through it without drying, so they think I’m very good. If you’re an understudy and you go on, the card you’ve actually got in your hand is that they think you might not be able to get through at all, and if you can get through with any degree of professionalism, they think you’re very good. And I kind of felt, get in there. But it’s terrible to hear that announcement—you know, you’re in your dressing-room putting on the make-up—Sir Laurence won’t be playing tonight; terrible groan through the auditorium. That’s nice.

But I felt a kind of freedom doing Coriolanus because I had no responsibility; I was his understudy, it didn’t matter what happened. It didn’t matter if I dried; they’d expect it. If I fainted, well it’s a lot of pressure on the lad, you know. So I didn’t worry. All the clouds which were around the rest of my performances, all the rubbish, the tunnel I felt in with my work, all the difficulties blew out of the window. I just went on and did it. I felt very free. I don’t think it was a good Coriolanus. When you hear Sir Laurence’s tones ringing in your ears for the number of times he’d done the performances, it’s very difficult for you not to be similar, because you’re working on his blueprint. I learnt from that how a great actor can take the peaks and the valleys of a performance, the ups and downs of a character as written, and push them even further apart.

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