“From Essex, to Wales, to the West End...”
Since publishing our very first interview one year and two months ago, I have interviewed some of the biggest West End and Broadway stars, as well as understudies, alternates and ensemble members from some of London’s biggest and longest running shows, plus from tiny productions which have run in almost hidden locations all over the capital. Over the past few weeks we've been counting down to our big 100th interview so it seemed only right to choose an incredible interviewee... and who better than a man who has travelled from Essex to Wales while starring in one of the most popular British television programmes of all time, Gavin and Stacey, before travelling to the West End to be a part of one of the most exciting productions of 2013 so far, The Pride. That’s right... I can finally reveal that the identity of our 100th interviewee is Mr Mathew Horne.
Despite being best known for starring as Gavin in Gavin and Stacey, which ran for twenty episodes between 2007 and 2009 becoming one of the best loved British comedy television series of all time, Mathew is no stranger to the stage. Last year he played Lord Fancourt Babberley in Charley’s Aunt at the Menier Chocolate Factory which was directed by Ian Talbot and in 2009 Mathew starred alongside Imelda Staunton in Entertaining Mr Sloane at Trafalgar Studios, playing the title role.
The 35-year-old actor is also known for his regular appearances in Bad Education and The Catherine Tate Show. His other television credits include: Hey Diddly Dee, Death in Paradise, Sinbad, Marple, Worried about the Boy, Horne and Corden, Roman’s Empire, Teachers, 20 Things to do Before you’re 30 and The Proposal.
Mathew is currently appearing in Alexi Kaye-Campbell’s play, The Pride, which runs at Trafalgar Studios until 9th November 2013 as part of director Jamie Lloyd’s star studded West End season, Trafalgar Transformed. Featuring a complex love triangle, The Pride delves into the attitudes towards homosexuality in both 1958 and the present day. The play, which premiered Upstairs at the Royal Court in 2008, also stars Hayley Atwell, Harry Hadden-Paton and Al Weaver. Mathew plays three roles: The Man, Peter and The Doctor.
Recently I spoke to Mathew about his eagerness to work with Jamie Lloyd, his ambitions to star in both a one-man show and a West End musical, as well as why he will never become tired of people asking him about Gavin and Stacey...
How is The Pride going now that you’re quite far into the run?
Really great, the audiences are many and varied and it’s great to do the show every night and to have such a variety of responses because we’re getting such a broad spectrum of people. It changes every single time we do it which is why it stays so fresh which is important. It’s a real joy to do and after the first two weeks were out of the way it became much less stressful. We settled very quickly and are able to enjoy it! I think everyone involved is very proud of the piece.
I know you’ve spoken a lot about wanting to work with Jamie Lloyd for a while. Why? What was it about him and his work that you found so attractive?
Firstly I had never met him or indeed worked with him before I saw the first show of Trafalgar Transformed, which was Macbeth with James Mcavoy, and I just really like his contemporary style. The way he directs not only comes across technically but also from the performances you see from the actors. So I came away from that show really wanting to work with him. I really wanted to do some theatre anyway. I did a play at the Menier Chocolate Factory at the end of last year which was a really good experience, and I really sort of missed being in the theatre. I did a TV job earlier this year which was pretty long and intense and that left me wanting to go back to theatre. Going to see Macbeth reignited that desire and made it seem appropriate for it to be with Jamie. Then I saw The Hothouse, which was the second show in the season, and that just confirmed everything for me in terms of his visual style and the performances that he got out of his actors. I just really wanted to be a part of the season and to be involved in his work and eminent rise.
Mathew and Al Weaver
So then what was it like when you finally began working with Jamie?
Within the first week of rehearsing with him I fell in love with his process of working. He’s a very, very clever and talented man and the whole process has been a real joy. He’s very good at putting his stamp on things and I wanted a piece of that. I also think that’s the reason why he should have his own West End season, because even though all the plays have been completely different, there is a cohesive style to what Jamie does which is incredibly attractive for actors.
The play evokes such huge responses from audiences, what was your initial reaction the first time you read the script?
What I loved about it was its honesty. The Pride explores many facets of what it is to be gay, not only in terms of the two central male characters but also because it spans across two different eras which have very different atmospheres and social attitudes. I liked that the play covered such a broad range of attitudes and aspects of gay life, but it seemed to be neatly and deeply put together and incredibly cohesive as well as honest, open and raw. I sort of knew from that, although I never saw it at the Royal Court and had just read it, that it would mean a lot to a lot of people. Also I thought that for the straight community it would open their eyes a bit and maybe spark some sort of debate, particularly with the social and political climate that we live in. Straight away I knew I wanted to do it and I also wanted to challenge myself by playing three different roles.
The three different roles you play couldn’t be more different, is variety important to you and something you wanted to show?
It was a very strange offer in many ways, because although the parts are very small and they are pretty much cameos, they are all very different. Two of the roles are very comedic, so on the one hand it’s absolutely something I want to take on and something which feels suitable to me and to what I do, but at the same time they are minor roles so it was deciding whether I wanted to be a part of something really unique and special and work with Jamie and to challenge myself, or whether to wait for something else where I could play a more prominent role. But going back to talking about Jamie, the importance of the play and the fact that I loved the writing, it really was a no brainer. It just felt right for me as an actor to do those roles.
As you mentioned, The Pride covers a lot of big issues. How do you find eight shows a week? It must be quite draining?
Erm, it has been quite draining. I remember it was particularly draining during the first two weeks with the build up to press night. Jamie worked us very hard, as he should have, and the rehearsal process was incredibly hard and we worked very hard, but at the same time it was an absolute pleasure because we are all so committed to the piece and there is a great cast bond. I guess it’s the commitment of the other three in the cast that really keeps me going. Plus, as I have smaller roles I get to rest a little bit more [laughs] but at the same time I have to remain on top of things because, going back to what I said at the beginning, things are different every night and you've got to hold onto the message and the story that you’re trying to tell. Your motivation to stay on top of things is already there and we are doing it for the audiences.
Mathew and Al Weaver
Of course there are just four of you in the cast, what are the others like to work with?
One of the great things about Jamie is that behind the scenes he casts very well. He’s quite meticulous about the cast and type of people that he wants. I think we’re all very different types of actors, but there’s a common theme in that he thinks that we’re all nice people – they’re his words! I didn't even have to meet him, he just offered me the part. Recently I had a chat with him and said “why did you do that because I know you audition people, or you at least meet them for coffee?” and he replied “I heard you were a good person and good to work with so that was enough for me because all I want is a cast of good people.” It’s not just about our ability, it’s about our hearts and our souls and it’s really crucial to us, to Jamie and to the play that we care and that we are committed to it from our hearts. Despite being very different there was an instant bond between the four of us which continues, and I know that I have three new friends for life which is really wonderful, it’s nice to get that out of your work. It’s a small cast so if there were problems it would be very evident and difficult to manage, whereas if it was a larger cast it would be inevitable that there would be more friction but there isn't and it’s all pretty rosy backstage.
While you have done theatre before, people mainly know you from your work on screen. How does doing something like Gavin and Stacey compare to doing something like The Pride?
The differences between doing theatre and TV are vast! Time is a big thing. The four to five week rehearsal process that you get in the theatre where you can get to the heart of any project and really think about the piece is absolutely joyous, it’s almost like being back at school in some sort of English class because you’re scrutinising every single word and line and its meaning. In TV it’s just kind of do it, do it again if you mess it up and that’s it – then it’s forgotten. It’s incredibly transient. Also, you can give what you think is a great performance in front of the camera but then there are a lot of people it has to go through before it gets on the telly – editors, executive producers, dubbing mixers, blah blah blah. With theatre all of you collaboratively work towards one common goal and then on the night what you see is what you get. Whereas in TV what you see on the day is not what you see on TV eight months later. That’s not to say that either one is better, but it’s a big positive for the theatre because it’s a huge challenge and the weight is more on your shoulders. I personally adore it.
Have you got any ideas as to what you’d like to do next?
Well I’d like to continue in the theatre if I’m honest, there’s plenty of TV work lined-up so it’s quite important to me that I also focus on theatre, not least because I also really love the lifestyle! That’s the other thing! When I’m doing a TV job I have to get up at half past five [laughs] and talk to human beings before seven am! In the theatre you get to build during the day, knowing you’re going to work in the evening, so working in theatre is really important to me and hopefully I’ve done a good enough job in The Pride so that somebody else will employ me! I suppose that’s my next aim, the TV stuff kind of ticks over. I would very much like to do a one-man show next... but we shall have to see...
As well as the previous plays in Jamie’s season, have you had the chance to see any other theatre this year?
I went to see Merrily We Roll Along at the Menier Chocolate Factory before it transferred to the West End. I had just finished in their previous show (Charley’s Aunt) so went along and thought it was absolutely extraordinary! I know musicals are the biggest sellers in the West End, but I think they’re really, really difficult to do and I admire anyone who puts them on or who is in them and I thought Merrily was brilliant and I’m so pleased that such a fabulous show like that transferred to the West End.
Mathew rehearsing for The Pride
Would you ever consider being in a musical?
Yeah – I would love to! I don’t think my voice is too bad but I would happily have singing every morning, in fact I would happily get up at half five and sing every morning! I think it would be very rewarding, that’s definitely something I would like to do.
You have a huge fan base who closely follow your career. What is it like having that kind of support behind you?
Very nice of you to say but for every person that supports me there is somebody who doesn’t like me and what I do, and that’s probably part of what comes with being in such a successful show like Gavin and Stacey. On the one hand it’s absolutely wonderful to be appreciated for what I do and for people to like what I do, but I have to keep my feet on the ground because there is always somebody who really doesn’t. With each job it’s important to me that I do my best and challenge myself and absolutely commit to each choice I make for those people who do want to come and see me doing things and to also ensure that I have a good time and not worry too much about the haters.
As you say, Gavin and Stacey was ridiculously successful. Do you ever get sick of people wanting to talk to you about it all the time?
Erm, it’s tricky because in every interview I do, in nine out of ten tweets I receive, and when people shout at me in the street, everybody just wants to know whether Gavin and Stacey is coming back - and I genuinely don’t know! It would be fab if it did, but the risk that we take is doing it and all those people who have been asking for it just going “oh it wasn’t as good as before”. It’s also not even up to me, I didn’t write it, I didn’t create it. Everybody who was involved has gone on to do other stuff, especially James (Cordon) and Ruth (Jones) who are incredibly busy, so getting round to actually writing it and doing it and producing a story that would be worth doing will take time. I would love to do it! And I’m not saying that I get tired of being asked about it either, because it’s very lovely for people to care about it so much. However, at the same time there are only so many times you can say “I don’t know” without people thinking that you are hiding something [laughs] because I’m really not!
Mathew and Joanna Page as Gavin and Stacey
Does it feel like a long time ago now?
It’s coming up to five years since the last time we did it and eight years since we first did it – that’s quite a long time, it's bizarre! It’s lovely that the show remains in people’s hearts, not least because it’s repeated on TV all the bloody time! It’s quite a long time ago for us and for all the people who don’t watch the repeats. I caught some the other day and I definitely look younger [laughs], it doesn't feel like a distant memory yet, but it certainly feels like a memory rather than an ongoing thing which may or may not happen. It’s out of my control, if it happens – brilliant, if it doesn't – everything’s still rosy!
andrew@westendframe.com
The Pride runs at Trafalgar Studios until 9th November 2013.
Click here to book tickets (save £15 at selected performances).
Earlier today we revealed the twenty most popular interviews in West End Frame history. Click here to check out the list.
West End Frame's review of The Pride can be found here.
Great interview mat
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