Julian Glover is currently playing Maurice in the UK tour of Maurice’s Jubilee. The Olivier Award winning actor's stage credits include Oliver at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Henry IV and Henry V for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Voysey Inheritance at the National Theatre and Richard II at the Old Vic. His screen credits include Game of Thrones, The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and For Your Eyes Only.
Are enjoying touring with Maurice’s Jubilee?
I am enjoying myself enough to want to tour for 12 weeks! It is such a wonderful role in a simply terrific play. The play has some wonderful moments, it really is quite touching. You know what? When I’m on stage I don’t think I ever consciously think “I’m enjoying this”. When I enjoy myself is at the end of a performance, if it’s gone well and I think I've acquitted myself honourably.
What initially drew you to Maurice’s Jubilee?
I was at the theatre watching the first night of a play (which was frightfully awful but I won’t go into that) and I bumped into Nichola McAuliffe who at the time I knew but had never worked with and I didn’t know a great deal about her work. During the interval she came over to me and asked what I was doing in the summer and told me she had a script she wanted me to look at. I didn't know much about her work as a playwright, which was very bad of me. I just thought “Oh God – another actor who’s written a play. I'm going to have to read it and how on earth will I turn it down?”. So I told her that I wasn't quite sure if I was free because I had other commitments, which was true and I needed a way to cover myself.
Anyway, I took the script home and a few days later decided I had to read it and then think of a way to politely turn it down. After reading about four pages I stopped and realised it was actually really good. Then I read the rest of it in forty minutes. But I never trust myself so I took it to my wife who is also an actress. She read it and told me she thought it was just amazing. But I wouldn’t trust her either so I took it to my son and he rang me up about an hour later and said “Dad, you’ve got to do this!”. So that was it… I said yes!
What are the cast like to work with?
Maurice’s Jubilee is a lovely piece of concentrated theatre for just three actors. The three of us not only get on so well together, but we respond to each other so well. We have the most honest discussions about how things should be done. I love that as well as writing the play, Nichola also performs in it and Sheila Reid who I have known for yonks is such a delight to work with, she is an amazing actress!
What’s it like revisiting the show after the Edinburgh run?
We only had one week to make some small changes before going on tour. All the changes are definitely for the better. The whole experience and the journey I have had with this show so far has been thoroughly enjoyable.
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| Julian Glover (Maurice), Sheila Reid (Helena) & Nichola McAuliffe (Katie) |
When did you first decide that you wanted to become an actor?
When I was at school a new teacher arrived and decided to put on a production of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. I was a very shy little boy (believe it or not!) with no acting experience but had always been good at reading aloud. I was cast as Mark Antony which absolutely knocked my head off! I went home and told my family I wanted to be an actor. However, in those days it was very unfashionable. Everyone else was going off and training to be accountants and doctors but, thank God, my parents were delighted that they had a 15 year old son who knew what he wanted to do!
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
There is a huge difference between wanting to act and wanting to become an actor. People who want to become actors are being lured by the so called glamour, money and the girls (or boys). If you want to act you really have to want to do it and have to be prepared to take on the bad side as well. If you really are talented there is no reason why you can’t do it. Here I am at my age still doing it! I can just about still remember my lines!
What would you like to say to everyone who has supported you throughout your career?
I would like to say thank you! Especially to my family who have put up with me. When I'm out of work I’m absolutely impossible to live with, completely dreadful. My head goes down like a tired animal. If I've got a job they’ll come in through the front door, otherwise they’ll creep in the back way to avoid me. I would also like to thank everyone who has watched me in various things. As you go on people reveal themselves and it turns out they've seen most of the things which I’ve ever done. I once found out about an elderly woman who had closely followed my career for over 20 years and I knew nothing about her! Eventually she left me some money at a theatre, not very much but it was so lovely.
Tour Dates: Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (29 January–2 February), Bath Theatre Royal (4-9 February), Woking New Victoria Theatre (12 –16 February), Richmond Theatre (19-23 February), Brighton Theatre Royal (26 February – 2 March) Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre (5-9 March), Malvern (11–16 March), Bromley Churchill Theatre (26-30 March) and Cambridge Arts Theatre (2-6 April).
Please visit www.mauricesjubilee.com for more information and to book tickets.
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