AND THAT'S MY STORY: GARY SHELFORD, ACTOR

I have been intrigued to find out more about the creators behind projects that I have been fortunate enough to see and/ or hear for a long time now so I've decided to do something about it. And That's My Story is a series on this blog that shares with you a bit about the creators and talent I've met along the way and their journey towards fulfilling their dreams; it will run for as long as I can find people who are willing to share their story. Today, I would like to introduce you to the eloquent and welcoming Gary Shelford who is currently part of HOME's production of The Oresteia. 

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I attended the preview event for The Oresteia back in October and had the pleasure of sitting down with Gary Shelford to talk a little about how he came across this particular project, what he thought of the characters he'll be playing (Agamemnon, Electra and Apollo) and what his weird pre-performance rituals are. Although there were times I embarrassingly tripped over my words during the interview we got there in the end.

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WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PRODUCTION OF THE ORESTEIA THAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION AND HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT IT?

I was working at the Globe in As You Like It which Blanche directed and she called me up for an audition - I guess towards the end of August - and that's how I knew about it. What caught my attention, first and foremost, was the length of it. Having seen a few this year that are way over 3 hours, [and there] is nothing wrong with that at all (each had 2 intervals), I thought there was something very exciting about this huge emotional, political drama being done in an hour and 45 minutes straight through. So there is no time to go and reflect; you’re getting a real barrage of thoughts, power plays and, you know, murder. And I think that really took my attention and I think it will be very interesting to meet people who've seen all 3  - the one at the west end, the one at the globe and this one.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE WORKING UNDER BLANCHE'S DIRECTION SO FAR?

She is a genius. She’ll hate me saying that but she is. She is frightfully bright, but very, very... trying to think of the right word... she has no ego. And there are other directors like that but not many and it’s astonishing how you feel like it is a joint conversation and the decision is joint, even though I am pretty sure she is making the decision; you certainly feel like you have arrived at a decision together which is really great.

COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME ONE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS AND ONE THING YOU ARE NOT TOO PLEASED WITH?

Well, unfortunately I kind of like everything about them because if you don’t like something about them, it masks how you play them and you might comment on the character. And I personally approach it from - I like everything about them! I'm well aware that there are traits that aren't so nice. I like Agamemnon’s strength, I like Electra’s courage and I like Apollo’s uselessness. 

YOU'VE STARRED NOT ONLY IN THEATRE PRODUCTIONS BUT ALSO IN CINEMATICALLY PRODUCED PROJECTS AS WELL. WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS CHALLENGING ACTING-WISE IN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDIA? 

Well, I think for TV & film the challenging thing is to be consistent. And you have to do as much as you can the same each time, for continuity, with all the different takes. There’s a lot of hanging around so the challenge is to be at performance pitch all the time. Theatre is so immediate. You get an immediate response that doesn't necessarily have to be heard, you can feel it. You can feel the atmosphere in a room change. And you have to have stamina in order to push every night. Like this is a short run of 3 and a half weeks, sometimes its a calendar year where you are doing 8 shows a week and you have to produce the goods every time otherwise you shouldn't be doing it.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH EACH MEDIUM? DOES IT DIFFER?

I very rarely do TV & film it’s just the way it’s worked out. I do a lot of theatre. I think you approach them quite similarly. It is character based. That’s how you have to get in there. You have to understand the character, understand the world they're in, why they react how they do and also listen to what’s said about the character so that you can get a real rounded picture of them. And that's it really. Oh and put a costume on. 

[LAUGHS] FINAL QUESTION! OPENING NIGHT IS ON THE HORIZON, HAVE YOU GOT ANY INTERESTING PRE-PERFORMANCE RITUALS THAT YOU DO?

I warm up the same way before every show - physically and vocally. I have to go through every single line I say at least twice. I don’t know why… it’s because if I don’t I feel like I am going to forget something. 

… and that’s my story.

Gary can be found here: agency ||  twitter

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And there we have it folks! I hope you enjoyed this little interview and learnt something new about the acting world. Many thanks to Gary for patiently waiting to hear my questions and answering them as articulately as he did. Here is my interview with another cast member of The Oresteia - Hedydd Dylan. Look out for more interviews in the next week! Until then, if you would like to see The Oresteia, you can get your tickets here or read my thoughts on the play - have no fear, I do not share spoilers.

Mo x

*Photos taken by Karina So. for WML*

Thanks to HOME for giving me this opportunity to interview some members of the cast of The Oresteia!