Backstairs Billy– Week Two, Day Two

Education Associate Dominic Francis provides an insight into the cast and Creative Team’s rehearsal process for Backstairs Billy

It’s the second day of the second week of rehearsals for MGC’s production of Backstairs Billy by Marcelo Dos Santos. Director Michael Grandage has returned to the rehearsal room following a brief absence and is resuming rehearsals with just two actors this morning: Luke Evans, playing Billy, and Iwan Davies, playing Gwydion.

They are going back to the start of Scene One. Luke is keen to work through the detail of the opening moment of the play, during which Billy organises the arrangement of several bouquets of flowers, specifically where each vase will be placed. Michael assures him that they will work through this scene carefully: ‘We will take an hour minimum to choreograph that part of the script.’ 

Despite the slight hiatus at the start of the week, Michael’s confident that the company are in the right place to begin examining the play in more detail: ‘We’re in week two, so we should unpick things. This is the week in which if there’s even a flicker of doubt about motive or anything, then ask about it. We’re making sense of the play.’ He was pleased with the work done in the first week. ‘The play held up – the arc of it. There was nothing where I thought, “Where did that come from?”’ 

Discussing his preference for avoiding ‘table work’ – director and actors sitting around a table discussing characters’ objectives – Michael offers a simpler approach: ‘My “Why?” is “Why did you come in here?”’ Returning to Scene One, in which Billy chastises new recruit Gwydion for his lack of protocol, Michael comments on the young man’s training, or rather lack of it – ‘Strange that there was no induction or anything.’

With his customary, ‘Here we go…’ Michael asks the actors to run the scene. Both Luke and Iwan are ‘off book’, meaning they’ve already learnt their lines. Afterwards, Michael focuses on specific moments: ‘The first obvious tonal thing about this scene is Gwydion stepping on the carpet – it’s like he’s vomited on it! I think Billy could be even more astonished.’ He’s keen for him to be tough on Gwydion – ‘Be absolutely ruthless with him.’

They go over this moment at the start of the scene several times, experimenting with different ways of playing it. ‘Is there a version where…’ Michael will say, making a suggestion for the staging of the scene. It’s a very playful space. ‘I tell you what, how about this…?’ He suggests another possibility, encouraging the actors to remain open at this stage. 

Michael also focuses on specific pieces of text. ‘One thing I would love you to play with,’ he says to Luke, ‘is the quality of that first “Stop”. I think you need to be horrified.’ When Billy instructs Gwydion to come to him, Michael wonders if Luke needs some help here – ‘Do you need Iwan to make his cross later so you can tell him to come quicker?’ They try it, Michael commenting to Iwan afterwards, ‘In a weird way, I’d love you to walk even faster.’ He looks at his position on stage – ‘I just want to get you up here’, upstage of the sofa. Michael observes the two actors carefully, considering the balance between them and what each needs to do in order to tell the story of the scene. He might say to an actor, ‘Help us a little bit by…’ and then suggest he raise his voice on a specific word or phrase.

This stage of rehearsals is also a good opportunity to highlight any practical elements. ‘Am I wearing a watch?’ Luke asks, ‘Or is there a clock in the room?’ Timekeeping is crucial to the scene. ‘There’s no clock in the room,’ Michael observes, ‘I was thinking that last week.’ Stage Management note the possible need for a watch.

Michael works with the actors to uncover the nuances of the scene – ‘The tiny grace notes within the text.’ He encourages both of them to push through to the end of each line: ‘Don’t let it come to any kind of an end – “She is fond of an entrance.” Keep it alive.’ He focuses on the exchange about a former employee, Gary – a friend of Gwydion’s whom Billy remembers well. ‘Don’t move on the “Gary Lewis” lines,’ Michael suggests to Luke, ‘make sure each one registers – don’t swallow anything. I know in the theatre there’s a chance we’ll lose each of the Gary points otherwise. You need to meet them, top them.’ Later, having watched another run-through of the scene, Michael adds: ‘One thing I’ve noticed, technically, is that it works best when there’s a nanosecond after each “Gary” – no more than a cigarette paper.’

He considers certain references in the text and their implications for the characters and their relationship. ‘Do you know why Marcelo the playwright says “The Duncan”?’ he asks the actors, with reference to a specific pub in Soho popular among the gay community. ‘He has put in the script a moment of connection between the two men. There’s a difference, which is why I can hear it.’

They run the scene again and Michael is pleased with their progress, thinking they can move on – ‘I don’t need to go back on that.’ He offers some general notes. ‘Keep it going, don’t let anything drop,’ he says of the overall pace of the scene, encouraging both actors to push to the end of each line. ‘Let it flow through. Don’t put an ending on the sentence.’ Michael then focuses on specific lines and moments. ‘Try putting that one down quicker – “Is she ill?” – that is heresy,’ he says to Luke.

He’s also alert to the humour within the scene – ‘“Indefinitely if possible…” That’s a gag, don’t throw it away.’ He encourages both actors to exploit the comic potential of particular moments. ‘You could “comedy” that up a bit!’ he says to Iwan, ‘I think it’ll help if you can give him a full turn of your head.’ He highlights the exchange between Gwydion and Billy:

GWYDION: I like knowing what I’m doing.

BILLY: Which is amusing, because you don’t.

‘There’s a little rhythm in there, a circle, so pick it up.’

Michael is conscious of the various shifts within the scene, in terms of the connection between the two characters, and wants to examine them in more detail with the actors. ‘There’s just something about that page we can navigate a little bit better. I wonder what was in Marcelo’s head there? We need to find out where that comes from. We need to be very, very specific about that turn.’ 

Overall, he’s pleased with Luke and Iwan’s interpretation of the scene – ‘You’ve both made sense of it.’ There’s plenty for them to work through when they return to the scene another day. ‘One good thing about this week,’ comments Michael, ‘is that I can do all the corners, but I don’t want to do everything.’ Drawing the session to a close, he says to both actors: ‘Make sure you keep that so we can move on from there and build on it when we next come back to this scene.’

Ian Drysdale, who plays Mr Kerr, has joined rehearsals and Michael continues working on the scene between Billy and Gwydion, which now includes Kerr. They run part of the scene involving the three characters and afterwards Michael asks them to do it again, suggesting to Ian, ‘This time, try joining the line up – “Is everything in place?/Who are you?” – it tells us something about this new character. He doesn’t miss a beat.’

Michael acknowledges the humour in the scene, especially in the exchanges around Gwydion’s nationality:

BILLY: He’s Welsh.

KERR: Was I informed?

BILLY: About the Welsh?

‘You won’t hear me say this very often,’ Michael comments, ‘but you might have to navigate a laugh here. Of course, you can allow a pause there – “He’s Welsh” – but you’re surfing something rhythmically so we can tell the audience when they can laugh.’

The dynamic of the scene shifts following Gwydion’s departure. Referring to Kerr’s first line to Billy once they’re alone, Michael says to Ian, ‘More tension in the air with “Well Billy”’. He suggests the Queen Mother isn’t happy following the visit from the man from Coutts Bank and this mood pervades the atmosphere at Clarence House. ‘Let’s just make sure we have that in the background.’ Michael refers to Kerr’s line towards the end of his exchange with Billy – ‘I had hoped we could move beyond this and work together.’ He asks Ian: ‘What is the “this”?’ It tells us something about the historic tension between the two characters.

While Billy and Kerr talk, the stage-directions outline accompanying action: ‘Billy goes to the drink’s cabinet. He starts taking out various bottles and properly setting up the drinks.’ This leads to a brief discussion about how to mix cocktails. Michael’s keen to ensure they work through this action in detail. ‘What you can do today,’ he suggests to Luke, ‘is you can start being incredibly specific. This is the rehearsal where I’d like this little bit of choreography to be set.’ Later, he encourages Luke to take his time with the drinks: ‘Don’t let it lead you. You’ve actually got all the time in the world.’

Running the scene between Billy and Kerr, Michael focuses on the rhythm of the exchange between the two actors: ‘Don’t swallow “Coutts”… Leave a beat – let those lines breathe… Drive that forward – don’t play a comma…’ Afterwards, he’s pleased with their progress: ‘Very, very good on all of that. Mark that in, both of you. You’re doing something really lovely here – you’re playing ping-pong.’ 

There’s a short break, following which actors Nicola Sloane and Michael Simkins, playing Mr and Mrs Harrington-Bahr, and Emily Barber, playing Annabel Maude, join rehearsals. They’re continuing to work on the ‘Reception Scene’ at Clarence House, which starts with Billy outlining the guests to Gwydion. Michael wonders, ‘Have we heard these names before – the Harrington-Bahrs?’ Yes, he and Luke agree, but Gwydion hasn’t. ‘Introduce them to him,’ suggests Michael. With reference to Billy’s spiking of the tee-total Harrington-Bahrs’ drinks, Michael advises Luke, ‘Take all the time in the world, as this is a set-up, in order for it to pay-off later’.

Considering the arrival of the guests, Michael comments, ‘It needs a nice entrance’. He wonders aloud, ‘Do I need footmen first, do you think? The two boys on either side of the doors?’ This leads to a brief discussion about footmen, canapés and stage business. Michael carefully positions the three guests in the doorway as he wants to briefly establish their characters. ‘You shouldn’t need to hold that position for longer than a nanosecond,’ he says to them, before running the entrance to check timings and positions. ‘That was great!’ he says afterwards, ‘Just do it once more.’

It’s clear from the text that Billy has his favourites among the guests, talking in a more familiar way with Annabel. Michael cautions Emily against being too knowing: ‘I don’t think you need to be so conspiratorial – “Oh Billy knows everyone… And everyone knows Billy.” There’s the danger of a slight mis-read, which suggests we’re missing a bit of plot.’ He refers to Mrs Harrington-Bahr’s line to Annabel and Billy – ‘Do you two know each other?’ – and suggests she can help this moment: ‘I think possibly, Nicola, you can spin that line with a little more curiosity.’ He’s keen for the actors to play with the whole exchange – ‘Let it dance a bit more cue-to-cue.’

Michael observes of this part of the scene: ‘It’s uncomfortable because none of you know each other.’ They’re all nervously awaiting the arrival of the Queen Mother. ‘It’s all about who’s about to come through those doors…’ Michael Simkins asks if the conversation ‘actually dies’? Michael considers this and, reflecting on his earlier point, comments, ‘Of course, we should also try the exact opposite of dancing cue-to-cue’. He doesn’t want to labour the mood, though. ‘I don’t think we need to overreach the point. It’s uncomfortable. Let’s up the tension and try it.’

Michael Simkins wonders why Mr Harrington-Bahr repeats the question, ‘Sweet pea is it?’ Is it because Billy didn’t answer his wife before? Later, he proposes a solution to a piece of staging where Mr and Mrs Harrington-Bahr need to be together. ‘Would it help if on that line I came across to my wife?’ Michael’s grateful for the suggestion: ‘Yes, it would. I was just thinking how do we get you across?’

Breaking for lunch, Michael’s pleased with the morning’s rehearsal – ‘Lots of good stuff there.’