Janet McTeer (#265) - April, 2010

Janet McTeer (1997 Tony Award winner for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for “A Doll’s House”) talks about her experiences in “God of Carnage”, having starred in the play's London premiere (where the characters were still French) and now playing it on Broadway (as an American) and whether there are differences between her performances as Veronique and Veronica. She also shares her highly fortuitous experience of applying to the top English acting schools, with virtually no prior stage experience; the shock of moving from her hometown of York to London and the emotional crisis that hit her while attending the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; her first jobs out of school, including the Nottingham Playhouse, the Royal Exchange in Manchester and, after only two years, the Royal Shakespeare Company (in “A Midsummer Night's Dream” as Hippolyta and Titania); her participation as more than simply a performer in the development and production of “A Doll's House” -- and why the role ultimately caused her to take a four year hiatus from the stage; why working on Broadway is such a thrill even after her great acclaim in England; the fun she had playing Petruchio in an all-female “The Taming of the Shrew” at London's Globe Theatre; and how she made the choice between playing Elizabeth or Mary in the acclaimed revival of “Mary Stuart”.