Red Velvet at the Garrick

Delighted that Red Velvet is getting yet another outing and finally in a West End setting. In a play that is all about the Theatre and the questions of how far is acceptable for an actor to transform themselves to become their character, it is great to be in a traditional theatre setting. The plush red velvet seats, the white and gilt of the auditorium and a classic cramped and crumbling back stage all chime well with Lolita’s writing. It feels like I am in a phase of exploring bare theatre spaces and the imaginative possibilities that they offer, Dream at the RSC is a case in point, and here the actors watch from dressing tables at the sides and use the minimum  of props and furniture to suggest the locations, yet hopefully we evoke the theatre world of the 1830s .