The Metropolis

One Minute With Bethan Clark of Olga's Room

Gavin Mecaniques | Thursday 10 January, 2013 11:09

Bethan Clark is lead actor and co-producer of Olga’s Room. This is the story of Olga Benario, a female Jewish freedom fighter, bodyguard and communist of the 1930s. Read her life story on Wikipedia The play is showing at the Arcola Theatre in Dalston from the 9th – 26th of January. Details here.

We wanted to do Olga’s Room because…

…Speaking in Tongues aims to share little known European plays with English speaking audiences in Britain and across the continent. We commissioned the translation of Olga’s Room, from the original German, which focuses on the life of Olga Benario, a 1930s communist, Jewish, freedom fighter. She was a bodyguard to Louis Prestes, a rebel leader of the 1920s opposing the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas in Brazil and, on a mission to overthrow the dictator, was captured and imprisoned in Brazil and later Germany.

The play tells her struggle for survival as she clings to her disintegrating sense of self, although rather then being intended as an homage, it explores the reality of a woman who had an astonishing but agonisingly complex life. As an actress it’s great to play a woman of such depth. We premiered in Luxembourg City and are delighted to be bringing it to the Arcola for its UK premiere.

We want people who see our work to…

…talk about it afterwards – if it makes people discuss, question or comment on what they have just seen then we’ve succeeded in having an impact beyond a simple engagement of sitting down and watching a play, then leaving and saying ‘ that was alright’.

I was drawn to theatre because…

…there is a shared experience between performer and the audience in a live environment, plus, there is a delightful danger in it. Every performance is different, every audience is different and I like that constant shifting dynamic.

The best thing about my job is…

…Having the opportunity to do different projects and collaborate with many different people. The specific benefit of running our own theatre company is being able to work on projects such as Olga’s Room and involving a team of people to make work we are proud of.

The works that inspire me are…

…works that are human. I mean that in the sense that there is an honesty, which is not necessarily always pleasurable to experience but is true. From comedy to tragedy: seeing the soul of something that inspires me.

You must go and see…

…Julius Caesar at the Donmar, I enjoyed seeing an all female take on this classic production. My training has included the MA in European Classical Acting at Drama Centre and I am always keen on seeing or being involved in interpretations of classical texts that appeal to modern audiences. Having a high profile director and venue doing an all female cast raises the debate about the position of women in the industry as a whole, and as a woman in the profession this issue is important to me.

The best advice I ever got was…

…be yourself and don’t judge others.

The best advice I can give is…

…it is better to try and fail than never to try for fear of failing.

The thing I love most about theatre in London…

…is the variety of theatre that exists, particularly on the Fringe because there is a vast choice of style, content and venues all fed with a passion for the work.

The thing I hate most about theatre in London is…

…once you are older than 25 subsidised cheaper ticket schemes stop, I didn’t hit 25 and was suddenly able to afford the theatre! Would be nice to see no age limit and there always being affordable ticket options whatever age you are and regardless of whether you are member of a group.

It’s my last day on earth so I will…

…spend it with my family and friends…..ideally there would also be cocktail drinking involved.

Photos of Bethan © Gavin Mecaniques. Read Gavin’s previous “minutes with” interviews.

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