We chatted to Ingrid about starring in Juno and the Paycock directed by Matthew Warchus.
Hi Ingrid, for those less familiar with Juno & the Paycock – what is it about? It is 1922 in Dublin. The Irish Civil War is tearing the country apart. In a slum tenement house in the centre of Dublin, we follow the fortunes and misfortunes of the residents, especially
Juno and her husband ‘Captain’ Jack Boyle and their grown up children, Mary and Johnny, as Juno struggles to make ends meet and keep the family together. It is a big tragicomedy, both heartbreaking and hilarious.
Why do you think now is a great time for this revival? It’s a perfect time for a revival because it is a great play, full of wonderful characters and I envy audiences who will see it for the first time. Like all great plays, it amazes us with its power to speak directly to our experience today. Human nature doesn’t change. We laugh at the same things, we cry at the same things, and tragically and devastatingly, human beings repeat the same mistakes.
What did you first think of the story when you read it? I was completely gripped by the story when I read the play for the first time. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. It was very exciting to open a window into another period
of history, to meet those people, who were just like us, like the people I saw every day, but who were living in and though extraordinary circumstances.
What can you tell us about your character Mrs Tancred? Mrs. Tancred lives in the tenement house. Her adored son Robbie, and Juno and ‘Captain’ Boyle’s son, Johnny fought together in the Easter Rising and then on the anti Treaty side in
the Civil War. They were great friends. Robbie’s body has just been found. He was murdered because someone informed on his movements.
How has it been working on the show so far? Juno and the Paycock premiered at the Abbey Theatre Dublin in 1924. I began my career as a member of the Abbey Company with people who had known Seán O’Casey. Theatre people feel very connected to those who have gone before and it feels like the theatrical O’Casey family has expanded to embrace its new members, who love this play and who have approached as if it were a new play. Which is, of course, how we must approach a classic.
By Emma Clarendon
To book tickets visit: London Theatre Direct, Love Theatre.com or London Box Office.