We chatted with Matthew about starring in the Stratford East and Sherman Theatre co-production of Azuka Oforka’s award-winning debut play The Women of Llanrumney at Stratford East until the 12th April. It will then head to the Sherman in Cardiff (26 April-10 May 2025).
Hi Matthew, how does it feel to be part of The Women of Llanrumney? It’s a privilege and a pleasure to be part of The Women of Llanrumney. It’s an amazing play, that portrays a dark part of history told in a modern and tangible way, and it’s a terrific cast to be a part of.
What made the most impact on you when you read Azuka Oforka’s play? The power of the end of the play hit me like a truck. How brilliantly a shameful part of history is brought to life. Also how modern the play feels. It didn’t have any of that stuffy quality that can often be imposed on the language in plays to make it seem like an historical mode of speech. And the characters were so well drawn that I immediately knew exactly who they were and how they’d sound.
What can audiences expect from the show? A fantastic piece of theatre. A powerful, moving, ugly, enlightening, sometimes funny, sometimes
uncomfortable snapshot of British colonial history.
What have you been taking away from performing as part of The Women of Llanrumney? You really get a sense of how different each audience is and consequently how different every performance is. You could never get bored.
You have to play a range of characters, how are you finding that? I’m playing three characters, so it’s a bit of a whirlwind to perform, but it’s so much fun. How often do you get a chance to play three totally different characters in one play?
How have you found the overall experience of working on the production so far? I hadn’t done a play for twenty odd years, not by choice, just how it panned out. So after the initial terror had passed of not having the safety net of another go, as you do in tv, it’s been such an energising, collaborative, creative, exciting and constantly evolving experience. I have loved and am continuing to love the experience.
By Emma Clarendon
To book tickets for the London run click here. For the Sherman Theatre run click here.