Romola Garai Juggles Heartbreaking Nina of
`Seagull,' Cordelia
Robert Hilferty - Bloomberg.com
September 28, 2007
Romola Garai hurried into the lobby of the
Brooklyn Academy of Music, apologizing profusely for being several minutes late
for the interview. Within two hours, the actress, 25, would be on stage for
``The Seagull'' with the visiting Royal Shakespeare Company.
Elegantly disheveled, her slinky dress color-coordinated with her gray-blue
eyes, Garai ate a grilled eggplant sandwich as we talked about juggling
Chekhov's Nina and Shakespeare's Cordelia, her other role during the company's
run, which concludes this weekend.
``They feed off each other,'' she said. ``What I learn about human nature from
Cordelia helps me learn about human nature from Nina. After touring with these
since January, I'd now like to do three plays at the same time!''
Her Cordelia is, hands down, the most boldly confrontational one I've seen yet.
There's an explanation, she says.
``What Cordelia does is use a public sphere to demonstrate her refusal to bow to
Lear's will, and he uses a public sphere to demonstrate that he can make her,''
Garai says. ``It's the clash of two similar personalities.''
Lear is embodied by the inspirational Sir Ian McKellen.
``He's able to take one of the densest texts ever written and, in his mouth, the
words become modern, easy, and they enter into you,'' Garai says. ``He never
stops working at the character. And he helps it be real by always being
responsive to the audience and to the other actors.''
Nina, the struggling actress in ``The Seagull,'' is a role Garai finds almost
too heartbreaking to do. ``It's very distressing doing that journey every night,
and I have to do whatever I can not to get upset,'' she says. `It's a very sad
part.''
`Atonement'
But sad parts are often the best parts, and she plays another one in
``Atonement,'' Joe Wright's film based on Ian McEwan's novel about the
devastating effect a child's lie has on the lives of three grownups. Garai is
one of three actresses who portray the once mischievous Briony at different
stages of her life, sandwiched between newcomer Saoirse Ronan and old pro
Vanessa Redgrave.
``Watching Vanessa, an absolute master at what she does, is a joy but also
terrifying,'' the actress said.
Garai carries the title role of ``Angel'' all by herself. In Francois Ozon's
first English-language film, she portrays a contemptible Victorian novelist who
pens interminable saccharine romances, but fancies them eternal masterworks.
Aging Process
``She's not likable,'' Garai concedes. ``She's selfish and self-aggrandizing. I
play her from age 15 until she dies, but didn't use prosthetics or makeup. So we
did a lot of work on movement and voice to communicate her aging.''
The movies also stars Charlotte Rampling, who has appeared in such other Ozon
films as ``Swimming Pool.''
Both of Garai's films will be released soon.
As for being in New York in two sold-out shows, Garai couldn't be happier. ``I
love New York,'' she exuded. ``It's my first time working here, so I feel like
I'm very much a part of things and not just a tourist.''