tomhazeldine:

How do you prepare to go on stage? 

I come into the theatre at 4.30 for a 7.30 show. The fight scene in Coriolanus is complex, and we have to ensure our bodies are limbered up and do a rehearsal for it every night. At about seven we do a mental warm-up. Most actors agree that you need to rid yourself of your ‘day’ before you perform, and I’ve never been able to just walk on stage. You could have an argument with your partner, or you could have been to a birthday party, or whatever. To cleanse yourself of what has gone on before is important; you can’t let it affect your performance. Coriolanus starts the play possessed of an immense anger and I have to put myself into the right mood. Sometimes, I’ll listen to Holst’s The Planets, or run up and down the fire escape - and other days I’ll already be there! [x]