Ahead of her appearance in Bristol Old Vic’s Hamlet, which takes to the stage for five weeks on 13 October, we talk to Mirren Mack, playing Ophelia, all about her road to success…
This month, Bristol Old Vic will welcome one of the most powerful and influential works of world literature to its main stage and, along with it, a remarkable cast oozing with the hottest young talent as well as theatrical heavyweights. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, directed by John Haidar, will see Outlaw King’s Billy Howle take on the coveted role of Hamlet – one that has been famously portrayed by the likes of Mark Rylance, Daniel Day-Lewis and David Tennant. Acting royalty Niamh Cusack will slip into the role of his mother, Gertrude and, standing next to Hamlet, playing his jilted lover Ophelia, will be none other than rising star Mirren Mack. At only 24-years-old, Mirren has already built quite the portfolio of acclaimed TV work, most notably appearing in the BBC’s The Nest and Netflix sensation Sex Education. What’s more, only a few short weeks after she finishes her run at Bristol Old Vic – the oldest continuously working theatre in the English speaking world – Mirren will hit our screens once again, playing Merwyn in the upcoming Netflix miniseries The Witcher: Blood Origin, alongside Lenny Henry, Dylan Moran and Michelle Yeoh.
So, as the rising star from Stirling settled into the rehearsal room, we caught up with Mirren to find out all about this visceral new production, where her love for acting first began and where she’s going next.
Can you tell us all about this new production of Hamlet, how rehearsals have been and what audiences can expect? [For those unfamiliar with the story of Hamlet – Shakespeare’s longest play – the tragedy follows the journey of Prince Hamlet as he seeks revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who has murdered his father in order to seize the throne and marry Hamlet’s mother.] We’re only in the second week of rehearsals at the moment where everything is wonderfully growing arms and legs, so I can’t tell you for sure what we’ll end up with. But I’d say we’re focusing more on the family drama and relationships, going for something that we can connect to on a human level, more so than a purely politically driven version of Hamlet.
What’s it like working alongside Billy Howle, Niamh Cusack and a whole cast of talented actors?
It’s just the most special time – I’m loving being in that room. On the first day when we all read through the script for the first time, my jaw hit the table, I was so in awe of every one of them. I’m so lucky to be a part of it and I have so much to learn from these brilliant people. I’ve followed so many of them and their work before I met them so it’s really special to be in the same room and try and drink in their magic. Luckily, everyone is also a joy to work with.
What first attracted you to the role of Ophelia and how has it been slipping into her life? Is there a particular scene that you most look forward to?
I’ve been enjoying trying to figure this woman out and her role within this palace and kingdom – her relationship with her father Polonius, and her lover Hamlet. It’s a challenge because she is in a lot of scenes not being spoken to but being spoken about, that’s a difficult place to be for anyone and she struggles, particularly her relationships with the men in the court. It’s fascinating to work out what we can show of her that we can’t immediately see from the text.
She seems to have a real connection with nature. I’ve been up at Hampstead Heath ponds most days, which is an outdoor swimming area near where I live. I’ve been imagining the freedom she has in nature that she doesn’t in the court or in her relationships.
I think she’s a brilliantly exciting woman with all this possibility. Anywhere she gets to speak her mind is really exciting as you see how she manipulates language and get to feel some of her heart and soul and how she cares for people. You don’t get to see that in most of the rest of the play when she’s a pawn in other people’s game.
Where did your love for acting first begin? Can you take us back to your first performance and your journey to where you are today?
I’m lucky that my dad has always been a working actor so I got to go to the theatre from a young age and knew that was something I wanted to do. My earliest memory of performing was actually in the pub at the bottom of our street, and reenacting scenes from The Jungle Book for all the locals trying to have a quiet drink. I was about three. I’d act out all the animals on a little fireplace in front of anyone who’d listen as they tried to have a pint in peace. So thanks to The Settle Inn for my first break.
Many audience members will also know you from your highly acclaimed TV work. Do you prefer working in front of the camera or on stage? How does the process compare for you as an actor?
I find it quite hard to compare them. One thing that’s different about theatre is this time I’m in now, the rehearsals. I can do something and fail spectacularly and then try something completely different within a moment – it’s all part of the process of discovering the character. You also have five weeks of playing with each other and getting to know the cast members you’re going to do these scenes with. In film, you sometimes have to jump straight into a scene with someone you have never met before and play a married couple deeply in love. That can be a bit terrifying,
The terrifying part of theatre is when you stand on a stage with people watching you, anything can happen and that is absolutely terrifying but in such a brilliant way. And it’s live and you can’t go back to the beginning, you have to move through it and do that journey every night.
You successfully auditioned for the role of Kaya in The Nest while still a student at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London – what was it about Kaya that you found most enchanting?
I thought Kaya felt misunderstood by a lot of the characters and perhaps by the audience too, it was easy to judge her for her actions, sometimes quite rightly but at other times a shift of the lens revealed everything to be different than we thought. Basically, I loved that she had such depth under all the hard exterior. She had many layers as we all do, and such a difficult past that she was grappling with, while trying to make a better life for herself. It was great to get the chance to show that to people. I think that’s what I love about Ophelia too, she’s deeply complex, there are worlds within her to explore.
The Witcher: Blood Origin is about to hit our screens – how was the experience? Do you have a particular highlight from your time on set?
The experience was really out of this world. I’m excited to see it because there are different storylines happening within it that I wasn’t a part of. It was great to be in a world that doesn’t feel like your normal day. The world was so rich and the exciting, the creativity of the people on set, the designers and costume and set makers were incredibly talented.
What’s next in the pipeline? Are you able to tell us about any upcoming projects?
No lines in my pipe right now, or oil or juice, but I do kind of like that in a sort of a way, it’s exciting to wait and hope to see what might be coming next. You never know where you’ll be or what’s around the corner. Right now Hamlet has taken over my whole head and heart, so I’ve lost myself in that for now.
Hamlet will be running at Bristol Old Vic from 13 October – 12 November. Book tickets at: bristololdvic.org.uk
Featured image: Mirren as Merwyn in The Witcher: Blood Origin | Credit: Netflix/Premiere Pro
