Felix Arts: Interview with Anita-Joy Uwajeh

Cyrano de Bergerac is a French verse-play written in 1897, telling the fictionalised story of the eponymous nobleman., whose large nose prevents him from winning his love, Roxane. Despite its somewhat peculiar plot, the play has proven surprisingly timeless through the ages. There are at least five new stagings of it this year alone - one of which is Jamie Lloyd’s upcoming production at the Playhouse Theatre. Felix Arts interviews Anita-Joy Uwajeh, who has been cast as Roxane, on the remaking of this 19th century play.

Felix: How would you roughly describe the play?

AJU: Traditionally it’s known as a play about a man with an incredibly large nose which is perhaps some kind of deformity for him. This prevents him from getting the woman he loves because she is in love with the beautiful Christian, who she believes to be a great writer when in fact it’s Cyrano. With all of that in mind, for me the play is really about love and insecurity and a longing for an intimate connection that looks beyond one’s exterior image.

Felix: Why is now the right time to bring Cyrano de Bergerac back to the London stages?

AJU: With regards to the production we are trying to create, it is a very modern outlook to this classic play. I think it’s vital now because it’s a universal story that a lot of us are dealing with regardless of what era we are in.

Felix: You play Roxane, who is the primary love interest for various characters within the play. On a deeper level, though, who is Roxane?

AJU: Roxane is a young woman in a man’s world who is trying desperately to reach others with her mind and language and make them understand that beauty is not everything. However, she herself falls victim to being distracted by Christian’s beauty. Which makes her a very real, flawed character and that’s exciting to play.

Felix: What drew you to be a part of this production as this specific character?

AJU: The opportunity to work with Jamie Lloyd and James McAvoy. I also love Martin Crimp’s writing and I am excited about that. In addition, when I read the play and prepped for my auditions each time I found myself uncovering another layer to Roxane and the play.

Felix: What do you hope to bring to the character through your portrayal of Roxane?

AJU: I hope to bring to life a fully fleshed out woman that audiences can connect to.

Felix: How similar is your own character to that of Roxane?

AJU: I would say Roxane is similar and different in a way to me. She’s quite sharp tongued at times which is similar to me. But she thinks a lot faster than myself when it comes to finding a witty solution for a particular problem.

Felix: The details of this production have largely been kept out of the spotlight - are there any surprises we can look forward to?

AJU: It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you :)

Felix: The is not the first English adaptation of the play. What do you think makes it special?

AJU: Well I believe it has been translated directly from the French. I would also say it’s got a very particular style.

Felix: Is there anything specific that you hope the audience globally take away from seeing this production?

AJU: I hope that the audience globally can feel inspired to not be held back by their own ‘big nose’ aka insecurity and go for what they desire.

Felix: You have an extensive background in both TV and the silver screen. However, your roots seem to be strongly within the theatre. What makes you keep coming back to the theatre, and the West End specifically?

AJU: I love that fact that every night is different for both the actor and audience. And that each audience member gets their very own experience in the theatre even if they are watching the same play and I love being a part of that.

Felix: Theatre has a reputation for being inaccessible for many. The initiative to release 15,000 tickets for free, and another 15,000 for £15 is definitely a step in the right direction - what else do you think can be done to allow more people to enjoy theatre?

AJU: I think encouraging it with schools more and local communities will really help broaden the demographic that goes to theatre.

Felix: What advice do you have for the student actors, directors and the crew who spend their time outside of their studies to put on these productions?

AJU: Whatever work you are putting on should be produced from a place of love and enjoyment.

Felix: What are some of your favourite productions in London and where do you recommend a theatre novice starts with the London scene?

AJU: I loved The Inheritance when it was on and a play called The Royale at The Bush a few years ago. The Young Vic is a great place to start or Globe Theatre or Arcola or The Bush.

Felix: Have you had any crazy stage door experiences?

AJU: Don’t know if this is a crazy stage door story but when I was working at the Globe I had an audience member completely fan-out at me in foyer. It was very sweet and I was glad she enjoyed the show but it was a little intense for me at the time.

In support of broadening access to theatre, the Jamie Lloyd Company is offering 15,000 £15 tickets across the season for under 30s. The next release is on December 2nd. If you’d like to catch Jamie Lloyd’s new production of Cyrano de Bergerac, tickets can be booked from www.atgtickets.com/cyrano15.