THE PRO-FILE

ACTING IN A SERIAL (PART ONE)

Jackie Woodburne and Alan Fletcher have worked together on "Neighbours" for six and a half years. "Neighbours" is a five episode a week television serial shot in Melbourne and sold all around the world.

This interview, the first of four parts, provides insight into their approach to dealing with the practicalities and speed of fast turn-around television.

Richard: What were your expectations when you started?

Alan: Well I knew how hard it could be…I had actually done Neighbours before. In a sense I walked in and it met my expectations…..(So) I knew I had to start asking questions and making suggestions from day one and not sit back and wait….to be educated if you like…But getting used to your family is the main thing, getting used to the people around you and taking note of the way they work is probably the hardest thing.

Jackie: I think we were lucky because we knew each other quite well before we began on Neighbours. I mean, we were coming in supposedly married for 20 years which is very difficult to do with an actor that you have never met before but fortunately we were able to be very familiar. Some would say overly familiar with each other. (Laughter) That cut through a lot for us and I think the kids that were playing our children picked up on that and kind of, ran with us from the very beginning so we were very lucky in that sense.

Richard: So if you were to make a list, what things would you put on it that helped build that group of working actors as a family?

Jackie: I think probably as important as anything is the dynamic between the people…the dynamic between the actors. Again we were lucky but I think it is something that you can make. You make it a discipline that you come every day with an energy and with a commitment. All of you…and it's fun. Then it's fun.

Richard: A commitment to what?

Jackie: To the show…to the programme…to the story…to the characters…to the scene…to each other.

Alan: I think the commitment is to listening. In that sense, when you arrive at work every day you have to be prepared to be open. My list would start, 'be open and listen' - so that when you arrive at work everybody has equal right to make a suggestion about what a scene is about. You don't march in with your preconceived ideas about your work, what the scene is about and what you are going to do.

You find this so often in this type of television - because people are a bit panicked about the speed at which it operates they feel that they have to have really clear ideas about what they are going to do (or else they might find they founder) so they get a bit 'locked off'. I think that after you have been doing it for a while you learn in fact that the best thing to do is to come in almost as a blank sheet. Because you are going to be able to generate a performance quite quickly with the help of the Director and the other actors. But if you are too preconceived and 'locked off', if someone else does something unexpected, you don't respond to it.

Jackie: But I think that that there is a danger there. I mean, I think you have to be very prepared.

Alan: Oh yes.

Jackie: Very prepared, because often you don't have a long rehearsal period. I think about it before I even get to rehearsal. Because you haven't got time on Take Two to say, "Gee, I think I'm playing the wrong thing here." You've got to come with some ideas but as you say, certainly be open to other people's needs in the scene - but come very, very prepared.

Alan: There is nothing worse than people not knowing their lines or not knowing what they are about or what their character is about or their story. They have to know all that. When I say a blank sheet I mean be positive, be open to the possibility of changing your mind, because people do change their minds, we all know the phrase "My character wouldn't do that"…and in this type of situation, in this type of work environment……

Jackie: Find a reason!

Alan: Yes, find a reason. Every character potentially can do everything and must do everything to serve the story. So you have to find a way through that and not try and bully your way through it as a single entity in amongst a group of people - but become part of the plant, I suppose.

Jackie: And the 'big picture' is that everyone is working quickly. The script department are working quickly, the directors are working quickly, everyone is working quickly so you have to make a lot of compromises as you go and it will not serve you to be precious about those compromises, you just have to move through it, find a way to make it work, find a way to make it acceptable to yourself.

Alan: But fight for the big ones.

Jackie: But fight for the big ones, yes.

Alan: Pick what's big. What's really big.

GO TO PART TWO >>