THE PRO-FILE

ACTING OUTDOORS (PART THREE)

In the second part of this interview Mike Bishop discussed the value of being positive, his approach to auditions and also shared his experience on performing in the open air.

Part Three explores his view of Shakespeare.

Richard: And what about Shakespeare? I have heard you talking to actors in really simple terms about the essence of this performance process … what sorts of things do you say? I for example have actors present to me Shakespeare monologues which they are so earnest about, that the performance takes on an air of pomposity.

Mike: Shakespeare is the greatest humanist of all time, I think - in terms of his writing. There are so many lessons for us. I mean he is responsible for a quarter of the English language. A quarter of the words we use now are Shakespeare's. Astonishing. However when they are all put together there can be a classicist pomposity to them that takes it away from the person who is speaking the words and puts it into the cardboard cutout echelon. When learning Shakespeare you have to relate to it. You have to actually ask yourself, "What is he talking about?"

For instance in Malvolio's letter scene - I'll go back to what I have been doing as an example… in the letter scene he picks up a letter that has been written by Maria to dupe Malvolio into believing that it is from his lady - the head of the household - the person he admires most in the world … and he is successfully duped by it, but he has to come to that by a slow revelation that the letter is definitely from her … that the words are about him … and he so wants to believe that the words are about him that he eventually does … but in order to do that you have to be won over by the logic of the writing - and you have to take that logic into yourself and work it out.

For example he reads "I may command where I adore." And he thinks about that. Then all of a sudden it hits him that those words must be for him because he says, "Why she may command me: I serve her; she is my lady. Why, this is evident to any formal capacity, there is no obstruction in this." So he works it out … "it must be me." So it's that sort of revelation, but when he goes back into the letter he is confused because he finds other things which might suggest it's not for him … however by the end of the scene he must be totally convinced that the letter is for him. Now it's a hard scene to do, because you have to make the effort to work through where he makes the discoveries. This is a scene of discovery. Now if you don't discover during the scene and you play it with the classical response … then there is no journey. And I have seen it a hundred times like that on stage. It annoys the living daylights out of me.

Richard: It's that sort of performance that makes teenagers say they don't want to see Shakespeare because it's boring.

Mike: Well, relating to it and being able to give out what it is about in your terms is the most important thing. Like any acting it has to come from the inside - it can't just be drawn on like a cloak or a mask. It has to come from truthful self-discovery … discovering as it's happening.…

Richard: So, does Malvolio discover the letter differently every night?

Mike: Yes. The scene has been worked out so … it's a bit like Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges or any of those models that we might relate to … but it's a "they're behind you!!" scene … now I can't focus on what's behind me but I know the timing of the scene includes the others doing there gags, while they are watching Malvolio make his discoveries from the letter. But I can't be thinking that I have to wait for their gag - I have to be in the letter making Malvolio's choices as they are doing their stuff … so in a way there is a double consciousness working ... the discoveries Malvolio is making combine with the structure of the scene. It's very interesting to do.

Richard: That sort of division of focus happens a lot for the actor, doesn't it? Part of the actor is going to step outside the moment and make judgments at least some of the time. The difficulty is not letting the external judgment intervene or dominate. Is that what you find?

Mike: The oft-used phrase "in the moment" is probably the one we should respect most. The spontaneity of it happening for the first time is what we should respect and protect the most. It's a bit like television where the actor should learn the script backwards, know everything in it and then rip it up. And I say to everyone I tutor "Try to rip it up in your head too, so you are not reading from a piece of paper in your head." If you can do that then you can listen really hard to what the other person is saying so that you are actually reacting.

It's the same with theatre. You know the structure of the scene backwards but you have ripped it up in your head so that it then becomes innate. The structure is innate, you know what is happening, so therefore you don't have to consider or remember what's happening as you are doing it … it becomes the vehicle … you are in the car.

Richard: The car provides an interesting analogy for the actor, doesn't it?

Mike: Because it's moving. It's moving. And of course, you know you have to turn right there and turn left there so the journey is already plotted.

Richard: Even so, each time you have to do it again. And in fact while you are driving you do a whole lot of other things as well.

Mike: That's correct - you might see a whole lot of different landmarks or obstructions out there and therefore make slightly different choices

Richard: Are there any basic rules that you would commend to the young actor who might be coming to Shakespeare for the first time?

Mike: Understand it before you speak it. Be prepared to obey every single stage direction - that is 'enter' and 'exit'.

It is the opposite of a film or TV script where there is no choice for the actor (in the sense of what they're doing or where they're going or what their intention is in the scene) because they are told everything in big print all the time. Shakespeare simply says "Look, I respect you guys and I want you to live it now." That's why Baz Luhrmann can set the thing in New York and have guns and all that stuff he wants in there … because Shakespeare hasn't been that prescriptive. He has left room to move. Shakespeare leaves it all open. A bit like Bach. Bach lives. I mean we like Beethoven and we like Mozart and all those blokes but they were really prescriptive. Bach says anyone can play whatever they like in the base, because I have written a figure for the base … put whatever notes you like in … that's why jazz musicians love Bach … because it's an improvised kind of thing.

Richard: So Bach gives you the 'entrance' and the 'exit' does he?

Mike: Yeah, dead right. I just think it's great that we have Shakespeare. I just love it so much I would love to do one Shakespeare play a year for the rest of my life.

Mike Bishop is the acting coach at 'Neighbours', a sessional tutor at the Victorian College of the Arts School of Drama and in every sense a working actor.

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