Bo Smith: For your debut with sport for jove, you play as John of Gaunt, Lord
chief justice among other roles, which one have you connected with
and why?
John Gaden: You can’t have favourites, we’re all playing just about that many roles. I play John of Gaunt, Lord Chief Justice, I play Justice Shallow in two wonderful productions with Peter Caroll; me and him being two old country Justices. I play a cardinal: Lord Hastings for three lines the Governor of Halfer and three lines the Governor of Rouen; we’re all going full tilt and all times. It’s fantastic and it just rockets along!
Bo: What should lovers of prop & set design anticipate? Because I’m very aware Sport for Jove has had a remarkable history to pull a rabbit out of a hat when it comes to having some amazing set design.
John: Oh look- absolutely! With this one, it’s a brilliant design. It serves many purposes
because it’s an 83 year span of time, so it covers all sorts of different locations basically within the same one — with wonderful depths of variations.And of course there’s an enormous amount of costumes, it’s all the inventiveness of the company and the inventiveness of Damien, the director and his designers. It’s extraordinary, it’s wonderful to behold that you can do so much, really with limited means and still make it top notch.
Bo: With someone as dedicated Shakespearean work as Damien, what is it like working with such a director?
John: Oh, he’s the best. His knowledge of Shakespeare is absolutely compendious. I think he could probably quote all of the plays word for word.
He has an extraordinary sort of understanding of the way Shakespeare works and the way it can be bridged across to a modern world without in any way destroying the fabulous sort of language and structure Shakespeare gives it; so he’s the ideal person to be directing Shakespeare and it’s a joy to work with! I mean it’s inspirational, actually.
I’ve been an actor now for 60 years, I’ve worked with a lot of directors and Damien is there with the very best. He’s absolutely inspirational and his understanding and insight into the text is really a revelation- really extraordinary. I can’t speak highly enough of him.
Bo: As an actor, what were the highlights of adapting the Henriad series?
John: Well it’s interesting because the later plays and probably the more secure plays-
textually, Richard II, Richard III and Henry IV- there are three henry VI plays; I, II and III which are not up there with the great ones but there’s some wonderful stuff in them.
They’re hugely young plays which Shakespeare probably wrote with Christopher Marlow, they’re full of war — death, betrayals, anger and all sorts of things.I mean they’re wonderful! and Damien has really sort of taken the best of them, and so that section of the play just rips along, it’s almost like a wonderful Grand Guignol sort of thing. Murders (laughs), intrigues — it’s fantastic! It’s fantastic.
Bo: There’s mention of a Globe-like theatre, can you give me some insight as to what it’s like navigating a near 360 degree audience viewing point?
John: Ah, it’s challenging because in the York theatre which I’ve worked in it a bit before, you have got people all around you- not quite but you got people often behind and to the right and left of you because it’s a Thrust stage.So I mean it’s quite challenging but it has its advantages. It means there’s sort of an arena atmosphere that you can work in. It means that you have to, perhaps more than a Proscenium stage so that everyone’s getting a share of the beautiful faces.
Bo: Can you tell readers what draws you personally to Shakespeare’s work?
John: Oh, it always has from school days. I’ve always felt, I don’t know? I, and I can’t explain it other than to say I’ve always felt an affinity for the poetry, for the strength of the language; For the structure. I love the way the language is both structured and deeply real, it’s such an extraordinary combination. It’s like a beautiful piece of art and that’s what it is.
I spent a lot of time and I did a workshop with Rex Cramphorn many years ago where we just spent six months in a room talking about, reading and performing Shakespeare and I learnt a hell of a lot then. Just the way it works- and being able to hear it and speak it so that it’s comprehensible.
I think some people find it a little hard on them, they say “what are you talking about?” but provided you know what you’re saying, observing the beautiful structure of it and the wonderful rhetoric of so much of the language it makes sense- it makes complete sense and it’s easy to follow. I think it’s all that but it’s a life long pilgrimage, if you like, through Shakespeare — and it’s such a wonderful world.
Bo: I guess you get to really grow through the different stages of the roles?
John: Well, being 83 myself makes me very glad for Shakespeare because being 83 there isn’t many roles for old men!
Bo: That is very true!
John: But he also had to change, I mean when Elizabeth was alive there was also a particular kind of zeitgeist with Elizabeth in England which he was a part of, then James comes along- and he’s a different kettle of fish and then the plays change.So you start getting plays like The Tempest, The Winters Tale — those ones and there’s a different take on the world- it’s really interesting.
Bo: Sport for Jove has cemented itself as a theatrical power house since 2008, what inspires you working with such a group?
John: Oh, it’s just their energy. It’s extraordinary. The energy in this rehearsal room- look, it’s a tough ask; 8 plays. It’s in 2 parts which is just under 4 hours each. It’s huge! But the energy and willingness, the inspiration that’s coming from the top- I have to say, is driving us along. It’s wonderful — I wouldn’t miss it for quits.
Bo: it must be an infectious feeling being in that room, honestly.
John: It’s fantastic! Sometimes it’s very confusing, sometimes I feel very old and sometimes I just think “thank God I’m in this room with these people, they’re wonderful”. It’s a great cast, it’s a wonderful cast.
Bo: The Player Kings overview asks the question “Are we living in a shakespearean nightmare”; Were there any stand-out moments when the present mirrored the themes in The Player Kings?
John: Oh yes, (chuckles) think Donald trump. Just listen to any part of Richard III, Richard II- any of the plays. The similarities are extraordinary; I mean it is definitely politics, life repeating itself.
I don’t want to draw any exact comparisons because the comparisons aren’t exact but the elusions to what’s going on are all there, the disinformation, the trickery and the things you can achieve just by telling lies.
Being unfaithful, just by being ruthless, you know? They’re all there. I think people in the current atmosphere where we’re kind of watching what’s going in America and the rest of the world with such, sort of; Well for me anyway, anxiety, I think you’ll find there’s all kinds of really strong references to it within the play.
Bo: Closing out this interview with more light hearted question! Alongside yourself with a star-studded cast and local talent in The Player Kings; Who would your personal celebrity cast lineup ideally be?
John: You mean other than the people we’ve got?
Bo: Think of it as the Fantasy Football of The Player Kings!
John: I don’t think I can answer that, I’m very happy with the ones we’ve got; Thank
you very much! No, no I don’t think I can answer that. I don’t see anyone doing it better than the
people we’ve got to be quite honest!
Tickets are still available for purchase through the Seymour Centre site!
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Shows start from the 26th of March til April 5 2025.
