Video transcript
Drama Company 2022 - Just Macbeth! - 03. Cast Q&A

[intro music]

JANE SIMMONS: Welcome to the 'Just Macbeth!' cast for the 2022-- for our New South Wales Public Schools Drama Company show. Firstly, congratulations on a terrific show. And I believe-- so there are 12 students, and we have a fairly broad age range. Tom, how old are you? You're--

TOM: 17.

JANE SIMMONS: --17? I think 17's our oldest and two 12. Yeah? So, I know we've got some Year 7s, up to Tom in Year 12, and then-- 8s, 9, 10, 11s. We've got all those year groups covered, actually. So, it's wonderful, to have that diversity in this group, so that we can learn from the experience and for our young people to step up. And I know that our Lady Macbeth is-- 12? Yeah! Incredible!

[applause and cheering]

See? It's no wonder that you're King Duncan. He's so old!

STUDENTS: Oh! [laughter]

JANE SIMMONS: [laughs] All right, so what we're going to do is, I'm going to ask you a few questions about this show. And some I might direct specifically, and some you might want to put your hand up and answer and we'll come to you. Yeah? So, let's start with--

Now that you've done 3 performances-- from when you first audition and you started this process to now, what are some of the big things that you've really learnt or enjoyed about this show and about Shakespeare? Maybe let's start also with our leads. Yeah, so, for Josh, who plays Andy, how much experience did you have with Shakespeare, before this show?

JOSH: Well, I did 'Romeo and Juliet' in Year 8. But I've never-- that's, like, the only play that I actually knew. Well, I knew the names of the plays, but that's the only play that I read, 'Romeo and Juliet.' And then my mum just told me to audition for this thing. It's called 'Just Macbeth.' I was like, 'Oh, "Macbeth". No way I'm doing that. It's Shakespeare. That's boring.'

[laughter]

But then I read the script, and I was like, this is so weird. Well, I'll just do it anyway. And I-- so I like-- I got in. And then I came to the classes, and I was like, oh, this is actually pretty sick.

[laughter]

STUDENT: Pretty sick!

[laughter]

JANE SIMMONS: And I guess, Josh-- because you're in Year 9, yes?

JOSH: Yes.

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah. So, for that process, now that you are-- I guess now that you've performed the show, do you feel like you have actually a really good understanding and appreciation of Shakespeare that you then didn't have when you started?

JOSH: Yeah. I just thought Shakespeare was some old, like, English man.

[laughter]

But turns out he uses, like, all these, like, metaphors and language techniques in his text. I was like, that's-- yeah. You know, it's very smart.

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah. And what about you, Bailey? Because you get to play a character-- I'm just going to say it-- that's maybe not too different from who you are.

[laughter]

And you're in Year 10?

BAILEY: Year 9.

JANE SIMMONS: Year 9. You're only in Year 9, as well. So, for you, how much have you learnt, I guess, about Shakespeare and about the relationships and about, I guess, this play?

BAILEY: Well, before I auditioned, I knew nothing about Shakespeare. The only thing I knew was 'Romeo and Juliet', because it's iconic. And then, once I read the script, just like Josh, I'm like, 'Oh, it might be all right.'

[laughter]

My drama teacher told me to audition, so I did, not knowing I got in, and then somehow ended up in this weird thing and just did it.

[interposing voices]

JANE SIMMONS: Yes. Yeah. And we do. We just do it. Now, for you, Aida, who's just started Year 7, I mean, had you ever done Shakespeare before?

AIDA: Well, I'd never really done Shakespeare in school classes, but I sort of-- I actually, I discovered it because I was very into the movie called 'Ballet Shoes', and in it they do some Shakespeare, and that got me into it.

And so I knew a few of the monologues and stuff. And so when I saw that there was this thing-- a play of 'Macbeth,' but it was sort of an adaption, so it wasn't exactly like Shakespeare, I thought it'd be pretty cool.

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah. And playing a character like Lady Macbeth, who is one of the strong female, rather ruthless roles, how do you approach that, at 12 years old? How do you do something with such an adult character? What were some of the things that you really had to do, to get into that character?

AIDA: Well, I think she's quite bossy and fierce. [laughs] That's also quite fun to play, [laughs] because you get to boss people around. Yeah, I just sort of imagined I was bossing my brother around. [laughs]

JANE SIMMONS: Oh, yes. Good. Thank goodness for brothers. They're inspirations everywhere.

[laughter]

Now, for also our ensemble cast-- because there are some huge technical things in this play-- think about how many characters you have to play and some of those changes you have to do.

[interposing voices]

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah. OK. So, let's talk about that. So, what do you feel were some of your biggest challenges, to make this happen? Margaret.

MARGARET: The blocks. I'm just going to say it. It was definitely the blocks. The blocks, 'cause everyone had to know where every block was, and I totally get it, it's a really technical show, and it's really important to know where all of the blocks are.

But the blocks were very, very, very difficult, because it was, like, upstage, downstage, left side, backstage, onstage, this way, that way, that way! And if someone moved your block, you didn't know where it was.

[interposing voices]

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah, yeah, there's blood out the dressing room where you're like, 'Who's got my block?' Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[laughter]

Yeah, Good. Is that it?

ZEYNEP: Yeah, just blocks, mostly. But also, it's like, I will always be heartbroken, because I know the audience will never fully understand how painful those were in the way that you do these really technical stuff, and it creates something very beautiful, and it's very enjoyable for them. It's like, 'Oh, my god, the kitchen is Just Macbeth! You know, that's the name of the show-- amazing!'

But also, there is so much technical stuff that goes into it that it's like, it doesn't seem-- for a play, that seems so simple, so comedic, you wouldn't expect that to be such work put into it. And you don't really get to see that.

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah. Yeah, very true. Now, for you, Tom--

TOM: Yes.

[laughter]

JANE SIMMONS: --because you are the oldest in the cast, and there's quite a young cast, I mean, that's often going to be an experience where you sometimes have to be the semi adult or responsible one in the cast. So, in what ways do you feel like you've had to mentor people?

TOM: I feel like I haven't actually had to do that much mentoring. Because these-- like, all of these kids are probably the best--

STUDENT: 'Kids.'

[interposing voices]

[laughter]

[interposing voices]

TOM: Much better than most people that I work with, my age. So, it's been very easy. And I've felt at home. Because they're very-- all very mature.

STUDENTS: Oh!

[laughter]

[interposing voices]

JANE SIMMONS: For many of you, it's your first Drama Company experience, isn't it?

STUDENT: Yeah.

JANE SIMMONS: So, if people were interested in auditioning for Drama Company, what advice would you give them, in terms of being prepared for this experience?

STUDENT: Just go for it.

STUDENT: Yeah.

[interposing voices]

JANE SIMMONS: Yeah?

MARGARET: Just go for it. And like everyone said, enjoy every moment of it. Because this thing-- like, you never know. It could just be, like, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's amazing, and you have to enjoy every single second. You have to cherish everything.

And, like, all of the people, all of this amazing cast, the crew, the stage, like, we're at NIDA! It's insane!

[laughter]

It's crazy! Enjoy it, literally. Yeah.

JANE SIMMONS: Now, let's talk about that. And then we'll wrap it up fairly soon. Because we do get to work, then, at NIDA, and we get to work with NIDA technical students who are going through their training. And given, we've talked about the technical complexities of the show, this is a huge task. So, maybe I'll ask someone over here-- what's the experience like, to be able to, I guess, work with a semiprofessional crew?

NEGAR: It's a privilege to be here. Because it's my first professional work, with this cast and Drama Company and NIDA. And I was really grateful to be here. But some lessons I learnt was, to be present, to always work as a team. Because drama isn't about-- you know, we have monologues, but we also rely on everyone else. It's a show. It's not just one person. So, I really loved the teamwork.

And I think I learnt many things here, like the moving blocks really helped me be on task and like, moving fast from this way to that, changing costumes, so, yeah.

JANE SIMMONS: Is there anything that you would like to say about your experience of the show or working with a professional director or anything else that you feel is really something that you would like to express about the show?

TOM: Thank you.

STUDENTS: Yeah!

[interposing voices]

STUDENT: You read my mind!

STUDENT: Literally. Literally.

[interposing voices]

TOM: Just thank you to everyone at NIDA-- Sophie, especially--

[interposing voices]

STUDENT: Thank you!

[applause and cheering]

TOM: Everybody that's been involved, it's been, I think for all of us, a very great experience for learning. And, yeah, just a great experience all around, so thank you all.

JANE SIMMONS: And thank you guys. And we're going to wrap that up. Thank you, Drama Company. Thank you.

STUDENTS: Thank you!

[applause and cheering]