Editorial: Molly Davies
Dream List: what plays should we be reading, putting on and going to see?Difficult. Read – Everything, as much as possible. Put on – Plays that demand to be seen. Go to see – Again, as much as possible, and not always in London. Plays are written to be seen. Describe your first theatrical epiphanyI acted from when I was quite young, so I’m not sure I had a sudden flash of… anything. At the Anna Scher Theatre, anyone who wanted had the opportunity to write, cast, source props, design lighting and set and direct a short play in a week. I won a prize for one of my plays- a pencil and a bookmark. Not sure it was an epiphany exactly, but I loved all that: bringing something to life. Who would you invite to your fantasy theatrical dinner party?Joan Littlewood, Debbie Tucker Green, Stewart Lee, Caryl Churchill, Harold Pinter, Taylor Mac, Helen Mirren, Michael C Hall, Dennis Potter… Of course if any of them actually turned up I’d run and hide under a table or something. What are your career highlights so far?When sixty 10 year-olds I’d been working with came to see My Days, a play I’d written for Company of Angels at Soho Theatre. The director –Jacqui Rice – put together a brilliant production and the children’s reaction was crazy, in a good way. It was pretty much written for those kids, so that meant a lot. Also, having my first full-length play for adults, A Miracle, on at the Royal Court. The whole experience - again working with a great director, Lyndsey Turner, and being included at every stage -taught me loads. It made me consider myself to be a playwright. What's the strangest experience you've had in the theatre?Probably when I was operating a followspot on Daddy Cool in the West End. I was working as a classroom assistant from 8.30am until 4 in Peckham, then starting at the theatre in town at 7 and finishing at 11pm. It was in the summer and the theatre’s cooling system wasn’t working, so it was boiling sitting in the upper circle next to a massive light. I lived off one meal a day and energy tablets and I hallucinated a few times, fainted once and would dream about Boney M every night. Who is your favourite actor of all time?There are so many. Brian Cranston, Helen McCrory, Con O’Neil, Pete Postlethwaite, Louise Kempton, Nadine Marshall, Michael Cox, Paul Copley, Anne-Marie Duff, Paola Dionisotti… - First favourite actors to spring to mind. Who is the greatest influence on your career?People I was brought up by and grew up around have had the biggest affect on my writing and on how I conduct myself too, career-wise. And other writers -it’s inspiring to read interviews with people you admire who are more experienced because when working alone in your bedroom, fitting it in around so many other things, it is hard to take writing (and yourself) seriously. Where do you want to be in 5 years time?Writing. Not doing any box office or temping or classroom assisting, please. Just writing – and being better at it. What' s the best thing you've ever seen at the theatre?Every Good Boy Deserves Favour at the National, Adolf by Pip Utton at Edinburgh Festival, Flight Path at the Bush, Mother Clap’s Molly House at the National, Random at the Court, The Beast of Taylor Mac at Soho Theatre. And many more, all for different reasons. What are you up to at the moment?Trying to write my second play for the Royal Court, getting together a second draft for National Theatre Connections and developing a TV idea (hopefully not a shit one, Adam!). Biography: Molly DaviesMolly Davie's first full length play, A Miracle, was produced in March 2009 at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs at the Royal Court. Other theatre credits include: The Future of Bump (Hampstead Theatre, Dairing Pairings); The Best Team Since The A-Team (Southwark Playhouse 2008); My Days (Company of Angels/Soho Theatre 2007); Day One (National Youth Theatre/Soho Theatre 2006) and No Fairy Stories (Soho Theatre 2005) which won Molly the Westminster Prize.
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