In the run up to our performances of "The Importance of Being Earnest" We sat down with some of our brilliant cast and crew. First up is our amazing "Miss Prism" Emma Dodwell-Groves, who is swapping the plastic smuggling, space trucking, vixen-loving lifestyle of Frottage III for something a bit more civilised. (Well, we think she's civilised but judge for yourself!)
1) Describe yourself in 5 words.
Quiet, subtle, mysterious, humble, boring. The complete opposite of all of those.
2) Describe your character in one sentence.
My perspective on Miss Prism is that she is a prudish know it all, with a not so deeply repressed romantic, even saucy streak.
3) What is it that you like most about Earnest and why do you think people should buy a ticket?
Wilde's witty repartee. It flows perfectly off the page and you almost wish you and your friends spoke that way nowadays. You should buy a ticket because this production refreshingly shines the spotlight on the playwrights words without being bogged down by the 'period piece' aspects.
4) What's your favourite piece of theatre and why?
Gosh. Um. That's hard. Can I pick two? I'd say 'The Last 5 Years' because it utterly destroys me. There is also something just incredible about the two simultaneous perspectives and how a solo can communicate a two person conversation without half the words. My other favourite is the Rocky Horror Picture Show, because I love a gender ambiguous, filthy, tongue-in-cheek romp.
5) What's been your favourite Proforça moment so far?
Maybe when I had a gallon of glitter poured down my cleavage while having to act dead on stage. I don't know if dry glitter qualifies to use the unit of 'gallon', but I promise, when it's poured down your boobs, it feels like a liquid. (We commend the performance of the actress for her brilliant ability to "play dead" under very difficult circumstances.)
6) What's been the best piece of advice you've been given and why?
You do you, boo.
7) Who would play you in a film of your life?
Jennifer Lawrence. Because she's awesome.
8) if you could time travel, where would you go and why?
Wherever I went in history, I would prefer to be privileged. There's no point traveling back to medieval times and being a serf, or back to ancient china and being a 5th tier concubine. So as long as I get to be comfortably established, I would say perhaps Ancient Rome; decadent, artistic, academic and sexually liberated.
9) if you were president for a day, what three laws would you enact?
1) More hugs
2) Free sanitary products and contraceptives
3) Basic tests on topic comprehension in all democratic votes
10) Tell us a piece of salacious and scandalous gossip worthy of Oscar Wilde himself!
I have, on occasion, forgotten to wear undergarments. Mr. Worthing would not approve.
Emma is an interculturalist and musical theatre lover originally from Hong Kong who moved to London in 2016. For Proforca she previously played "Chesty Prospects / Shirley Tri-Star" in "Saucy Jack and the Space Vixens." Her range of accents in rehearsals is legendary. Follow Proforca on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook @ProforcaTheatre and via our website at www.proforca.co.uk.
"The Importance of Being Earnest" is performed 27th - 30th September and "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" is on November 2nd - 4th 2017. Tickets for both shows in our "Project Wilde" series are available now and can be found at our website at www.proforca.co.uk/boxoffice or via www.lionandunicorntheatre.co.uk