Interview: Frances Ruffelle and Stephen Ashfield on starring in I CAN DIE TOO at Pitlochry Festival Theatre
Tony award-winning actress Frances Ruffelle and Olivier award winning Scottish actor Stephen Ashfield open in the world première of I Can Die Too at Pitlochry Festival Theatre this month; Ruffelle, Sally George and Alan Cumming’s new play with music about a play with music, inspired by Cocteau’s La Voix Humaine. We spoke to Frances and Stephen during rehearsals.
Please can you tell us what I Can Die Too is about and a bit about your characters?
Frances: A play with music about a play with music. A fever dream tech rehearsal with an actress who has lost her nerve as she faces playing a role that mirrors her own life. She spirals into doubt, defiance, and the uncontrollable urge to sing about it. Lily is volatile, defensive, vulnerable, yet strong.
Stephen: I CAN DIE TOO is set in a technical rehearsal for the play, The Human Voice. “A play within a play”. Yeah, it’s confusing for me too - ha! We meet Lily, the star of the play, as she struggles to find her character and execute the play the way she wants to, much to the frustration of the director, James, played by myself. They have worked together before, but that doesn’t make things any easier.
What appealed to you about creating/being part of I Can Die Too?
F: Alan [Cumming] and I wanted to explore a different way to create musical theatre. We worked on this in 2019. A play with music, lots of music, so is it musical theatre? Not quite, more classic drama, tragicomedy, concert and musical theatre all at once.
S: It’s always fun to create something from scratch. Here we also have the luxury of working up-close with one of the writers, and STAR, Frances Ruffelle. I’ve not worked as an actor-musician onstage for a while and I enjoy that challenge. It ties up all the skills that I love. But to be part of that creation and witness an audience reaction for the first time is really special.
As a play with music rather than a musical, what role does the music play in the storytelling?
F: The songs are storytelling, and/or expresses what the character is feeling at that minute. We merge art and real life. The songs are sung by the actress, Lily, in her real life and also as the role she is playing all at the same time.
S: The musical element of this play has been fascinating for me. It certainly is more abstract than in musical theatre. As an audience, we are not always sure of what is real and what isn’t. And that’s ok. It’s fun to play with that and have the audience decide for themselves. We have a real mix of genres: banging 80’s electro-pop to haunting ballads.
What is your process for developing a brand new character when working on a new piece of theatre like this?
F: My processes are always different every time. This one has been a hard one, as just like Lily in the play, I am finding myself mirrored in the role because I wrote it and it’s inspired by real events that happened in my life. The more I can find myself in her, the better, and that sounds easy but sometimes, it’s more difficult as the hardest thing for an actor is to stop acting.
S: I start with the script. What does my character say? What does he do? What do other people say about him? Etc. It’s a lot of fun bringing a character to life. Playing a director, I may have pinched a few traits and flavours of the many directors I’ve worked with in my career. Hopefully subtle enough that they still employ me again somewhere down the line!
Having worked on some huge musicals, what is it like to work in a much more intimate venue?
F: I love intimate venues. The origin of the word ‘cabaret’ is small room. That’s what it means. I have played many more small spaces, than I have West End theatres. For me, doing so many cabaret spaces has been my training. I have learned so much from those experiences. I love being in the thick of things with the audience right there laughing, smiling and even snoring!
S: I love working in a more intimate space. Especially in this meta-piece where we are staging a play in a black box. You know the audience are sharing every sight, sound and touch with you. Hopefully no smells. There’s simply nowhere to hide. It feels so different from a large West End or Broadway house.
What have been some of the highlights of your career to date?
F: I’m very lucky to have quite a few, but what can top playing Broadway with Les Mis and winning a Tony. I’ll be forever grateful for that show and that role.
S: Working with Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas was incredible. It was just the two of us (and a huge film crew) onstage. Accompanying her singing in those moments is something I will never forget. She was truly astonishing.
Singing for Elton John at the Royal Albert Hall is a certainly up there, and being part of the original London cast of The Book Of Mormon. That was a journey which brought me an Olivier Award and took me to Broadway for the first time. But really, to still be working is the ultimate highlight.
Is there anything you'd still like to achieve in your theatrical career?
F: I am hoping to have more of my writing produced. I have another play waiting in the wings ready to go. Although there is a lovely role for a woman of my age, I’m feeling the need to be just the writer next time. (There’s a wonderful role in my next one that would suit Alan Cumming to a T!!!!) I’d also love to try my hand at directing. It’s been a great insight being in the room with our director Bill Buckhurst, and watching him work has been inspiring.
S: To continue working lol. To keep creating onstage and to discover more in TV and film. Oh, and I’d still love to play the Phantom one day.
Why should people make the trip up to Pitlochry for this world premiere production?
F: Apart from the fact that Pitlochry is one of the most beautiful places in the world, our play is an experimental piece of theatre and it’s always worth catching something new and different and supporting the arts especially when the story is brand new and not from a film or a book.
Our cast is phenomenal: Stephen Ashfield, (Olivier Award winner), Maya Rugan, Melinda Orengo, Flora Spencer-Longhurst, and Frew.
S: I had my musical theatre awakening listening to Frances Ruffelle on the Les Mis CD on repeat. I still can’t believe that I get to share the stage with her, but what she has created, alongside Sally [George] and Alan is really unique. A moving, funny and thought-provoking mix of drama, cabaret and musical theatre.
Also, as a proud Scot, it is simply one of the most stunning locations for a theatre in the country. Treat yourself!