CityLife

Wilcox returns for Dreams Of Violence

Dreams Of Violence (Library Theatre)

MANY of us will remember our first visit to a theatre fondly; a new experience, an insight into the world of the arts, and a thrilling opportunity to see something performed in the flesh.

For Paula Wilcox, now a veteran of stage and screen and approaching the status of national treasure, that experience happened here in Manchester, at the Library Theatre, a visit which inspired her to delve into the world of acting.

“It was Henry IV Part I, we were doing it at school and we were taken along to see it,” she explains. “I’d never been to the theatre before, and I’d never realised that plays were made to be seen and not read.

Seeing it made much more sense to me, seeing people like you or me really made it seem accessible.

“I just thought it would be such a wonderful thing to do, to be able to communicate like that, using the words of someone so articulate and clever. It was that idea of interpreting ideas and feelings that got to me.”

'Departure'

Decades later, Wilcox is returning to the Library to perform there for the first time, in Stella Feehily’s Dreams Of Violence. She admits that it’ll be an interesting experience.

“I don’t know how I’ll feel to be honest,” she laughs. “It’ll be interesting to look out at those rows of seats I used to sit in as a teenager, or to come out of the stage door where I used to wait and stare at the actors when they came out. They always seemed so exciting.”

It’ll also be exciting for audiences to see Wilcox back in her native Manchester, performing in a play that has received rave reviews down at the Lyric Theatre in London.

She plays the part of Shirley, a pop star in her younger years now facing up to old age. For someone perhaps best known for her roles in classic TV sitcoms, playing a part that is equally comic and tragic was a massive draw for an actress.

“When I read the play I realised that it was a bit of a departure for me, as I had to toughen up a bit, which was great,” explains Wilcox.

'Dysfunctional'

“Shirley is the source of a lot of the humour, but also some real tragedy. All the characters are in the process of reassessing their lives, and what’s nice about the play is that it looks at some of the problems of getting older, something which I don’t think is examined much these days.”

The main focus of Dreams Of Violence is Hildy, Shirley’s daughter, played by Catherine Russell. Facing up the breakdown of her marriage and struggling to look after both her parents and her children, Hildy is also a political activist, fighting for the rights of low-paid cleaners in London’s big banks.

For the play’s writer Stella Feehily, the inspiration for the play came from two distinct places.

“The play is essentially a comic drama about a dysfunctional family set against the backdrop of the economic collapse,” explains the Irish playwright.

“It was inspired by two things; first of all, in November 2005, I read an article in The Guardian which spoke about how crazy it was that bankers were getting these incredible bonuses, and yet the organisation Shelter was reporting that there were half a million children sleeping in substandard housing.

Sense of optimism

At the same time, there were campaigns in the City about cleaners at the major financial institutions fighting for the minimum wage.

“Around the same time Max (Stafford-Clark, the show’s director), my partner, had a massive stroke, so we weren’t quite sure whether he was going to survive, or how affected he’d be.

“He’s now back working and is in great shape, but has sustained quite severe disabilities after the stroke. It was something that really makes you reconsider your life and your relationships.”

It’s obviously been a very affecting experience for the writer, and despite (or perhaps, because of) the experiences she has been through to get it to the stage, Feehily believes that at heart Dreams Of Violence is imbued with a sense of optimism.

“The play is about imperfect people trying to muddle along, and about getting a second chance, as Max and I did,” she suggests. “It’s suggesting that perhaps people can’t change, but they can at least try harder.”

For both the writer and the star, seeing Dreams Of Violence on stage at the Library will be a truly special experience.

Dreams Of Violence is at the Library Theatre from Tuesday, October 20 to Saturday, October 24. £12.50 to £17.50, concessions available.