Actors all areas
IAN DARLING doesn’t have what it takes to become an actor; so he
turned his attention to a handful of Australia’s - indeed, the
world’s - best ones.
His feature-length documentary In the Company of Actors is a
rigorous behind-the-scenes look at the Sydney Theatre Company,
where Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Aden Young, Justine Clarke and
others release a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s play Hedda Gabler
for a New York season.
It is, he says with understatement, a film “about them turning
up to work and five weeks later producing this world-class
production”. Despite the presence of one of the world’s most
sought-after leading ladies, it steers well clear of celebrity
fluff.
“One of the things about documentaries is it gives you a chance
to get into secret worlds,” says Darling.
“Theatre itself seems to be even more difficult to get into
because the rehearsal room is always considered this sacred space
where the actors haven’t wanted any outside intrusion at all, so
the notion of a camera getting in has always been pretty foreign.
We were very lucky that we managed to get access to this
production.”
Darling had a long association with the Sydney Theatre Company
and its then artistic director Robyn Nevin. He says it took a great
deal of discussion with management and the actors before they
agreed to let cameras in.
“One of the things with documentaries is trust and I guess they
trusted me. The overall intent of this film was the education
market and they could see I wasn’t trying to make a glorified
blooper tape, that I was trying to make a process film.”
Darling also had the backing of benevolent organisation, the
Caledonia Foundation, which he chairs, who had agreed to donate the
DVD to every school in Australia together with a study guide.
“I guess they saw that was an honourable intent and were
prepared to give it a go,” he says.
Blanchett’s profile didn’t hurt in getting the film into the
market, but Darling says that is only one element of the equation.
He points out the increasing visibility of the other cast members
and the fact that the production, a contemporary adaptation by
Australian Andrew Upton, who is Blanchett’s husband, had been
invited to the influential Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Despite myths about temperamental and precious actors and the
hothouse environment of the rehearsal room, Darling discovered the
contrary.
“The interesting thing for me when we got into the rehearsal
room was just how normal all the actors were. Theatre is a very
grounded and levelling industry. While they are big stars with
their names in lights in films, when you get into the rehearsal
room it’s such a flat structure (where) everyone is just there
doing a job.
“When we screened at the Sydney Film Festival one person said we
were too soft and (asked) why did we cut out all the conflict. I
had to say there wasn’t any conflict. That doesn’t necessarily make
for great drama in a documentary, but we called it as we saw
it.”
The key challenge in making In the Company of Actors was to
remain invisible, keep out of the actors’ way and film entirely
with available light. It was decided that cinematographer Simon
Smith would remain stationary when any of the actors were
performing, and to only change position between the actors’
rehearsal takes.
Darling says he wanted to be an actor but “was a very bad
one”.
“I guess I just love the process and having never been in a
rehearsal room at that level I was fascinated to see what went on.
So I guess it was coming from the point of view of childish
curiosity and the more I got into it, the more I saw how
collaborative it was and how normal and how hard working they all
were.”
Blanchett’s global success - she is nominated for best actress
and best supporting actress Oscars - is a combination of her
natural talent, “incredible energy” and hard work, Darling
believes.
“She will rehearse until she’s got it right. You see in one of
the scenes where she’s playing the piano, every little element of
her performance, she is an absolute perfectionist.
“Plus she’s a very decent and normal person, people like dealing
with her. I think that helps too.”
In The Company of Actors screens next Thursday, 8.30pm, on
ABC.
Critic’s View, page 46
