Iwan Davies Q&A
Arnold Wesker‘s Roots together with John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger changed British theatre forever. The mirror they held up to 1950s society is now angled towards 2024, with the two plays running alongside each other in repertory for 12 weeks, as part of the Almeida’s Angry and Young season.
Find out more about the season in this Q&A with actor Iwan Davies who plays Cliff in Look Back in Anger and Mr Healy in Roots.
Were you familiar with Roots and Look Back in Anger before your involvement?
I was familiar with Look Back in Anger. Although I hadn’t read Roots beforehand, I had studied Chicken Soup with Barley, the first of The Wesker Trilogy. As soon as I read Roots, I understood the yin and yang quality of these plays. Roots being more hopeful, light and joyous, and Look Back in Anger quite the opposite. Both tell us a lot about gender politics, class, and are incredibly relevant to this day.
What drew you to being a part of a repertory season?
We have lost the art of repertory theatre that has been so prevalent and essential in the history of acting. Older actors who inspire me today really cut their teeth in repertory theatre and honed their craft. It encourages you as an actor to play a bit more. There are few chances these days where you can flip flop from different characters.
How have you found working with two directors, Diyan Zora on Roots and Atri Banerjee on Look Back in Anger?
It’s amazing to see how different their approaches are, as well as how different the productions look given that they are on the same stage, similar set, with the same actors and creative teams. They have both put their artistic stamp on each production. They are so understanding of the challenges of actors being in rep which has made the whole process a lot easier. They’re also good friends which means they try to do anything they can to make sure the other’s production succeeds.
Cliff is a compassionate antidote to Jimmy and offers moral support to Alison, yet he is also a spectator to the emotional abuse. How do you approach the complexity of this character?
There have been very mixed reactions to Cliff which has been interesting. Like everyone, he is complex and nuanced. I think what’s helped me approach the character is knowing that he needs these two people as much as they need him. He has found a family for the first time – a community in which he can exist and be an honest version of himself.
What are you asking from the audience coming to see these productions?
To come into it and embrace that these are older plays that are brought into the now. Naturally, there will be some things that are difficult to watch, and the audience response today will be very different to that in the 1950s. Jimmy Porter has previously been claimed as an antihero – that doesn’t ring true anymore. His vitriolic nature is showcased without apologies.
Our Participation Team and Young Producers have curated a host of ambitious ancillary activity around our Angry and Young season, providing a space and opportunity for young, working-class creatives to respond to these plays, engage in panel discussions and participate in workshops. As an actor, how important do you think these opportunities are?
As a young, working-class actor myself, these opportunities are vital to growing confidence and ensuring we have that representation on stage. Activities like this weren’t readily available to me as recent as 5 years ago. Being a young, budding actor and having a chance to perform at the Almeida is one that I would have loved to have been a part of when I was younger.
