Tell us about your character in a nutshell.
I play Chuck Hall. Chuck is a defence attorney who over the course of his life has made some bad decisions both professionally and personally. One of which, in the course of the play, is going to come back to bite him on the derriere, quite literally. What drives him in the play is a sense of regret, of needing forgiveness and absolution, and to just get away from the demons of his conscience.
The cast and creative team during rehearsals for Is God Is. Photo: Joshua Scott
How does it feel to be working within this company?
I couldn’t be more overjoyed looking around the room at the depth of diversity amongst our collective ethnicity. The work that I’m seeing the young actors do on this show is just breathtaking. Some of them are making their theatre debuts but you wouldn’t know it. It’s a significant moment in the history of Melbourne Theatre Company. But I think what excites me the most is the text. It’s such a beautifully written piece. And there’s so much information to be garnered from the pages. In a way it feels like some of the hard work was already done for us.
What resonates most for you within the show?
What I keep coming back to is the notion of good and evil, and how depending on which one of those opposites you feed, what the outcome of that is. There’s some pretty hardcore themes in the show. But there’s a really beautiful balance of lightness in the humour and then darkness in the dramatic stuff. It’s gonna be a ride.
In your opinion, why does this work so well for this story? And how do you approach acting during these quick transitions?
The shifts between dark drama and lighter comedy are an essential part of this story. Our protagonists have come from violence, abuse and abandonment and are seeking revenge for the wrongs that have endured. Their journey is peppered with characters and situations that are dark and heavy which, for an audience, can create tension, be confronting and discomforting. I feel that moments of levity give the audience a chance to release, relax and reset for what comes next. My approach to these shifts is to trust the text, my instincts, the guidance of the directors and just go with the ebb and flow of the transitions.
Henrietta Enyonam Amevor, Patrick Williams and Masego Pitso in Is God Is. Photo: Pia Johnson
What’s unique about this production?
Everything. Again, speaking about the diversity of lived experience and of professional experience, and watching all this coalesce into a juggernaut of a show is really exciting. It’s been enlightening and elating. And it feels like something we’ve not seen before, something I’ve certainly not done before. And so the freshness and the edginess to it really excites me.
This is your Melbourne Theatre Company debut, but you are no stranger to the stage, film and TV. What has surprised or challenged you, or been different about working on this show?
Every stage show, film or TV job is an entirely different beast from what has come before. What I am relishing about this production is having the luxury of two insightful, astute, collaborative and gracious directors and the level of care afforded to us by this company.
Published on 29 June 2023
