Alex Dalton our Assistant Learning Manager had a chat with Kate O'Mara about her life in theatre when she appeared in the Oscar Wilde play Lord Arthur Savile's Crime in March:
How did you get into acting?
“My grandfathers were running theatres all over the country, theatres very like Leeds Grand Theatre. My great grandfather built a theatre called ‘the Kings’ which is still very beautiful and being restored. It was built in 1907. I was put into a box on my own as a child every day to watch the shows. It was cheap but effective childcare, wonderful childcare. In war torn Southsea and Portsmouth it was very badly bombed outside the theatre, thank heavens the theatre survived. I remember all the rubble outside, the row of shops that would suddenly come to an end with the brick wall exposed. Then I went into the lavish surroundings of the theatre. People escaped to the theatre during the war. They queued for hours with little stools. People need the escapism, it was a necessary element of social life. My grandfather built that theatre for the people of Portsmouth, the theatre was at the heart of society. Therefore theatre was always in my family for generations and in my blood.”
Any advice for young actors or people wishing to get into theatre?
“If you have a passion you must follow your heart. However, you must be prepared for a lot of disappointment. People don’t realise what hard work it is. I do a lot of coaching for young people to help them get into drama school. I’ve a 100% success rate. Just recently I was coaching a young girl, she asked for a day's coaching. I said a day was not nearly enough, you need a week at least. She came to stay with me and I really did put here through her paces. She said afterwards she’d no idea it was such hard work. There’s a lot of competition for drama schools nowadays. Up to 2000 applicants, quite a long shot, it’s like winning the lottery. She did get in however due to her obvious commitment and passion. I think sometimes people think that you turn up learn a few lines and get on stage. There is much more to it than that. I learn something new every time I’m on stage.”
What was your first visit to the Grand like?
“The first production I saw at the Grand, I was 5 years old and it was the last years of the war. The show was Cinderella and as my mother was in it I was allowed to watch from the wings. I was very excited watching from the knee of one of the ugly sisters who was a man, a female impersonator. I remember looking up at him, with all his make up on thinking he was so beautiful. Then I wanted to run on stage when my mother went on, they said ‘no, no you mustn’t’ they grabbed me back. It really was the most incredible production. The ‘principle boy’ was High Hazel actually a male impersonator. You don’t really get them today. When Cinderella had to leave the ball, my mother's face was in the grandfather clock, as the clock struck, (the orchestra did that bit), the gauze lit up my mother's face, and there she was saying “ Cinderella, Cinderella,” it was absolutely magical. Also I remember even though I saw Cinderella charging up the steps at midnight in her beautiful ball gown and her double came from behind the door in rags I still believed it was magic!”
“All the lights went down once the Prince had the glass slipper and the orchestra played the ‘Rose of England’ which was quite famous in those days. She started reciting John O’Gaunts famous speech. It comes to the end with ‘this earth, this realm, this ENGLAND!” [then put her arm in the air], the crowd went berserk. I remember this vividly, as we were going through a war. It encouraged everyone to band together and keep the hope alive. Oh it was very inspiring I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.”