Director: Malcolm Roding
Writer: Malcolm Roding
Starring: Josée Bekker
Synopsis: Empress Mary, in the far future, rules a realm of many star systems. But she’s losing the planet she cares for most, her husband is missing in the war to defend it, and the son she believes she’s carrying isn’t kicking.
Come and see the thrilling one-woman show, premiering this December.
In a new exclusive interview on Blazing Minds, I got the chance to ask actress Josée Bekker a few questions about her role as Empress Mary in the one-woman show Empress Bloody Mary, which will premiere at The Water Rats on 6 December.
Q. You play Empress Mary in the upcoming production of Empress Bloody Mary, which premieres at The Water Rats on 6th December. What can audiences expect from the show?
A. A whirlwind of emotions. The empress is a deeply wounded character, and as she battles her inner demons lot’s is unravelled. The play itself is set in a very dystopian futuristic world which is intriguing in itself but to add a very psychologically twisted character into a new world is very complex to watch. But fun to unpack!
Q. What first drew you to the script for Empress Bloody Mary, and what made you want to be part of this production?
A. See I love theatre and I love all the dramatics that comes with theatre, so when I read the script I loved how detailed and dramatic it is. I appreciated the emotion of it and I felt it has so much to grasp to as an actor.
Q. Can you tell us a little about your character and your role within the story?
A. She is the Empress of a futuristic galactic empire. The ‘old earth’ (i.e. this earth) is far into the past and she was essentially ‘Bloody Mary’ on the old earth in her past life. Her role within is to attempt to salvage her empire.
Q. What preparation did you do to portray the character, especially as it’s a one-woman show and you have the responsibility of carrying the performance on your own?
A. It’s mostly in the mind. With any role you just have to have full faith in yourself and remind yourself you’ve got this. A bit character is daunting but look at it from a fun perspective, there’s so much to play with!
Q. Are there any aspects of Mary’s personality that you see in yourself?
A. She is a woman that really struggles with self image which I can relate to in some ways, it’s hard as a woman in this society to not let other’s ideas of you get projected onto yourself. Hard to stand strong in your ground sometimes.
Q. As rehearsals have progressed, has the way you portray Mary changed from your original plans?
A. Yes but all the time! I’m always finding new ways that I interoperate her words or ways I want to take her character. Its part of the process.
Q. What has it been like working with writer-director Malcolm Roding to bring Mary to life?
A. He’s very open to listening where I want to take the character which is nice and refreshing. Its always nice to feel your opinions are being taken into consideration creatively. And you can really see the passion he has for this project too.
Q. What makes Empress Bloody Mary stand out as something different?
A. It doesn’t have a definite genre. Its a whole new category I feel. I’m sure it’ll be interpreted in many different ways too.
Q. What do you hope audiences take away from the story after the final scene?
A. With anything creative I do I hope to expand their horizon a little. Art/theatre/film anything really is to take the audience through a journey and in the end they understand the world a bit more. It’ll mean something different for everyone and I hope it is enjoyed. It’s really up to the viewer.
Q. Do you have any other projects that you’re currently working on?
A. I do a lot of painting! I’m currently working on 7 pieces that’ll link together to make a 240cm x 240cm piece. It’ll have it’s own event when it’s done. Other than that I’m just like any other working actor waiting for what’s next
Q. If someone were looking to get into acting, what advice would you give them?
A. Let go of vanity, let go of worrying about how you’re perceived. You’re going to face so much judgement from people and if you listen to them you’ll drive yourself crazy. Nothing is embarrassing stand strong in your authenticity.
Empress Bloody Mary will premiere at The Water Rats on 6th December.
You can find out more about the show and purchase tickets here
Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!