TGtS Meets...George Banks

Actor George Banks will be heading up the cast of the 2014 national tour of Birdsong, when it comes to the Wyvern Theatre later this year. We sat down with him to chat about the pressures of performing, getting into character and the challenges that his new role brings.

Tell us a little bit about your role in Birdsong...

I play the role of Stephen Wraysford, the audience are first introduced to him in 1916 just before the Battle of the Somme. He's very detached from what's happening and you don't really understand why. During the course of the first act he gets wounded in battle, which forces him to remember and reassess what made him this way. During a flashback sequence the audience watch as Stephen engages in an affair with a French women named Isabelle who essentially breaks his heart. From this point on he vows to find her if he survives. 

Were there any nerves on your part, given that Birdsong is such a well-loved novel?

My family have all read the novel and love it, so there was a lot of pressure from the off. The first thing that my cousin said to me was "great job cuz, just don't ruin my imagined likeness of Stephen" - everyone has their own interpretation of characters, this is how I perceive Stephen to be, I just hope that everyone else agrees. 

What kind of research do you need to do before a role like this?

We had a military adviser on hand to help us prepare, which was great. We did drills with the troops, so we knew how to march, stand to attention and stand at ease. At one part in the play Stephen takes an office job, so I asked our adviser what would Stephen have done differently about his appearance, to which he replied "the only thing that he would have to think about is the red band on his arm, he would of had to take it off when he went back to the front line because they hated office boys" - little things like that I would never have thought of. It tells you a lot about the relationships between people who fought in World War 1. 

How would you sum up Birdsong - its part love story, part war drama.

Birdsong is a love story, not just between Stephen and Isabelle but it's a love story between the men who fought together. It's a brilliant piece of theatre that highlights the different sides of people that war brings out. 

It’s quite a hard-hitting play. Did you find any of the scenes challenging?

As I mentioned before, Stephen is quite detached because he felt this horrible pain when he was younger, and he doesn't want to open himself up to feeling anything like that again. When you're posed with the horrors of the First World War you're forced to feel something because it's so brutal and tragic but to have to deliver that and be detached as an actor is quite hard because you want to engage, but can't. 

Are there any other theatre roles that you’d love to play?

I've been a very lucky boy actually, since I left drama school I've had some wonderful parts and I don't know now healthy this is but have a physical list of roles that I'd love to play. I've always been dying to do Shakespeare but I haven't yet had the chance, I'm getting a bit old too play Romeo now, I think maybe I've got a couple of years left in me but I'm not holding out hope. If I can play Hamlet in my home town before I die I'll be a happy man. 

What would you say has been the highlight of your career?

This 100%. I love the depth and complexity of my character. It's an incredibly challenging role and a production that I'm extremely proud to be a part of. As an adaptation it's fantastically written and the cast are all exceptional; I feel like I'm in very good company. I'm also incredibly lucky to be doing this play in the Centenary year. 

What advice would you give to anyone looking to become an actor?

Only do it, if you need to do it. If you kind of want to do it but aren't too sure then there's no point. It's something that you have to be really dedicated and devoted to. I love being an actor and couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life. 

Why should people come and see the show?

People should come and see the show because it's a fantastic adaptation of a wonderful book. It's deeply moving and thought provoking and shows the war in a light that I don't think many people would have seen before. 

BirdSong will run at the Wyvern Theatre from Tuesday 1st to Saturday 5th July. Book tickets today at wyverntheatre.org.uk or by calling the Ticket Office on 01793 524 481.