Interview with Colette Redgrave

Could you first introduce yourself to the reader?

Hello, my name is Colette Redgrave. I first trained in Musical Theatre at London Studio Centre. When I graduated I went off on tour with a Shakespeare Company and then to Vienna. I returned to RADA in 2015 to re-train and decided shortly after to develop the ‘Picasso’s Women’ project. Along the way I have directed and developed other shows including the ground-breaking European premiere production of ‘Starlight Express’ with kids under the age of 18 and a teenage production of ‘His Dark Materials’. I continue to record voice-overs for companies such as National Geographic and the BBC. In my ‘other life’ I have been a director of a successful Fire & Security Business for the last ten years run by myself and my husband and I continue to teach drama and dance to children & teenagers along with three aqua aerobics sessions a week!

Tell us about your show?

‘Picasso’s Women’ features a series of monologues and confessionals performed by three of the most influential women in the early life of seminal 20th Century artistic genius, Picasso.

The production features Fernande, played by Judith Paris, who tells the audience about the lustful early years of her relationship with Picasso. Fernande is known to have published her memoirs in her later years to great success. The play then focuses on Olga, Picasso’s first wife who is played by Colette Redgrave. She candidly recounts the ‘departments in which Picasso lacked’ and the sadness she felt when she lost her husband to the younger and nubile Marie-Therese performed by Kirsten Moore. Their relationship is featured in the current TATE Modern Exhibition and depicts the passion in their short-lived relationship.

Why do you want to perform at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and is it different from other festivals?

‘Picasso’s Women’ was performed in Edinburgh 18 years ago by Toyah Willcox (now one of our patrons), Susanna York & Josie Lawrence, plus one of our other Patrons, Professor Elizabeth Cowling introduced us to The Fruitmarket Gallery and the rest they say is …

What first motivated you to enter the industry? Who were your inspirations?

My uncle worked as Box Office Manager at Starlight Express... I first saw it when I was approx. 4 years old. I will never forget the impact it had on me. I trained to go into that show and guess what... it closed at the Appllo Victoria the year I graduated! But that didn't stop me!

Being a ‘Redgrave’ I think there is an assumption that you will just find both the technical skill naturally and the breaks, but I remember Corin Redgrave telling me to stick at the basics, work hard on training and commitment and the rest will fall into place, but most of all never to give up. And I haven’t.

Oh, and I hear Starlight is coming back next year… better get my roller skates out!

Do you ever feel any pressure to be a social commentator, or constantly update material to respond to events?

Interesting question, theatre is a vital platform to open important social discussions. Coincidentally, I first started this project back in the summer of 2016 prior to the Harvey Weinstein case, inadvertently, the production along with it’s all female cast, director and creative team has really captured the spirit of the long overdue equality movement for women in creative industries. Dame Judi Dench is now a patron of the show and she is great supporter of this crusade. The monologues themselves give an insight into the lives of three women who supported and dealt with ‘a lot’ during their involvement with Pablo Picasso. His renowned comment “There are only two types of women: goddesses and doormats” I think opens a very interesting discussion don’t you think?

Equally, do you feel there has been a shift in public sentiment that has affected your work?

Well the hunger for gender equality and the #metoo and 50/50 campaigns has seen a massive shift in the equal pay recognition and opportunity for women across many industries, but in this case theatre and art are particularly relevant. I hope that our performances evoke some understanding of what these women sacrificed and gained by their connections to one of the world’s greatest artists. In support of this when we return to London in September, artist Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf is curating a specially designed exhibition called ‘Muse, Model or Mistress?’ to feature alongside our performances. This title comes from the conversation between Marcel Duchamp and Peggy Guggenheim about the restrictive way that women were being treated within the surrealist movement – and led to her exhibition in 1943 in New York – including 31 Women Artists

Funnily enough however, the public sentiment for Pablo Picasso does not seem to wane their hunger for his artwork also does not appear to dissipate!

Describe the last year in 5 words or less?

Unexpected
Life changing
Exciting
Rollercoaster

What advice would you give to someone who wants to take a show up to the fringe?

Organisation! Get organised, and don’t leave it all to the last minute. I have been working on this project for nearly 2 years to gain maximum enjoyment and success out of it.

And what advice do you wish you’d been given when entering the industry?

Not to be so concerned with my weight – I know it sounds ridiculous, but I was given such a complex about the size and shape of my body that I thought that was the reason for my failings or not being sucessful. I was always convinced I must be a size 8 to achieve anything. Now I just get on with it – people will just have to like me as I am!

When and where can people see your show?

The Fruitmarket Gallery

Venue #359

https://www.fruitmarket.co.uk/

45 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1DF

And where can people find, follow and like you online?