Masterclass 2: Flames Of The Forge is a sequel to your earlier comedy, Masterclass. Are the characters we know and love returning in this one?
GD: Both Charlie Garber and Gareth Davies are back! Plus we’ve managed to wrangle the same actors (Charlie Garber and Gareth Davies) for this one, too!
CG: We couldn’t kill those characters. Well, that’s not true. One was killed. But that still hasn’t stopped us. After all, he wasn’t real to begin with.
How have Gareth Davies, the greatest actor alive, and his imaginary colleague Charlie Garber grown and changed in the time since Masterclass?
GD: For a start, Charlie Garber is well and truly dead (RIP). Gareth hasn’t acted or taught or slept for some time. But late at night when the lights are out, he can close his eyes and hear a voice that sounds an awful lot like Charlie’s whisper, “Free me”…
Will audiences who didn’t see the original be missing any important plot points?
GD: Definitely not. Come fresh, come real, come clean.
Is this a chance for audience members and budding actors to learn the best way to achieve their dreams?
CG: Dreams are like clouds – you can’t reach them. But now you can. Yes, Masterclass is a secret way, a back door to realising that the hand reaching out is actually a hand reaching in. That sounds painful but its worth it.
GD: Definitely not. This is a chance to watch two greats achieve theirs. Don’t be selfish.
Actors like Kevin Spacey are now giving their masterclasses online – could your lessons one day move beyond the physical stage?
GD: Doubtful. The internet’s a fad that’ll pass in the next year or so, live theatre just keeps on growing in popularity. Eventually we’ll have to tour arenas as opposed to 65-seater theatres, that will be the most significant change to our show.
CG: Online interactive medium masterclasses are an exciting frontier but could be dangerous in the wrong hands. For this reason we believe the best thing to do is to look into a printout of Kevin Spacey’s eyes and say “no, no, no” and then open a new tab on your browser and book two tickets to Masterclass 2 at the Old Fitz. Get a date, get down there, and get alive.
Masterclass 2is playing at the Old Fitz until Saturday January 30.
