Possibly this country’s pre-eminent acting couple, Dame Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter. Two multi-award-winning actors – both inhabiting memorable and lasting characters on many a theatrical stage, on television, and on the big screen. But why Marlborough, on a Friday night in July, in the Assembly Room of the Town Hall? Thanks to Marlborough’s Robin Pritchard, who acted as host for the ‘Evening with’, Robin and Imelda met at RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) many years ago and have remained friends ever since. The ‘Evening With’ is for the benefit of The Merchant’s House garden. Robin is a volunteer there and he, Imelda and Jim are all keen gardeners so the evening came together to support a important element of one of Marlborough’s iconic properties, the Merchant’s House. This performance to a packed Town Hall will raise vital funds.
An evening of anecdotes, of ‘reveals’ and of what happened, when and why with stories behind some of their most notable roles and characters. But the evening started in the best theatrical style with the ‘pre-show’ safety and emergency exit warning, a statutory element of any such performance, delivered in the most majestic and theatrical style by Sir Simon Russell Beale. Rarely have the instructions regarding how to get out in the event of whatever eventuality that might occur been so powerfully delivered and avidly received by an audience.
Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter have been married for more than forty years. They met in 1983 whilst in rehearsals for ‘Guys and Dolls’ at the National Theatre. Married two years later, both Imelda and Jim are clear that their marriage survives through each giving time, space and support for each other. Their lives inevitably go in different directions – to stages or sets in different areas of the country – or even world – but it is that respect for what they embrace each time, and continuously that has made it work, so well, and over so many years.
The ‘Evening with’ covered much of their acting (and pre-acting) lives. Robin was even able to read and quote from an (actual) programme for Imelda’s possible first foray into Rep Theatre in Yorkshire.
Her career went South (literally) in the following years, to London. To the West End, and then to the screens large and small. And every major success and award that followed, in recognition of her outstanding performances and characters. Jim – well, where to start? Brighton? With the Brighton Combination in 1968, then The Royal Court, many stage, film and television roles until in 2010 Downton Abbey arrived. And Jim became Carson. A cornerstone character in what developed and grew to become one of the world’s greatest and most popular series, with every country that ‘buys series for broadcast’ taking Downton. Famous world wide, as Jim recalled even in the most unlikely places.
For Imelda it was probably Harry Potter and her character Dolores Umbridge who introduced her to the millions worldwide. A character that she inhabited, and one different from that originally imagined, particularly visually. Ironically, as a couple of members of the audience pointed out, now as a hologram in Orlando, Florida, in ‘The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’ at Universal Orlando. “I didn’t know’ she said to this news, adding that she had not been there to see herself – or representation of herself as Dolores Umbridge and that maybe she should get in touch with her agent….
In questions from the audience at the end, Jim was similarly taken by surprise when a member of the audience noted that he had seen Jim in a Panto that he’s mentioned earlier, alongside Bernie Winters.
There was lots more. Imelda recalled working for MIke Leigh in the title role of his important and acclaimed film ‘Vera Drake’, and how that working with Mike, in his unique and challenging style bought home a new and different way of working and creating a character. They covered Dennis Potter’s ‘The Singing Detective’ in which they both played key roles and much more. Jim recalled some of his early ventures – on high wires, his time in the US, and also his ‘expertise’ as a performer of magic. ‘Not a member of the Magic Circle’ he noted, but managed to demonstrate his prowess with a card trick, involving a member of the audience, and it was a magician’s performance of a magic trick – beautiful…..
A great evening, helped in no small way by ‘Serenity Audio‘ of Chippenham who enabled every word spoken to be heard, by everyone in the packed Assembly Room of the Town Hall (which is notorious for it’s – poor – sound quality and echo), in a way that it didn’t seem that a PA was being used. What every sound engineer aims for.
Thanks to Robin, thanks to The Merchant’s House, and particularly great thanks to Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter for a thoroughly entertaining ‘Evening With’…..
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