James Blendick and Brian Tree
Two stage veterans chat about playing Sean O'Casey's Dublin drunks
James Blendick recalls his role as Jack Boyle in Juno and the Paycock as Brian Tree remembers his first read of O'Casey's play for the role of Joxer Daly.
James Blendick - Right from the word go, Brian and I immediately clicked. He is a wonderfully open, giving, generous actor to start with. We had a ball the first reading, we knew that something good was going to happen and we were going to have a good journey together. Those two parts are amazing. When you look at anyone that’s inebriated, they pretty well act the same. You are laughing a lot, crying a lot or getting angry a lot.
Brian Tree - I watched the John Huston film The Dead so I was a cross between Freddie ( Malins) the drunk (Donal Donnelly) in that and Dudley Moore. Throw in me, pinch the good stuff, or just some quirks - a raising of the eyebrow, whatever it happens to be, and that seemed to work. Joxer Daly was up there as one of my favorite character roles - a pathetic drunk.
What a great piece of writing. I was in Los Angeles before rehearsal for that show began. I was sitting on Sunset Boulevard drinking my latte light or whatever. I thought I will start reading the script which made no sense whatsoever with me here sitting in la la land with the air conditioning and these beautiful people and the convertible BMW’s parked outside and here I am reading this piece of Northern Irish poverty, grunge, gray. I couldn’t do it and thought I’ll wait until I get back home.
One of my biggest challenges has always been to play a drunk with a Scottish accent. Those were my fears. With Joxer Daly there was a challenge for me because he was constantly drunk with that Irish accent, so of course, I quickly overcame it. "
