(MENAFN- Arab Times) NEW YORK March 10 (AP): When Nathaniel Parker first began work on 'Wolf Hall' he spotted a crown in the rehearsal room and put it on. After all he was playing Henry VIII. A week later scenic and costume design by Christopher Oram asked him what he was doing. 'It's a crown Chris. I'm the king' Parker said. 'You didn't wear crowns' Oram responded calmly. The designer turned out to be right. 'Typical of me getting it wrong' said Parker laughing.
Parker the Royal Shakespeare Company-trained former star of 'The Inspector Lynley Mysteries' has had a crash course in Tudor history to play a king notorious for six wives and creation of the Church of England. Based on historian Hilary Mantel's books the two 'Wolf Hall' plays chart the rise of Thomas Cromwell to become Henry VIII's loyal civil servant. They were hits in London and the books have even spawned an upcoming six-part series starring Damian Lewis as Henry VIII. Parker who on Monday earned an Olivier Award nomination for the role will be making his first return to Broadway since 1989 when he starred in 'The Merchant of Venice.' He lives near the Welsh border with his wife the actress Anna Patrick and their two teenage daughters. AP: Why are Hilary Mantel's books so good? Parker: What she has done I feel is she's presented it in a way that no one has presented it before. While some of that must have been true to an extent I guess what we also had was an amazing society full of intrigue and very God-fearing. AP: Were you an instant fan? Parker: The first time I tried reading it I didn't get past Page 70. I found the pronouns so confusing because we're seeing everything from Cromwell's point of view. But then I obviously reread it and it's become one of my very very favorite books because it's so exciting. It's thick but I couldn't put it down. It's a real page-turner. It's electric I think. What it's done is it's presented everything we thought we knew in a different light. AP: The last time you were on Broadway was opposite Dustin Hoffman. But you didn't have the best time right? Parker: It was a lonely place to be. Every night I'd go home and see rats the size of Cincinnati walking around my feet. I just thought 'You know what? I'm not having a great time.' My wife she was my girlfriend at the time was doing a play in London and so I think I saw her only for a week over Christmas that year. Anna is the love of my life there's no beating around the bush for that so it was really difficult without her. AP: Did it affect you onstage? Parker: I lost all confidence it's true. I lost all theatrical confidence which is terrible because it's something I'd grown up doing. It's my happy place being on stage. So it took a long time to get back to it. AP: Will this time be better? Parker: Well it's a much more fun part I'll be honest. I mean I was playing Bassanio in 'The Merchant of Venice.' My agent at the time said 'Look are you sure you want to do this? It's Bassanio with Dustin Hoffman who's not meant to be easy to work with and Bassanio is the most forgettable part in Shakespeare.' She was right about half of it: Dustin was dream to work with but Bassanio is the most forgettable part in Shakespeare. AP: I can't imagine you'd be a fan of Showtime's 'The Tudors.' Parker: No. Let's not try and fool ourselves. I personally believe that anybody who does a historical production should have a responsibility towards historical truth at least as we know it. Otherwise it gets ridiculous. AP: How are you handling the rival stay-at-home PBS series which debuts right when you start? Parker: Some people have said to me 'Isn't that annoying?' I'm going 'It is what it is.' I think all publicity for the book and the event is good publicity. AP: What about the rival Henry VIII Damian Lewis? Parker: I love Damian. I think he's fantastic. I thought 'Homeland' he was brilliant in and even better: 'Band of Brothers.' That was the best piece of television I've ever seen. So I'm not going to compare myself to him. He is 15 years younger than me and he's a natural ginger. And he's probably a lot fitter than I am. But on the other hand he's not doing it onstage every night.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.