"A nude scene... really can be quite liberating"

Exploring the “dangers of toxic masculinity and the monumental shift towards female sexuality”, a sensual new stage adaptation of D H Lawrence’s controversial masterpiece Lady Chatterley’s Lover comes promised in a new version sure to surprise.
Rupert Hill and Phoebe Marshall, Lady Chatterley's Lover (Credit Matt Austin)Rupert Hill and Phoebe Marshall, Lady Chatterley's Lover (Credit Matt Austin)
Rupert Hill and Phoebe Marshall, Lady Chatterley's Lover (Credit Matt Austin)

Starring TV regular Rupert Hill (Casualty, Coronation Street), it plays the Kings Theatre, Southsea from March 5-7 and Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre from March 16-21.

Speaking from the depths of rehearsals, Rupert promised: “It is going to be quite shocking – though I don’t want to give too much away.

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“But when the curtain goes up and you start telling the Lady Chatterley story, people are going to be expecting something set in a drawing room.

“With this, when the curtain goes up, it is going to be something very different. Ciaran (McConville) has adapted it brilliantly. He has brought in new aspects. Those who are familiar with the story will find that it definitely tells the story, but there is something new to it too.”

Trapped in a sexless marriage following her husband’s disability, Connie is burdened with her duty of care and an increasing sense of isolation.

She instigates a physically charged love affair with the gamekeeper Mellors, flouting expectations and obligations in the name of self-love.

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“I was not familiar with the book when I was asked to audition for Mellors. I read the book very quickly,” Rupert says.

“I read it over the weekend, and I was just utterly blown away by the book. It completely knocked me for six.

“I love Mellors. I just love that character, and I just think that Lawrence’s writing is so incredibly beautiful.

“You just can’t believe that a man could write something so beautifully from the feminine perspective with Connie.

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“But the other thing is that the story really resonates with the #MeToo issues in society, with the issues of wealth, with the issues of the divide between the rich and the poor.

“Connie is really desperate in this stifling bourgeois society that she finds herself in. She finds it so tedious, and she is so ignored.

“She really needs for her spirit to be brought out into the open and for the light to pour out of her.

“And she can’t do that until she finds a new life with Mellors.

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“A lot of it is about Connie finding her voice and her freedom and her connection with life and her connection with nature. And I know that sounds pretentious, but actually they set each other free.

“Mellors has got his own problems. He is ex-army. He has struggled. He has had suicidal thoughts before.

“He just wants nothing to do with the world. And then Connie comes into his life and she breaks him open. They just really ignite something in each other.”

And yes, inevitably, given the story, there will be nudity in the piece.

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“I don’t want to give too much away, but I think it is going to be tastefully done. So far we have just worked on one sex scene, and it is almost like a dance. I can’t really say any more than that. With the music and the lighting, the way that me and Phoebe (Marshall) have approached, it is very sensual and also very sexual but also very lyrical.

“I did The Full Monty for a year and a half. I am pretty used to getting my kit off in front of people. But Phoebe is such a wonderful actress.

“I am alright doing love scenes and nudity, but my main fear is that the woman I am playing opposite should be comfortable, and Phoebe has been so great.

“Quite often I find that I really enjoy it. It is very freeing. I think something that can cause more stress could be something like trying to get an accent right or there might be one particular scene where you just can’t quite find the rhythm and the beat, and that can be more frustrating.

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“But with a nude scene, you can actually really get used to how it feels – and it really can be quite liberating.”

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