It is then fascinating to be invited backstage to observe the way actors and director work to develop a scene. These rehearsals of strinbergs miss julie took place over a fiveday period in a london rehearsal hall. The aim was to find ways the text, written in 1888, could be made to live for a contemporary audience. The preproduction work includes discussion of motivation, acting technique, line readings, stage business and personal experiences of the actors themselves. I, myself, as an actor, have often found that the rehearsal period is almost the most interesting part of acting, the most creative part. It is there that you use your instruments, both external and internal. The external instruments, of course, are your voice with which you speak the words, and your body, your appearance with which you enter, sit down, get up, walk to the window, turn around and exit. Thats all an actor has, just his voice and his body. But inside, of course, he has his own temperament, his own character, his own likes and dislikes, his own prejudices, his background, his education, the lessons hes learned from other actors and from directors and the experiences of his life, which he can draw on in parallel situations in the play. Now, you will see in these rehearsal scenes coming up, a number of very interesting things. Mr. Patrick stewart is first seen in character, in costume. And then suddenly, there was a rehearsal scene, and the same man who appeared to be a young servant, suddenly appears to be a man in early middle age. Hemr. Stewart has no hair. Mr. Stewart does not wear a mustache. And so you see, vividly, how he draws on his talent with the external use of a wig and a mustache, but also how he transforms himself from a man of a later age into an apparently very young man. Miss lisa harrow, the gifted actress who plays julie, without the aid of makeup or costume, youll see her in rehearsal scene after rehearsal scene, and her face will change. She will be passive. She will be dominating. She will be strong. She will be indecisive. And those are the gifts that the actor brings to the stage. And the rehearsal period, as i say, is the collaborative period when you get to know your fellow actors, when you reach a deep level of emotional intimacy with them, and you make adjustments with the aid of the director. And in the case of mr. Strinberg, the already gone author, you make deep adjustments which eventually jell into the finished performance. It has been interesting to me through the years to note that i have seen great actors play the same part on different occasions with different casts. And almost invariably, their performances are very different, because they are so susceptible to the specific elements of each production. In this case, the setting is the kitchen of a noblemans mansion on a festive midsummers eve. The two characters are the counts daughter, miss julie, and jean, the counts servant. Both are aware of sexual tensions in this potentially provocative situation. The rehearsals progress, blending the talents of playwright, director and actors to the final interpretation. [music] thank you. Wont you have something yourself . Im not much of a beer drinker. But, of course, if madam insists. Insists . Surely you know that a gentleman should never allow a lady to drink alone. Yes, thats perfectly true. Hmm. [music] now drink to my health. Are you shy . To my mistress health. Bravo. Now, kiss my shoe and the ceremony will be complete. Excellent. You ought to have been an actor. I think youd have to pick it up right up from the floor. If its already there, he should pick it up. Oh, yes, its but the thing is that i actually got to get right down and take it. Good. That will be better. Yes. And thats right. With this hand. Take it. Yes. Yes. Its me, probably, well try and worry about saying my french actually. What . Its me worrying about saying my french problem here. You dont have to worry about saying your french. It means the problems. Yes, i mean the problem is, is the line actually flattering you . Oh, i see, you mean thats too hard. No. No, its not that has to be i mean, that his direction or the translation of the direction is haughtily. Yeah. But it can be awareor yes. Sure. It depends on just how much was the awareness of the haughtiness is to do with the awareness of ourself or how high she is or her awareness of how low he is. You have a strong emphasis on how low he was. Have you ever been in love . We dont use that word. But ive been fond of a lot of girls. And once i was sick because i couldnt get the one i wanted. Yes. Sick. Yeah, like those princes in the arabian knights, i couldnt eat or sleep because of love. Who was she . Who was she . You cant order me to answer that. If i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Who was she . Who was she . You cannot order me to tell you that. If i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Who was she . Who was she . You cannot order me to tell you that. If i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Strinberg asks her to sit on that line. Yeah. Were you having her sitting sitting earlier. And im asking the question, who was she . Who was she . With a premonition and a hope that its gonna be me. And when it is, it hits me in the stomach. And its a jolt. Its like having pushed it. I mean, its the same thing of her constantly pushing things and then running away the last minute. And suddenly shes pushed something and its happened. And she cant avoid that. And then the i dont know whether that would help you have you ever been in love . Becomes that much more imperial. Yes. Imperious. As a friend and as an equal is not an imperious line. Thats a genuine line too. I mean, given that were going along the lines that communication and contact. I heard, too, it was her quest. The need for a friend rather than a servant, or a father, is important to her. She doesnt have a friend. Who was she . Who was she . You cannot make me answer that. But if i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Yes, it was. It was absurd. Who was she . Who was she . You cannot order me to tell you that. If i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Who was she . Who was she . You cannot order me to answer that. But if i ask you as an equal, as a friend, who was she . You. How absurd. Yes. If you like, it was absurd. Yes, but not at this stage. No. No. Not in the first half of the play. No. No. Not between the bedroom. Except, except insofar as if she likes him. Thats right. I mean everything that thats right. Everything that allows him to mix on the level with the aristocrats helps him to feel more an aristocrat. Thats right. But that is a very clear line in jean. What i was wondering was about any irrational line in jean. Oh, yes, the irrationality is also to screw those things which he most admires. That is both disappointment and deep satisfaction when he discovers that the eagles back is scabbed. Right. That theres black around the fingernails. Yes. That the white skin is only makeup. Right. Itshis complexity is the dichotomy of about position and class, shared by many who seek to lift themselves, particularly from the most humble beginning and where the ambition is highest. So the loathing and liking exist side by side, the envy and despising at the same time. There is also the simple satisfaction of if you are, if you are the control. If you are handsome and attractive and know that you are. The satisfaction that comes from seducing someone successfully has its own ends, which has got nothing to do with the other person at all. Hmm. But i wanted to die beautifully and pleasantly and without any pain. And then i remembered that it was dangerous to sleep under an elder bush. And we had a big one in flower. I stripped it of everything it held, and then i lay down in the oat bin. Have you ever noticed how beautiful oats are, soft to touch like human skin . Well, i shut the lid and i closed my eyes and i fell asleep. And i woke up feeling very ill. But i didnt die, as you can see. What did i want . I dont know. I had no hope of winning you, of course. But you were a symbol to me of the hopelessness of ever climbing out of the class into which i had been born. Do you know youre quite a raconteur . But i think that for miss julie that is no game. She is notnothing is planned, nothing is premeditated. Strong. Nothing is being worked out. Right. But moment by moment by moment. She lives. Thats absolutely. Thats right. Im sure thats right. Yes. And if theres any sense of all, that all of this, that she knows what shes doing and the whole thing is being worked out and that shes planning the whole thing, then its thats right. So therefore when i it reduces it considerably. Thats right. Right. She made her slap him because itscomes up then. I mean, rather than it comes up, and right at that moment rather than the feel. I do not want now. Yes. Suddenly i dont want to be kissed. Suddenly thats going and shes operating like that. I think thats yeah, all the way through. All the time. Right. Yes, yes. Which is, in a way, what i was trying to say about that big speech earlier, because it i mean, theres no reason why she says that speech to him. It just comes out at that moment. Thats right. That it comes out of something. It comes out of yes, it comes out of her own psyche, her own need to express herself. But shes not its not coming up because shes decided she wants to fall for this man absolutely, no. Or help get this man to help her and it just comes out because she has to say it, because shes spiraling. Because shes spiraling, but shes, in one sense i mean, is shes drowning yeah. You know . She can be floundering. But she can also, without thinking. Clutch. Clutch. Thats probably why shes here, because you know . Shes got nothing to do. Thats right. And shes in this kitchen and it comes. She takes hold of him because thats right. And the, you know . Thats right. And people, oh, and they say that if we didnt have parents, we wouldnt need psychiatrists. I mean, the basis of all our yes. All our phobias is people that are the images we carry inside is of our parents and what they have done to us as children. Well, do you find the image of the mother and the relationship between a mother and father is useful to you . I think it will be useful, i think, at this point. Yes. I mean, if were doing it if were doing a threeweek or a sixweek production of this play, yes yes. I know that, yes, it would be very useful. I mean, i would do a whole series of work a series of work on what that was about. We dont have the time to do that. But i think that, clearly, we have here, as i said earlier, are the last hours of her life. And we have a person who was deeply, deeply distressed and confused by pressures that came on when shes young, which were and, and thefor the fact that she was set up against her father as a pawn in the game. She was made an ally of her mother, and then her mother dies. And she was left only with the father whom she has been taught to hate. But i remember being brought up and in all her mind being brought up asnot being brought up as a tomboy, but being encouraged not to be feminine as a girl. I mean, i was not allowed to wear makeup. And i wasnt allowed to wear shoes and stockings until i was 16. This is in new zealand. And nor was i, i had a brother who i went out with. I was not allowed to go out with boys, anything till i was at university and i was 18. And i had a real, real hangup, i mean about being a woman. Because i figured that i was not beautiful, i mean, or i wasnt interesting, or i wasnt female, whatever that means. Yes. And it took me a long time and many tortured relationships in order to actually come to terms with my own womanliness. So in a way, i understand the kind of selfdestruction element of the selfdenial of ones own femaleness from being encouraged, from being denied, the natural expression that you want to as a child. Do you understand what im trying to say . Yes, i do indeed. Yes. So that and the fact and this relates to that shes brought with, you know, wearing trousers and doing the boys things is a very important thing because its a confusion of roles. I mean, its yet its yet another confusion. What am i . Am i a woman . And yet society dictates that women do certain things this way. And you dont have the confidence to do them this way. So you do them almost the other way because its selfdestructive. And because in that way, if you are selfdestructive, nobody else has destroyed you. Thats right. And that you are responsible for your own and therefore you have, in some way, created something of self. Hmm. Because what that does is actually compound the failure. That says, uhhuh, ive done it again. Terrific. Ill chalk that one up, another failure. Terrific. But to commit suicide, as she so clearly shows in that play, is a thats a positive action. Right. Its an action ofwords, wordsits an action of it is an action. Its not a failure. Its a success when you commit suicide. I mean right, yes. If she tryi believe that she has this thing about being a failure. In fact, if they havent actually gone, you know, made love together, i dont think she would have taken that big step because its too positive for them. But is the going in to make love a failure, or is that a positive failure no. No, i think. Or a negative failure . But maybe she goes in for the same, with the same whim, with the same impulse. If she hits him one moment and kisseskiss my hand the next right, right. I mean, maybe its yes. But on the hand if she i mean, there are two things. That maybe one might be possible, both might be possible. But one might be logical to the whole of the play. Have you something in your eye . Its nothing. Only a speck of dust. Itll be all right soon. My sleeve must have brushed you. Sit down and ill take it out. Sit now. Still. Quite still. Come. Obey me. I believe you are trembling, you great strong lout. What muscles you have. Miss julie. Yes, monsieur jean . Attention. Je ne suis quun homme. Sit still, will you . There. Now, its gone. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie. Listen to me. Christine has gone to bed now. Ms. Julie, listen to me. Kiss my hand first. Will you listen to me . Kiss my hand first. All right. But you have only yourself to blame. For what . For what . Youre a child . Youre 25. Dont you know its dangerous to play with fire . Not for me. Im insured. No, youre not. And if you are, there is inflammable material around that isnt. Meaning you . Meaning no. Yes. Not because im me, but because im a young man. Of handsome appearance. What an incredible conceit. A don juan, perhaps, or maybe you are a joseph. Yes, i do believe you are a joseph. Do you . I almost fear it. Just so it happens. Have you something in your eye . Its the melodrama of this play, i always knew. Its going back to oedipus. [laughter] oh, we have been here before. Nothing. Its just a pair of brooches. [laughter] there. Now its gone. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie, yes. There. Its gone. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie, listen to me. Christine has gone to bed now. Would you listen to me . Kiss my hand first. Listen to me. Kiss my hand first. Okay. Joking or serious . The now kiss my hand again, you know, seem such a destructive, you know thats right. Thing that she does. You know, just to go back into it. And itsits in bits like that and a bit like where he orders her to come out for the lilac. That i thinkyou know, i think of her with an accent, you know . Where she reverts into almost a parody of her own social position. Oh, do you think its like that . Now, well, its not. Its not that shes making a social position. Its just her escape from the closeness of the situation. Oh, oh. Im seeing it as flirtyas a distinctly flirtatious thing. Now kiss my hand. Yes. I mean, kiss my hand for helping you. Well, its i mean, but maybe its not, maybe well, its both, isnt it . Its sort of playing dangerous yes, but i mean its playing dangerous games and hiding behind kiss my hand. Its kiss my hand. But its also hiding so its more than an imperious thing, you think . But i think its aits sort of more of a formal thing. I mean, this is such a necessary thing. Its a physical thing, and its a natural thing just to help somebody. And then she twists it so that she can continue it, but behind a mask. Isnt that it . And at the same time, there is something destructive about it. There is somethingyou know, the social mask in itself is destructive of a real relationship. I almost fear it. That was good. Are you joking or serious . Serious. And you were being serious just now too . You play games too seriously and thats dangerous. Well, now, im tired of this game. And with your permission, ill get back to my work. His lordships boots must be ready in time. Its long past midnight. Forget the boots. No. No. Iwe can do that. Ifi mean, this is a problem of trying to imagine the blocking before we realize the scene. But for convenience, and we may change it back with the run of the scene, id rather that you didnt break too far so that jean so that you can end up sitting in that chair when it comes to the speeches. He can. You can. I can, right. Okay. You know, and so if you break to just that corner of the table. Right. But cant i come back . I mean, i think that yes, yes. I think that the space is good, dont you . Or. Its. And what it would be, would be your being here. You would have moved and you could move. You could move more that way, move towards that, if you wanted to. A don juan perhaps or a joseph. Yes, upon my word, i do believe you are joseph. Do you . I almost fear it. Oh, sorry, wrong hand. Thats all right. You always hit me with your stream bag. Theres nothing heavier than being hit across the face with a stream bag. [laughs] very kind of you. Boom. I hate hitting you. Slap. Stop it. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie, listen to me. Christine has gone to bed now. Listen to me. Kiss my hand first. Listen to me. Kiss my hand first. All right. But you have only yourself to blame. For what . For what . Youre a child . Youre 25. Dont you know that its dangerous to play with fire . Not for me. Im insured. Oh, no, youre not. And if you are, theres inflammable material around that isnt. Meaning you . Yes. [laughs] and not because im me, but because im a young man. Of handsome appearance. What an incredible conceit. A don juan perhaps or maybe even a joseph. Yes, i do believe you are joseph. Do you . I almost fear it. Stop it. Are you being serious . Are you joking . Serious. And you were being serious just now. Yeah. Right. Yeah, very good. It is. Thats that. Yep. Because it actually comes from nowhere. Yes. I mean, he doesnt even see it coming. [laughs] right. Youre not going back to do it again. No. Were good. Were fine. [laughs] i mean, its actually got to knock him into next week for me, i think. Yes. Have you something in your eye . Its nothing. Its just a speck of dirt speck of dust. Itll be gone in a moment. My sleeve must have brushed it. Come. Sit down and ill take it out. Now sit still now. Oh, its here. Sit still now. Quite still. Come. Obey me. Go on. Sit still now, quite still. Come. Obey me. I believe youre trembling, you great, strong lout. What muscles you have. Miss julie. Yes, monsieur jean . Attention. Je ne suis quun homme. Sit still, will you . There. Now its gone. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie, listen to me. Christine has gone to bed now. Now listen to me. Kiss my hand first. Listen to me. Kiss my hand first. All right. But you have only yourself to blame. For what . For what . Are you a child . No, you are 25. Dont you know that its dangerous to play with fire . Not for me. Im insured. No, youre not. And even if you are, there is inflammable material around that isnt. Meaning you . Yes. Not because im me. But because i am a young man. Young d. Of handsome appearance. Of handsome appearance. What a conceit. Quite a don juan, arent you . Or perhaps even a joseph. Yes, i do believe you are a joseph. Do you . I always fear it. Stop it. Is there something in your eye . Its nothing. Its just a speck of dust. It will be gone in a moment. My sleeve mustve brushed it. Sit down. Ill take it out for you. Sit still now, quite still. Come. Obey me. I do believe youre trembling, you great, strong lout. What muscles you have. Miss julie. Yes, monsieur jean . Attention. Je ne suis quun homme. Sit still, will you . There. Now its gone. Kiss my hand and thank me. Miss julie, listen to me. Christine has gone to bed now. Listen to me. Kiss my hand first. Will you listen to me . Kiss my hand first. All right. But you have only yourself to blame. For what . For what . Youre a child . Youre 25. Dont you know its dangerous to play with fire . Not for me. Im insured. No, youre not. And if you are, there is inflammable material around that isnt. Meaning you . Yes. Not because im me, but because im a young man. Of handsome appearance. What incredible conceit. A don juan, perhaps, or maybe you are a joseph. Yes, i do believe you are a joseph. Do you . I almost fear it. Stop it. Are you joking or serious . Serious. Then you are being serious just now. You play games too seriously, and that is dangerous. So what i want to really do is to try and just choose drives for both characters and play them, even if its a matter of playing them extremely, you know, initially, just to see if they come. I begin to distrust more and more as i work, pulling things down. I used to think that acting was a process right. You know, of getting hold a bit of the character, hammering and nail into, and say, there, thats that. Theresand that i got to find the other bit and hammer that. Right