Hadlow channels farce at The Court
His roles in blockbusters such as The Hobbit and King Kong have earned him fans around the world, but New Zealand actor Mark Hadlow reserves his own acclaim for his current co-star, Lara McGregor.
“Any chance to work on stage with Lara McGregor and it doesn’t matter what I’m playing,” says Hadlow, who is preparing for a run of Mr and Mrs Macbeth of Heathcote Valley Road at the Court Theatre.
To say that Hadlow and McGregor have a symbiotic relationship is quite the understatement. The actors have played husband and wife on stage in six productions and Hadlow believes the calamitous comedy that’s bringing him back to Christchurch is “all about the story of Mark Hadlow and Lara McGregor”.
In Mr and Mrs Macbeth, the pair play Jo and Tom Macbeth – professional Shakespearean actors. The highs and lows of partnerships – on and off stage – are tested when something major happens on the opening night of a production of the Scottish play.
Art imitates life in this production: Hadlow and McGregor took on the respective roles of the doomed Scottish general and his conniving wife Lady Macbeth at The Court eight years ago. “We’re terrible corpsers,” Hadlow says. “I was in the middle of a scene and I had no idea what my next lines were. So I just made up some Shakespeare on the spot. And, Lara’s face, if you could have taken a photograph. It was like ‘What. The hell. Are you doing?’”
Although Hadlow and McGregor are clearly fans of the bard, their latest play offers an element of revenge for “all who hated Shakespeare in school”.
“What happens on stage in Act Two is incredible,” he teases.
Written and directed by Hadlow’s great friend Greg Cooper, Mr and Mrs Macbeth originated from The Professional Theatre Company in Nelson – of which Hadlow is a board member and driving force.
Christchurch is a second home to the actor, who went to school in the city and “experienced one of the best years of my life” when he made his Court Theatre debut in 1985 in Claire Luckham’s play Trafford Tanzi. But – as a devoted golfer – there is one specific place in Ōtautahi that keeps him awake at night.
“Clearwater. It haunts me in my sleep. It haunts me constantly. All that water,” he sighs. “When I was playing golf early on about 25 years ago, I made my wife’s nephew put a wetsuit on and go into the Clearwater lake, after I’d thrown a club in there. That’s how awful it was.”
Hadlow faced his aquatic fears during the filming of his latest movie, Deep Water, the Ben Kingsley vehicle that depicts plane crash survivors who are dunked into shark-infested waters.
“I play a wrestling coach for a college team. And we’re on a flight to Malaysia and the plane goes down in the sea.
Hadlow spent a lot of time in the water and did his own stunts. “I got attached by a harness and I got taken by the shark – I was pulled all over the place.”
The 67-year-old says keeping fit is a big priority in his line of work. “I don’t want to be a sedentary old actor.” His five-week run at the Court Theatre begins on Friday and for Hadlow, working with the team there is always a highlight. “It’s a prime example of a fantastic theatre company,” he says.
He’s excited about the progress of its new building on Gloucester St. “The Court going back into a new theatre in Christchurch, I think is fantastic. Into the CBD – what an extraordinary opportunity for all of us. Gretchen La Roche has just taken over as executive director, which I think is the best decision.”
As he prepares to appear for probably his last time at The Court’s post-earthquake refuge, The Shed in Addington, Hadlow has its future firmly on his mind. “The Court is a 50 year-established theatre company. That’s a major achievement for any company in the world at the moment.
“My passion and my enthusiasm is to encourage everybody in Christchurch to just go and see Court Theatre productions.”
Mr and Mrs Macbeth of Heathcote Valley Road is at The Court Theatre from May
17 to June 22. Tickets for a Court Theatre fundraiser, Mark Hadlow Unleashed, on June 9, are also on sale.