rebus: long shadows
talks to Ron Donachie and Cathy Tyson as Rebus: Long Shadows heads to the Theatre Royal Bath
WRITTEN exclusively for the stage by Ian Rankin, author of the original Rebus novels, and adapted by awardwinning playwright Rona Munro, a new story - Rebus: Long Shadows - is coming to Bath next week, bringing Rankin’s much-loved fictional creation to the stage for the first time.
The celebrated author’s Rebus novels have long been a dominant force in the detective fiction market, with the ensuing hugely popular radio and television series ensuring the detective’s iconic status.
Playing Detective Inspector Rebus is Ron Donachie, who is no stranger to the role - having created the part in all of the highly rated BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of the Rebus novels. He also played Deputy Chief Inspector Gunner in the highly acclaimed Rebus television series alongside Ken Stott.
Also starring in the ‘gritty, totally absorbing and eminently theatrical drama’ are Cathy ‘Band of Gold’ Tyson and John ‘Game of Thrones’ Stahl.
The plot of this new story sees Detective Inspector Rebus retired. However, the shadows of his former life still follow him through the streets of his beloved Edinburgh. Whisky helped, but now he’s denying himself that pleasure. And when the daughter of a murder victim appears outside his flat, he’s back on the case and off the wagon....
A wonderful character for an actor to play, I suggested to a most friendly Ron Donachie.
“Oh yes, Rebus is such a fantastic character to play. I never thought I would end up actually playing him in vision as it were. He’s a younger man than I am so I didn’t think I’d ever get the chance to play him, but here I am doing just that,” the Dundee-born actor told me, enthusiastically.
“I did both of the Rebus series’ on television, playing a senior police officer. And, of course, I played Rebus himself on Radio 4 for 16 years. And now I’m on stage playing him again. He’s such great character to take on as you say, and in such a really well-written, new gritty drama.”
So what, I wondered, makes Rebus such a compelling piece of fiction and its central character such a coveted role to play? It’s not like Murder She Wrote, I suggested. It’s much more meat and grittier than that. Real-life stuff.
“Yes, it is certainly gritty and real,” Ron conceded. “And I think there’s a number of reasons as to why it is compelling and so popular.
“Firstly, Ian Rankin’s novels are so well written, so well constructed and so well told, and they have a host of believable characters and crime situations. Secondly, the stories use the beautiful backdrop of Edinburgh, which is a great canvas for a story. And, of course, there’s the character and qualities of Rebus himself.
“He’s someone who, in spite of all his insubordinations and his unorthodoxies, just wants to do the right thing, no matter what his own personal problems might be.”
Rebus: Long Shadows was written exclusively for the stage by its author. A treat, I suggested, for the many fans of the crime novel genre. But how easy was it to bring the story, adapted by awardwinning playwright Rona Munro, to the stage?
“It is, as you say, a brand new story written especially for the stage which is
always an exciting prospect,” Ron replied, adding that this newest of Ian Rankin’s dramas follows on from the well-known, highly acclaimed Rebus canon.
“They’ve made a really good job of bringing it to the stage, I must say. Not all dramas adapt easily to another format. Obviously this stage production doesn’t have the same space to work with in the way that a television drama does, or the depth a novel can reach, so it concentrates on a very short period of time and a single incident. But in that relatively short space of time they’ve done a great job, a really, really good job,” Ron said.
In spite of having played Rebus on radio for many years, and appeared in the Rebus TV series with Ken Stott in the title role, was it easy for Ron to get inside the character, and become the ‘very Scottish’ detective?
“I think it probably is in some respects, even though I am a fairly sociable person myself. He’s very much a loner, always going back on his own resources and, because of his problems, is unable to keep any long-term personal relationships. You’re looking at a mind-set which is quite different. However, coming to this project quite late as I did, and the fact I have a long background with the character and the stories, it made a big difference in me becoming him.”
Ron’s first acting job was as a member of the singing group The Flying Pickets, as part of the 1981 stage production One Big Blow.
Ron has appeared in many favourite TV dramas, including Game of Thrones
where he played Sir Roderick Cassel, and Waterloo Road where he took on the role of Billie Byrne. During his illustrious career, he’s appeared in Vera, Downton Abbey, Taggart, Father Brown, Casualty, Holby City, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Coronation Street, Garrow’s Law The Bill, Silent Witness, Cracker, The Loch and Auf Wiedersen Pet among many others. His film credits are equally impressive including The Adventures of Greyfriars Bobby, The Flying Scotsman and
Great Escape 11. On stage Ron’s appeared in Macbeth, Dracula, The Merchant of Venice, The Threepenny Opera, A View From The Bridge, A Streetcar Named Desire, Death of a Salesman, and
The Alchemist among others.
Playing the part of Siobhan Clarke in the drama is Golden Globe and Baftanominated actress Cathy Tyson, best known for her roles in the iconic film
Mona Lisa with Bob Hoskins, and the television series Band of Gold.
“This is a thriller with a retired detective at its heart. It features the characters everyone who saw the TV series would know of,” Surrey-born Cathy told me, admitting readily that she never actually saw the television drama but is, nevertheless, thoroughly enjoying being in this stage production.
“I play a deputy inspector. She has a lot of self-belief but she’s also selfless and a team player. She’s been to university and Rebus hasn’t, and has been mentored by John Rebus for 20-odd years. And she is most definitely not the maverick that he is! But she adores him. Unlike D.I. Siobhan Clarke, Rebus is not a team player and his practises are not, shall we say, by the book,” Cathy said with a laugh.
Does the very friendly and chatty actress look for any likenesses between herself and the character she is going to play?
“Not necessarily, but I guess I do look to see whether I like the character. I also sometimes see things in a character that are in some way similar to me regarding certain strengths and aspects of me and so on.”
It goes without saying that crime dramas are hugely popular. Why does Cathy think the public enjoy the genre so much?
“I think it’s because of the times we live in, to be honest. Crime and fear and terrorism and everything like that seems to be all around us, so it is a great comfort for people to see dramas that show crime can be solved. It’s all part of the human condition. And it’s interesting as well to be aware of the machinations of people that do bad deeds. You know, what makes them do that. But it’s really the story of good over evil, the triumph of good people over people who do bad deeds,” the actress reasoned thoughtfully.
Is Cathy a fan of the crime novel/ drama genre herself?
“No, I’m not. This is the first time I’ve ever read any of this sort of thing. It is really not my genre, but maybe I will now,” she answered readily.
Cathy admitted that she does, sometimes, become a little like the character she’s playing during a run.
“I think I do because you’re trying to invest emotionally in this person that is not you. And they stay with you during the course of a run, especially if you’re fond of them. But when the run is over, they go,” Cathy stressed emphatically.
No chat with Cathy would be complete without reference to the film Mona Lisa and the TV drama Band of Gold.
Happy memories of being in both?
“Yes, of course. I had a great time making them and all the other things I’ve done as well. I was younger then, so more work came my way. But having said that, I’ve never been out of work. So I’ve got nothing to moan about. I’ve had a great time doing what I love.”
Cathy’s many television credits include Grange Hill, The Bill, Emmerdale, Lewis, Doctors, Casualty, Holby City and The Lenny Henry Show. Her film credits include Mona Lisa, for which she won the Los Angeles Film Critics’ Award for Best Supporting actress. On stage, Cathy played in Mum’s The Word in the West End, Golden Girls at the RSC as well as The Merchant of Venice and The Importance of Being Earnest. Her many radio credits include On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity, Song of Songs and My Girl.
Ian Rankin is the international bestselling author of Inspector Rebus and Detective Malcolm Fox novels, as well as a string of standalone thrillers. His books have been translated into 36 languages. Rankin has won multiple awards including four Crime Writers Association Daggers Awards, and in 2004 received America’s celebrated Edgar Award. He is also the recipient of the OBE for services to literature.
Rosa Munro has written extensively for stage, radio, film and television. Her theatre credits include The James Plays, Scuttlers, Iron, The Last Witch and Little Eagles. Her television credits include Rehab, Bafta-nominated Bumping the Odds and Doctor Who, and the films Ladybird Ladybird and Oranges and Sunshine.
Rebus: Long shadows plays the theatre Royal bath from march 4 to march 9. tickets can be booked on 01225 448844 or at www.theatreroyal.org.uk