For Howle, character’s flaws wash up on ‘Chesil Beach’
LONDON — Friday’s “On Chesil Beach” depends entirely on the chemistry of its young couple.
And England’s Billy Howle connects with Ireland’s three-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan in a funny-sad tale of the newlyweds’ 1962 wedding night, adapted by Ian McEwan from his bestselling novel.
The time is key, just before England entered the swinging ’60s and everything changed. But ’62 might as well have been ’52 for a couple who don’t know how to talk about sex.
Ronan’s upper-class Florence Ponting is passionate about playing violin in a classical string quartet.
Howle’s Edward Mayhew is a working-class university grad with a history of street brawls. He’s always berating himself after emotional flare-ups.
“Edward was one of the toughest roles I’ve ever cast,” director Dominic Cooke said. “We got it down to four or five actors that we brought from London to do ‘chemistry reads’ with Saoirse, who was in New York for a play. It was obvious the minute Billy came in that there was no other choice.”
For Howle, 28 and a Bristol Old Vic Theatre School grad, “Chesil” is a major step from doing mostly TV and stage.
“Professionally I’ve been acting for five years. Semiprofessionally I could say it began when I was about 7 or 8 years old. I used to do pantomimes and was always on stage,” he said, enthusiastic and upbeat at the Soho Hotel.
“At home, I used to punish my entire family with these improvised plays that would go on for four or five hours.
“They were very patient,” he said. “Always very encouraging. I was incorrigible. I’d always performed and was fascinated with storytelling.”
Now that he’s finished playing Edward, can Howle step back and judge how he behaves that wedding night?
“Edward has a burgeoning sexuality that is thrown into a kind of chaos, and I see him make a decision that’s pitiable. That’s what makes it heartbreaking for me.
“They’re both, of course, flawed, as we all are. He lets his testosterone, desire and lust, his lack of compassion and the inability to listen get the better of him.
“By listen, I mean with your heart and not just your ears. Truly listening is not hearing the words spoken but understanding — and he doesn’t.
“And it’s not so much his flaw as the time period.”