Laura Donnelly: the theatre that made me

By Laura Donnelly

October 31, 2022

The star of HBO’s The Nevers uncovers her top theatre picks for autumn and reflects on the plays that have shaped the course of her life

Discover actress Laura Donnelly’s favourite theatres and shows in London and New York

She stars as Amalia True in HBO’s The Nevers, but the sublimely talented Northern Irish actress Laura Donnelly is a theatre fan at heart.

Early collaborations with acclaimed playwright Jez Butterworth – who later became her husband – led to an Olivier Award (for Butterworth’s much lauded The Ferryman), a Tony nomination and a star turn opposite Hugh Jackman on Broadway.

“Theatre is a high-low game,” says Donnelly. “It’s difficult to find truly amazing productions. But when it pays off, when it’s that spectacular, and you see something that becomes a life-changing experience, that is what makes it better than any other art form.” Here, she shares some of her favourite theatres and shows.

Shakespeare under the skies

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of my favourite theatres to go to. The experience of being there is so unlike any other space in London, especially when it comes to Shakespeare, as so many of his plays were written for open-air playhouses. I was playing Juliet and certain elements in Shakespeare’s structure made so much sense on that stage. After the interval, Juliet is talking to the sky, willing the night to come on, and that is precisely the point, that the night is coming on! It creates such a connection with how that play was written in the first place and suddenly you don’t feel hundreds of years apart from that.

I go back to that theatre whenever I can and bring my kids. As it’s outside, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. A cat could walk on stage, or the weather could be unpredictable, but it’s always wonderful.

The Royal Court

My first full production at the Royal Court was The River by Jez [Butterworth]. That theatre has such a history. Many of the most incredible plays to go to the West End or Broadway have begun as a workshop or reading there. It’s set away from all that, though, and it feels like a safe space to experiment in, and to really explore a play for the play’s sake.

The process of rehearsing The River and working with Ian Rickson and Jez was a life-changing experience, obviously personally, but also artistically. I was part of a team that felt so passionately about the art that we were creating, and I started seeing my career differently from that moment. I think that that is something a lot of actors experience when they work at the Court.

The Ferryman

When I first read The Ferryman, the thing I could not believe was that Jez had tapped into something about the spirit of people in the North of Ireland and their way of talking: everything from the syntax to colloquialisms and cadences. It blew my mind and I became very excited to tell an authentic story of something close to my experience. I know the rest of the cast felt it, too.

By the time we went on stage for our first preview, we felt hugely proud of what we were doing and incredibly connected to it. The reaction from the audience after that first show is something I will never forget. There was this rolling wave of people. Everybody stood up and, there was such noise. It was amazing that people who were not from my home could respond to it so positively and with such passion.

On Broadway

Broadway audiences are so different. They do everything more intensely than we do. The quiet and the listening seem to be more intense, and equally the reactions to comedy or to moments of any suspense or shock are all big!

There was a level of trepidation when The Ferryman transferred to the Bernard B Jacobs Theatre on Broadway with the Irish accents. We didn’t pare those back for the sake of translation… I think what it really did for me was speak to the universal nature of a brilliant story. With plays as beautifully written as The Ferryman, it’s like a song: it’s the rhythms and the music of it, the drumbeat that runs under a play that translates even if every word isn’t understood. It was magical.

Cabaret

I adored the new revival of Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre in London. I saw it with the second cast where The Emcee was played by Fra Fee. I don’t think I have ever seen anybody born to play a role the way that Fra Fee was born to play The Emcee. From the moment he came on, not only could I see that he was having the greatest time of his life, but it’s also one of the best performances I’ve ever seen of any actor. I just loved the production. It’s stunning, moving, affecting and also quite frightening.

Prima Facie

I’m going to make a point of going to New York to see Jodie Comer when she performs in Prima Facie there. She’s spectacular and to take on a one woman show as your first go on the stage denotes a level of bravery that I think many would be incapable of. I’ve heard so much about the energy and intensity that she brings to this role that I’m not going to miss it.

The Nevers

I’ve finished filming the second part of the first series of The Nevers for HBO, and that will be coming out in the latter part of this year. I’ve also worked on a Marvel project! Now that’s a world I was very excited to get involved with... If I were able to do Marvel projects interspersed with stage projects for the rest of my life, that would be a very happy career indeed.

As told to Caroline Craig

Check in to Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London and Mandarin Oriental, New York and discover the best that the West End and Broadway have to offer.

About the Author

Laura Donnelly

Olivier-winning actor Laura Donnelly has starred in The Nevers, Outlander, The Ferryman and more.