Shakespeare Magazine 05

Muse of Fire
interview because what they’re saying is
so honest, rich and inspiring that you get
drawn in. So we’re working with a theatre
[Shakespeare’s Globe in London] to make
these interviews available online, for free,
for people to watch and enjoy for years to
come. There’s some really moving moments
in there.”
Dan: “The greatest thing, and it gives me
goosebumps just thinking about it, is the
lack of vanity from everyone. There was no
ego, nothing, and that’s testament to them
and how human they are.”
Shakespeare and what it means to
you made for a relaxed and open
atmosphere.
Dan: “We hope so.”
Giles: “It’s good that people responded to
that.”
Dan: “That would have been the worst-case
scenario, if people hadn’t understood that
we were a conduit to open up a potentially
difficult subject. If they’d thought that we
were a couple of dicks – you’d have never
seen us again!”
Dan: “There’s lots. We’d have loved to
have spoken to Denzel Washington, John
Malkovich, Laurence Olivier…”
Giles: “He dead.”
Dan: “What! (laughter) Helen Mirren.”
Giles: “There were a lot of near misses.”
Dan: “Leonardo DiCaprio. We were in the
ballpark for that happening, but these
people are all so busy.”
Giles: “Richard Attenborough, who sadly
passed away. He was happy to speak to us,
but he was very ill at that point.”
Dan: “And Pete Postlethwaite. It was going
to happen, but sadly he passed away. Which
again is a tragedy, but he left a great mark
on what we have today.”
Dan: “I hope you print this, because no-one
ever does. I just want to acknowledge the
The Muse of Fire
boys face the
media…
(Image: Piper
Williams)
people that made this possible, from the
graphics, the animations, the music – Giles
composed, but we had a team – all these
people who gave up their time for free.
Venues, theatres, members’ clubs all round
London who let us shoot…”
Giles: “The actors themselves.”
Dan: “The actors themselves, camera
companies…”
All for the love of Shakespeare.
Giles: “That’s a good title.”
Dan: “For the Love of Shakespeare?”
Dan: “Yeah.”
Giles: “Noooooooo!”
role?
Dan: “Iago.”
Giles: “You’d be a good Iago.”
Dan: “Or Henry V, actually.”
Giles: “You’d be a good Iago because
everyone trusts you and also you could
absolutely slay everyone.”
Dan: [Laughs] “It would be an absolute
joy!”
10 SHAKESPEARE magazine