The thrilling drama Gabriel plays at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from 11th – 15th April with Paul McGann (Withnail and I, Doctor Who and The Monocled Mutineer) starring in his first UK theatre tour. In what is only the second professional production since it was first staged at the Soho Theatre in 1997, the story of Gabriel is full of mystery as well as great drama.
Based in 1943 Nazi-occupied Guernsey, widow and mother Jeanne will do whatever it takes to keep her adolescent daughter Estelle and Jewish daughter-in-law Lily safe on an island filled with danger and fear. Her toughest test arrives in the form of the terrifying Commander Von Pfunz, whose romantic advances may be the only way to keep her family alive. But tensions intensify when a mysterious young man is washed ashore with no memory of who he is. Fluent in German and English, is he an RAF pilot, an SS interrogator, a local boy with amnesia or a saviour sent from heaven? The stakes are high and getting it wrong means certain death.
It’s 30 years since Paul McGann made a name for himself in the classic cult film Withnail & I and, as he arrives in Eastbourne to play German Major Von Pfunz in Gabriel, he took time out to talk about the play, his love of live theatre and some of the roles for which he is most well known…
Tell me about Gabriel and the German occupation of the island.
It’s a fascinating piece. It’s dark and intense, although it’s not all doom and gloom of course, but it’s a real thriller, exciting and incredibly gripping. It’s set in Guernsey in the middle of the Second World War, and it’s a great place to set a story. It was a strange time for the islanders as in many respects, life continued as normal.
On the face of it, it was a peaceful occupation. There was no armed resistance nor any uprisings. However food was scarce, there was a thriving black market, and plenty of wheeling and dealing going on. Indeed some people made a fortune. And while some worked the land, most of the men of fighting age were away so it was mainly women left on the island.
So to have the central character in this play a woman is entirely fitting. Jeanne is widowed and has a daughter with whom she lives and a son who is in the forces. Her house is requisitioned by the German so she has to be careful. There are hints that she had a relationship with a German officer who has now been sent away and by all accounts they got on well – and again if you read the history books, this was what happened in many cases.
Into her life comes Von Pfunz, an army officer who has served in Poland but has now been sent to Guernsey and finds himself captivated by Jeanne. He’s not a nice man, in fact he’s horrible, and he comes on to Jeanne much to her disgust. She is repulsed by him and is quite fearful of him, but there is a courage about her that he finds thrilling and intoxicating. It throws her completely. Her dilemma is how to get on with the Germans, keep her family safe and survive without submitting to something she doesn’t want, where a mistake could be fatal.
The writing is key to the piece and is what really attracted me to playing this role. Von Pfunz is like nobody I’ve played before, but it’s the way that writer Moira Buffini beautifully weaves these situations and tensions together that is so good. It’s brilliantly told and when you get a really good story as an actor you can’t wait to tell it.
Why has it taken you so long to take to the road with a stage play?
Doing TV and film is great, and I’ve been jammy enough over the years to do a lot of it, but when you go out on stage and feel the atmosphere and get that instant feedback from the audience, you just can’t beat it. It is also a way of working that teaches you the most.
Many touring shows are musicals and there are few straight dramatic plays. I’ve been offered tours in the past, some of which were tempting, but they tended to last for several months so were difficult to commit to. This one stood out though as it’s so thrilling, so I was really up for it. Also I’m getting a chance to discover, and visit, all these theatres that I’ve never performed in before, as well as the different characters of the audiences, which I’m really enjoying. It’s a new experience for me. It’s a bit like running away to the circus!
How did you get into acting as a profession?
I was a 70s kid growing up in Liverpool, left school at 17, not qualified in anything and never thought about being an actor. However, my teacher saw something in me and helped me prepare my audition to RADA. It was pretty embarrassing and I felt it went terribly. But I got in, and I loved it.
I remember there were plenty of working class kids at RADA then. I think most of us had just fancied being movie stars. Of course that was all pie in the sky as there was no guarantee you’d even get into Equity. I was pretty jammy to get Withnail & I after just five years out. I loved working on it. We were pretty innocent and, in truth, didn’t really know what we were doing. We certainly had no idea how cool it would become.
Theatre has always been my favourite though – it’s what many actors will tell you – and the older I get the more I prefer it, although I still get very nervous. I’ve been lucky enough to play some incredible roles over the years including in Hornblower and Luther and playing the eighth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, and I’m proud to add Commander Von Pfunz to that list.”
Paul McGann plays Commander Von Pfunz in Gabriel at the Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne from Tuesday 11th to Saturday 15th April, with nightly performances at 7.45pm and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets, £19 to £26.50 with concessions available, can be booked online at www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk or by calling the box office on 01323 412000. Age recommendation 11+ contains strong language, adult themes and scenes of a violent nature.