Interview /// Concrete Playground meets Fern Sutherland

[photo: Roy Emerson]

A couple of gins down, and after watching one of the best pieces of theatre I'd seen all year (The Only Child ) I sat down with my beautiful friend Fern Sutherland to talk about her latest role in Auckland Theatre Company's The End Of the Golden Weather. We also touch on sex scenes, music, her next venture and the state of the New Zealand performing arts industry.

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It was a bit odd to be honest, being all interviewy with a girl I have basically grown up with. Throughout drama school, Fern and I had lived together, suffered many a hangover together, auditioned for the same roles ( to which she always got - B*^ch) and on a number of occasions, confessed our undying love for each other, naturally followed by the age old "If I'm not married to a rich hunk by the time I'm 40, lets bite the bullet and tie the knot".

Friends aside, Sutherland is hitting her straps in the acting world and making her second appearance for Auckland Theatre Company in the space of a year, as well as being part of the core cast on New Zealand's newest TV series The Almighty Johnsons. She's generally pretty tight lipped and modest about her work. Professional as they come. So I got her pissed and tried to get the juice.

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How did you find the rehearsal process?

Murray Lynch (Director) said right from the get go that we'd go into a room and start to improvise, making things, and he'd assign a piece of text to us and then we'd break up into groups and try and interpret that text physically using tableau's, to try and show aspects of the text, the result of that was that we were cast. None of us knew who we would be playing before we turned up on that first day. We learnt the script as we went along so it was quite strange. You normally turn up to the first day of rehearsals knowing your lines, we didn't do it that way so personally it felt like a bit of a scramble for me, but in the end, it was fine. And it was a real challenge, in parts we were playing a rock, or a Christmas card, those sorts of things are quite conceptual, so we spent a lot of time making sure we were finding interesting ways to play inanimate objects without being to literal.

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https://youtube.com/watch?v=wHpRkD6CK24

You are involved in The Almighty Johnsons, how is that going? Any storylines to tell us about ?

We start shooting early October. They're very tight lipped about what the story line is however I think they have a real solid idea which direction to take it in this season. They've had that first season to take the temperature of what everyone thinks. We've had some really great feedback, I mean obviously it's not going to be for everyone, but I think it just so happens that the timing for them to create this show was kind of perfect, the vampire thing is massive and all the fantasy stuff is what people are into at the moment so our audience was a lot more open to these bizarre story lines .There was definitely some pressure to fill the shoes of outrageous fortune, but I think everyone by and large was very supportive of it .

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From what you've told me in the past and what I think is visible in the product, there seems to be a sense of camaraderie amongst the cast and crew there?

Yeah there is, everyone really believes in the script, I mean, even I read it the first time and thought, oh god, how on earth is this going to translate? But I think the writing is so good. As a cast in that initial read through, we were laughing and having a great time, it was a party, and when you feel excited about  turning up to work each day and being a part of these wonderful things that were happening, it is telling in itself .

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You had to get your kit off for a very tasteful sex scene, how did you find that?

Bloody nerve wracking. I didn't know it was happening until a couple of weeks before hand when I read the script and went, oh god. So I felt a bit scared and insecure about my body. And the thought of my dad, uncles, male cousins watching. But we rehearsed it quite a bit and the director, Mark Beesley made sure that it was fully talked over and wanted me to feel safe. Jared Turner who plays Ty was a total gentlemen and made me laugh and feel really comfortable while an entire crew stood around and watched us humping. So it ended up being quite fun and I am actually quite proud that I did it.

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How do you think the state of the New Zealand industry is at the moment ?

There's been so many Kiwi stories on television lately with The Sunday Montana Theatre and all the rest of it. Which has been so good to see familiar faces on the box, and unfortunately we've just had that funding cut so whether they continue is a completely different story. But I think that there will always be a place for NZ stories on TV, I think people really enjoy them. They're good stories. And you know, we're good makers, we have crap budgets and not enough time to create these things, but its actually a really nice vibe to be a part of because essentially most people involved are actually doing it of the love of it.

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If you weren't an actress, what do you think you'd be? I know you've dabbled with floristry.

I want to do everything. I guess that's why being an actor appeals. You get to wear a lot of different hats for a little while and experience a taste of something or someone different! An archaeologist? I would love to dabble in archeology. I just think of wind swept desserts and crumbling ruins and I love bones. I'm obsessed with them lately. I think the reality of archeology is not as glamorous as it sounds, but in my head I wear a scarf around my face and khaki shorts! Or a perfumist. I love smells. Imagine owning some perfume fields in France, lavender and iris etc. Then the harvesting and the distilling to make beautiful perfumes.

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Whats next for Fern Sutherland ?

Filming. And then some travel is on the cards, Melbourne for Christmas/New Year. Then hopefully South America early next year.

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I got into your car the other day and the Wu-Tang Clan blasted through the speakers, is this how you would define your musical taste ?

I love Wu-Tang. Meth is my boy. I don't know. This is a hard question because I have such schizophrenic music tastes! I love the Black Keys (Blackroc may be the best album ever), Broken Bells, Dolly Parton, some sweet Jamaican Rocksteady and some oonce oonce for party times like, Theophilus London or Toddla T or something that makes me feel really bad ass when I've had a few gins. And of course my hard out bestie Helen Corry, gorgeous songstress and musician.

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I'm actually going to quote you on that last bit about my music.

You f**#ing better .