“My main ambition is just to stay relevant, to be in the conversation”….…so said James Corden in a recent interview. Well, all I can say is ditto that. It is one reason I try to 
maintain my career as an actor, actress, call me you like, I want to stay relevant and still contribute. I love the job and and do believe that the media has an important part to play in our human story and I want still to be part of it. I am preparing (learning the lines!) to play Lady Macbeth in a new production to be staged at the Groundlings theatre in Portsmouth in October. It is a charming, small, very old theatre 
…one of the oldest in England. I am a bit past the usual age to play Lady M, but in a way it makes it more interesting, it really is her “last chance saloon”, to realise her ambitions and make her mark in life. And one has to keep doing it, push the boundaries and work the “muscle”.
Also on the horizon is a new film, taken from a wonderful play REUNION, by the award winning writer John Caine. The play is a right to die story and was staged in London with great success…John has kindly allowed me to option it and I am now full steam ahead to make it as an Anglo/American story and film it here in Idaho in Spring 2017.
I am excited…I have been making short films here in Idaho for the last few years and believe there is a good pool of talent to move the small industry here forward. One of the aspects of making one’s own films is that you build up a small circle of the people you trust and want to work with. Here is an excerpt from an interview in the UK’s Observer newspaper with Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass about the new film JASON BOURNE and working together: Paul Greengrass on working with Matt Damon again.
Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass: Observer newspaper picture
“Making a film, every film is a big gamble, large or small. The more that you do it, the more you’re aware of that. Relationships of trust and respect are hard to find. We hadn’t worked together in some years and then we came back on and suddenly there was that feeling that as a film-maker you’re not on your own. You can come on set some days and feel, ‘I don’t know about this’. The anxieties are very profound. That’s why it’s such a stressful undertaking.”
Stressful it is, but still exciting and wonderful, when it works and all comes together. It’s largely what separates the good from the bad, the mediocre from the great! My gut tells me that the new Bourne film will be terrific.
Hope all goes well with “The Scottish Play”. Have you played Lady M before? How are you going to approach the role? Or is under wraps until the production goes to Press?
Thanks for the comment. I am a bit older than the normal age for Lady M, but will use that, it gives her even more ruthlessness to achieve what she wants, before its all over and of course she drives
herself over the edge in doing so. I find that Shakespeare’s use of iambic pentameter a good tool to help learn the lines.
Thanks for Sharing, Jane!
Nice Article.
I appreciate how you use the language! Language has been my way of living(I am a translator ), and conveying thoughts and messages, “relevance” is so important.
Your education and experience as an actress is very apparent in the manner by which you use the written word. It’s as though your words are your personality!
It’s a joy to read your letters and your posts.
I admire you remain still firmly committed to your craft. And it’s good to hear you’re working with people here in Idaho, too!
With much admiration for your tenacity-
Anthony
Hurrah – that you are going to play Lady MacBeth.! But who says you are “a bit older than the normal age…” and who cares ! William Shakespeare’s work is timeless, ageless and universal, and that includes the interpretation of how his characters are portrayed. What if Lady M really WAS “a bit older” than our views today assume she was? It takes a massive amount of chutzpah to behave the way she did and carry out her “bloody plan” (literally bloody, not profanity). Offering an interpretation with more maturity, wisdom and experience of life will only serve to make that role very believable and realistic. I would LOVE to see your performance at the Groundings !
Hi, Jane,
How did you get on with both Mike Pratt and Kenneth Cope on Randall & Hopkirk? It looked like a happy set to me it has to be said and was Patrick McGoohan that bad to act with?
Best wishes
John.
Jane
Have been following your recent comments and really glad to see you remain active and are looking forward to Macbeth.
Also noted your unease at the decision of UK to vote for brexit and what that might mean. I think it is likely to be an exciting future for UK and we should not fear change, shaping our future on a worldwide basis can only be positive.
Much has been said about the cultural make up of the UK population and whether brexit will cause issues around immigration. Personally I do not think so and at the same time putting a brake on the rate of inflow into the UK is also very positive.
A country cannot keep growing its population whilst resources remain static or grow very slightly. The UK has been very successful in creating a basically integrated and relatively harmonious society and gradual immigration has been the foundation of this cultural oasis. However, in recent years the rapid growth in immigration had endangered the position.
It is unsustainable to simply ‘shoe-horn’ folk into smaller spaces and that is a recipe for disharmony. Folk need the ability to spread out a little – for example taking an excursion into the countryside or going on home based holidays. Putting this into context with a few numbers:
In the UK the population is now over 64m contained in an overall area of just over 94,000 square miles – this indicates an overall population density of 681 people per square mile. Now compare that to your ‘second’ home the USA.
The USA has a population of 319m contained in an overall area of 3,805,808 square miles – giving an overall population density of 84 people per square mile.
Whilst in both countries populations are concentrated in cities, it is nonetheless important for folk to have the ability for proper recreational breaks.
I believe the UK is at capacity – nothing to do with the origin of folk simply the numbers.
Therefore controlling (not stopping) immigration is highly desirable in protecting the harmony we are proud of here in the UK.
That’s me off my soap-box for now . .
And yes, how did you get on with the key actors in those great 60’s shows?
best
chris