PomPoms Up!
Page 21
You directed/acted in scenes with Carol. What were they and how did the experience go?
MG: “It was quite nerve wracking, as I was working with experienced actors, and I was less so – lots of experience directing actors of course, but directing yourself is hard. Carol was very professional, and had of course learned all her lines, which made the flow of the scene so much better and easier – if you are constantly stop and starting it can been very difficult, but I found that I was actually really enjoying acting in the scenes with Carol.
“We had a very small crew, and being a cameraman I was actually lighting the scenes, and operating cameras as well, so it was very full on. I don’t think there are many Director of Photography/Director/Actor/Writer/Producer combinations out there – and probably with good reason.
“There was one scene – where David (the character I play) comes back from Utah to find his mum, Irene, (played by Carol) asleep on the sofa – he tries to tiptoe past her but makes a CRASH and she wakes up.
“I have a line which goes, “Don’t you want to know where I’ve been?” And Irene says, “No.”
“But every time I said my line Carol would stop and say, “No Martin, that’s not quite right.” Which made the crew snigger, as the actress was directing the director! We did the line three or four times, and Carol kept on directing me…. until I did get it right!
“I think it was a good thing to do, because when we looked at the rushes – she was right – she got the best take out of me! Far better than I could have done on my own with no direction.
“It was great fun having Carol play my mum in the movie. There is a scene where we argue in the hall way and she tears up my latest Star Wars prop – she was shouting in my face, “It’s not worth anything and neither are you!” and I actually felt really hurt – because Carol delivered the line so well, I BELIEVED her and it was just like being told off by my Mum!!
“I really enjoyed directing the scenes with Noeleen (who plays Eloise the Psychologist) and Carol. There was a lot of dialogue, but also a lot of emotion, and the key plot points of the movie! So I had to get it right!
“In the first cut of the edit these scenes were much longer and Carol’s character speaks about many things but in the end we had to cut it down to make the film under 100 minutes (and thus easier to sell) and some great lines ended up on the cutting room floor, which was a shame.”
What traits did she bring through her acting to the project?
MG: “Carol brings enormous enthusiasm, which cannot be underestimated. There is nothing better than working with actors who want to act and to get to the heart of a scene. Carol is also hugely supportive of the film and has come to many film screenings even in Denmark and Monaco – which was fabulous and as a film maker you don’t just want your actors to turn up on set, act, and then never to be seen again, you want them to come to the screenings and be a part of the family that making a movie can create. Every film I make I come away with a few more friends, and that camaraderie, or ‘spirit de corps’ is part of what it’s all about – working with the people who love doing what we do!
“She is also a social magnet – everywhere we go with the film Carol helps so much by being the life and soul and sending out a positive vibe to everyone in the room. Not just an actress but a PR expert! She is also very funny – and there was a lot of laughter on set the days Carol was there – and even though some of those scenes were quite emotional, they were very enjoyable to film, and I look back on the shoot with great fondness.”
How did Carol interact with other players in the filming process and off screen? Are there any mischievous episodes that you recall from working with Carol involving you and or any other persons?
MG: “Carol is great fun. Some actors you worry about what they will get up to when they are not shooting – will they get bored, grumpy, disappear? But no such problem with Carol! I remember coming in from filming a scene and finding Carol and Noeleen in fits of laughter as Noeleen had an Alien Space Raiders crisp bag stuck on her head… I’d only been outside for 5 minutes.
“We shot most of Carol’s scenes one weekend, and we all stayed in a pub/hotel. We had a really great evening hearing her stories of filming, and when we met for breakfast the next morning there was an article all about Python with Carol in it in the Sunday papers – talk about excellent timing! Everyone wanted to hear her beautifully told stories! I felt bad that I had to get everyone on set to do some work!”
Carol has been cast time and time again as a fun pot sex bomb but it is clear she has an outstanding sense of comic timing and can also play characters with more depth as in Search for Simon. What, if any of these elements are present in the off screen woman?
MG: “I feel lucky to have been able to cast Carol in my movie, but I also feel happy that I could give her a role that was a bit different form the roles she is often offered. I believe that when you give an actor something they want to do – and not just another job – then they will give you a performance you can really enjoy and I am delighted with the work Carol did on our film. She added so much to the character and to the scenes… it was really fantastic.”
Has Carol ever shared with you her views on working any of the Pythons?
MG: “I am huge fan of the Pythons, and as a kid knew all the words to Holy Grail, Meaning of Life (my personal favourite) and Life of Brian, and I was very interested to hear about the ‘Python days’. She always refers to them as ‘the boys’ and has never said a bad word about any of them, (even when I asked!). Though she did say that Graham was “a very naughty boy,” but I left it at that!”
Lastly, how do you feel about your colleague taking up the book writing pen?
MG: “I think it’s long overdue!
“Carol has had an amazing life, and it is not everyone who gets to be part of something as culturally, comedic-ly and creatively important as Monty Python and I hope she will be publishing many more volumes in the years to come!”
“She is the icing in the middle
and the cherry on the cake.”
By Sue Pomeroy
Director, Fuschia Films
Sue moved into film and broadcast media after an extensive career as a Director, Writer and Producer at theatres across the UK and internationally; notably the National Theatre, London with Sir Peter Hall and the world famous Berliner Ensemble, Berlin. She was Artistic Director at the Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, and with her own touring company performed extensively in the UK and internationally in Ireland, Germany and India; including the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, Bristol Old Vic, London’s Richmond Theatre, the Southbank, Young Vic and at international Festivals including Edinburgh, Brighton and Belfast. She has worked in television and broadcast media with Thames TV, BBC Radio 4 and ITV and is currently in pre-production for a new film, Jane Austen – Overcoming Pride and Prejudice.
SP: “I first met Carol when she was performing in Fearless Frank at the Kings Head Pub theatre in London. We became friends when I moved to Brighton, living just up the hill from her in the lovely Victorian terraced cottages that cluster on the hillside.
“We both have very busy careers and yet we always find time to meet up for a meal or go to a show. We share a keen sense of humour: Carol always makes me laugh, even when she doesn’t intend to. She is one of those naturally funny people who cannot help seeing the ridiculous in life.
“Carol is a great looking woman and so she has been cast accordingly – however, she is also a consummate comedienne. One of her crowning performances, which did justice to her unique skills was her one woman show, PomPoms Up! about the ‘glamour’ industry, which I saw in the Brighton Pavilion as part of the Festival. The show was entertaining, self-deprecating and very funny. Carol is never afraid to send herself up, or to poke fun at some of the excesses of social behaviour. The show combines her mischievous sense of humour with a very personal insight in to the world of glamour, and let’s face it, she should know!
&nb
sp; “Barbara Streisand made a film, a romantic musical, about the singer and comedienne Fanny Brice entitled Funny Girl – and Carol is ‘a funny girl’ who just can’t help being funny even in tough times. For instance, when she was going through a very difficult emotional time with a man who had been behaving quite badly, I was with her when she expostulated – “He’s not just a shit, he’s a shitty shit!” which, despite the seriousness of the situation, had me helpless with laughter. You have to laugh.
“I was delighted to cast Carol in the musical play entitled Song of a Bluefoot Man, which was based on the life and writing of James Berry, the award winning British Caribbean poet. She played the part of Sarah, based on James’ English wife, in a sensitive and moving performance. The production toured to theatres across the UK, culminating in a packed out show on London’s Southbank. It was very demanding, bringing together a range of acting, music, dance and singing skills. She rose to the challenge and was, as you would expect, very professional, reliable and a real pleasure to work with.
“Carol also played Lady Castlemaine for me in The Secret Diaries of Samuel Pepys, in the City of London Festival prior to a No 1 tour. She did ample justice to a lady renowned for her beauty, power and sexual allure. It was a show with an enormous cast list, where the company played several roles apiece. Carol was in her element, excelling in the courtly dancing, singing, and diverse characterisations required of its multi-talented cast – a perfect opportunity for her to showcase a delicious combination of wit, glamour and performance skills.
“Carol has always yearned to play more character parts and to get away from her glamorous persona, so it has been good to see that finally – and in her seventies! – she has been given some meaty, character roles. She loves a challenge and her hunger for great parts that stretch her abilities appears to be undiminished. Good for her!
“Occasionally we have talked about the Pythons and how, after three or four television episodes with them, they then approached the BBC to make her an integral part of the team. That must have been because they could see how well she worked with them, and the extra dimension she brought to the Python party. And you cannot really imagine the Pythons without her – she is the icing in the middle and the cherry on the cake.
“I very much hope there will be more opportunities to work with Carol. She is an enjoyable part of any team, has remarkable staying power, and has lost none of her joie de vivre, and inner beauty. She inevitably breaks out into infectious giggles, and then shares the joke so that everyone joins in. Now she has the opportunity to share that joke and her story with an even wider audience through this book, which is fantastic. I value her very much as an actress and performer, and also as a dear friend.”
Sweet sixteen and voted Miss Teen.
Miss Paddington Shopping Queen.
Valentino and me at Brands Hatch.
My father, David.
My first modelling job with Mummy.
My wet T-shirt look.
Ballerina in Ester Williams swimsuit.
With Roger Moore in The Saint.
With William Franklyn in Guilty Conscience.
Getting tough in The Adding Machine.
Tearful in Randall and Hopkirk (deceased).
A touch of Audrey.
A later publicity shot.
A young Ian McShane and me.
With Lynda La Plante in Hollywood
A Salt and Pepper Girl with Sammy and Peter.
Bunny Didi …first on left!
So Sixties!
My glamour starlet mother.
Deirdre and Arthur Pewtey.
Monty Python Weather Girl.
Mr and Mrs Attila the Hun.
Zoot with Sir Galahad.
Monty Python Live at Hollywood Bowl.
Yes, it’s ME in Life of Brian.
Montgolfier Brothers sketch.
In Lenny with added Python!
I loved these jeans, and Pixie cat.
Photo taken by renowned photographer Barry Lategan.
With Peter on our wedding day.
Our wedding day pageboys!
With Tallulah
Chris and me on Mummy’s bench.
Five siblings, four mothers, one Daddy!
With June Allyson and Carl Waxman.
My silly walk.
Just rehearsing!
Me at 72.
Me at 61 as ‘Anna’.
Copyright
Dynasty Press Ltd
36 Ravensdon Street
London SE11 4AR
www.dynastypress.co.uk
First published in the UK by Dynasty Press Ltd 2014
Copyright © Carol Cleveland 2014
Interviews & review copyright © Peter Jarrette 2014
Carol Cleveland has asserted her moral right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the written permission of the publishers.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978–1–910050–42–2
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