One of three new productions from the National Theatre of Scotland this summer, Exodus is part of Travfest22, The Traverse Theatre’s specially curated cadre of shows for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Billed as, “bold, satirical and uncomfortably funny”, Exodus is a strongly female led evisceration of the cut-throat world of UK politics and the eternal hunt for power. Written by the award-winning, upcoming Uma Nada-Rajah, and directed by the highly respected Debbie Hannan, Exodus speaks some of its truth to power through journalist Tobi Tucker, played by shining, young light of the Scottish stage, Anna Russell-Martin.
Anna was kind enough to talk to me about her role, the play, and her continuingly impressive trajectory in the performing arts.
📍Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
📅 Aug 31 – 28
🕖 8.00pm/3.00pm
🕖 Running time (approx.): 1 hour 25 minutes
👥 Writer: Uma Nada-Rajah
👥 Director : Debbie Hannan
🎬Producers: National Theatre of Scotland
💰 From £12
🎂 16+
🎭 Wheelchair Accessible Venue, Wheelchair Accessible Toilet, Multiple Accessible Performance – see venue for details
So, Anna, you’re very in demand as a performer. Was there/is there something about Exodus which attracted you in particular?
To be honest? It’s the team that made me so attracted to it. Like anything that Debbie Hannan has a hand in directing, I’m like there, right?
Like, right, yes, please!
Also Uma Nadah-Rajah, the writer, I’ve worked with before as well a few times, and that’s just the icing on the cake!. I was like, okay, it’s gonna make a great show. It doesn’t matter what type of script it is: I’m right there.
So, you’ll be into rehearsals, how has that been so far?
Amazing! The rehearsals have been so fun. It goes between being like very fun and very real and dark at the same time. In order to work on it, I think you need to find the light in it to stay sane during the whole rehearsal process; but it’s been amazing.
The team are absolutely amazing and I’m constantly, constantly impressed by the cast which is amazing to be a part of, because it’s not like every job can be an out this world experience; but this one is really feeding the soul.
Would you say being part of the production, and the process so far has had an influence on your own political outlook?
I would say I’ve gotten a little bit more of an understanding of our politics. Like, my views are all the same, but I’ve been learning more things, watching more things; classic research…most of that being about the whole system, rather than just one politician or party. It’s very much a system thing that we’re trying to put into the play. We can’t just pin all these problems on the face of the country, which has been really interesting for me.
That’s much harder to tackle as a as a society. Things are never simple and it’s always annoying!
Turning to our own shared recent history, has the pandemic, and lockdown left any lasting impression on you, or your work?
I think I just really missed being in the room and being creative in person. There was always a lot of stuff going on during lockdown. I did a lot of audio drama, lots of radio plays and like zoom stuff, but it’s just nothing like feeling…in my opinion, it’s not on the same level as being in a room together, it just elevates everything.
And as a well-kent face in Scottish theatre, is the stage where your heart is, or could other media steal you away?
Stolen away…meaning like TV and film and stuff? Yeah. The money could definitely steal me away.
There’s just such a difference in the pay that you get in theatre for the amount of work you do versus the pay you would get in film. I, a hundred percent want to do both. I’m actor: I want to do everything!
I love the stage; I feel like that’s like in my bones now, it always will be, but I would love to like, learn new stuff and go into TV and film for the excitement of that. I just love acting…so whether that’s on stage or through a screen there, there’s more like just to be found and places to test myself in different ways.
Absolutely, and turning back to Exodus, you’ve been deep in research and preparation…do you think an audience needs to be politically minded to enjoy it?
No, not at all. I think first and foremost, it is an entertaining play. It’s about people who just so happen to be the Home Secretary and a journalist (Anna’s character is Tobi, a political journalist).
I think you can follow it fairly easily. I think it may be a little bit more juicy and funny if you’re politically engaged at the minute, but it’s definitely not just for people that are engaged in politics.
When it comes to your own character, how have you gone about creating your character for the Exodus?
I always like to start from myself. I ask myself how would I be if this happened to me? What if I had to say these words, so in the end it all comes from the text.
I’ll write like a bunch of facts down that I get from the play, and make decisions based on that, like: how she would react to different things? What would make her spike? What would make her relax? What kind of music does she listen to?
And do you feel sympathetic with your character?
Yeah, I have a lot of empathy for my character. The deeper I’ve gone into research and improv, the more that’s built up.
There’s a long, and usually honourable tradition of politically activist playwrights, and productions which have carried public-opinion shifting weight. Do you feel as if theatre can still influence public opinion, and discourse?
I definitely think we can make a change through theatre, politically, a hundred percent. But…you want all different types of people to come and see a show, whether they agree or disagree, or if they’re on the right or left side of things.
I think it’s important that we’re all kind of exposed to the same stuff, so we can see where the other side is coming from rather than just, you know, the echo chamber? I think if a play sparks conversation then it’s doing something good.
For sure, now in terms of venue, you’re back in the Traverse, where many might have seen you last in The Panopticon. Would you say this is a fond return? (TheQR, last saw Anna in Keli at the Lyceum)
I loved doing that. I loved it. That was Debbie directing as well, and also with the NTS…it’s quite funny because I actually broke my hand growing up a ladder in rehearsals. I dunno if you remember, but I had the stookie on during the run, and that happened right before we opened. One ladder in the Panopticon, and I’m the only cast member who climbs it, and of course…
I have to say I didn’t give your stookie (a plaster cast to the non-Scottish) a second thought, it made perfect sense as part of your character’s pretty harsh story arc!
Aye, it worked well in that, but I don’t think it would work as well in this!
So who would you like to see in the audience, and what would you like them to take away with them?
I think first, first and foremost, I just want the audience to be entertained. I just want them to feel like it was worth the ticket price, and that they weren’t bored. I want them to have had a good hour and a half with us, and I’m really quite confident that’s gonna happen: they’re going to be entertained! I’m confident in saying that, because it’s a bizarre, and amazing play.
After that I want them to go away with something…it’s got quite the ending! I want them to go away with some strength, you know, people power? Maybe a little bit inspired, a little bit hopeful.
And as our time together comes towards the end, what, or who would you say have been the big influences in your creative life?
You know, not hugely. When I do do interviews, you know, questions like this do often come up and I always feel like the pressure to say someone or give a name. But, completely, honestly, I don’t, I think that my inspirations came from anyone; I didn’t watch someone, and go ‘I really want to do that!’.
I just found a love for it very early on. My love came from myself being happy while I was doing it. It was just like, ‘if I could keep that going and get paid for it…and then do like better and better roles and that would be my job then that’s perfect.’
And so far so good.
And then, is there a dream role, or job you have in your sights?
Again…not really. I’m quite easy when it comes to jobs coming up, and getting really excited about them!
I don’t try and attach myself to something that’ll be the dream. I don’t have anything like that, but I know the kind of characters I like playing. Like they’re always quite like gritty and young and full of attitude. Like They’re my favourite type of characters, and in general I just love originating characters.
Then turning to the immediate future, what’s in store?
Well Exodus is a big commitment, touring until like October or something, but I’ve got something coming out in October on ITV, in Karen Pirie, the adaptation of Val McDermid’s novel. I’m like the girl who dies!
Well, even though I die in the first five minutes, there’s loads of flashbacks, so I have good screen time!
Because I haven’t done like an awful lot on TV compared to my time in theatre, I’m really, really excited to see the outcome and see what I’m like on screen. So when Exodus ends in October I won’t get like the low from a job ending, I’ll have this to look forwards to.
Well if you’re gong to be killed off, get killed off by the Queen of Crime herself I say! So Exodus is playing as part of the Fringe, is that adding anything?
Yeah, I did the Fringe, like two years ago. It’s quite funny to think that it hasn’t been on since then. I’m excited to be part of it, but also to see other shows, and to be in the buzz. I think there is a different buzz when you’re in a show, because I’ll be going every day…I’m planning to see something at least before or after the show every day, because I just want to get as much of the experience as I can.
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