Anna Maxwell Martin and Chris O’Dowd revealed they faced “strong” nerves ahead of their return to London theatre — including fearing they might forget what they had to do next on stage.
The pair are the latest star duo to appear in Constellations, Nick Payne’s two-hander at the Vaudeville Theatre, which follows the infinite possibilities of a couple’s blossoming relationship.
As Maxwell Martin’s character Marianne discusses theories of multiple universes, the play’s structure changes, with scenes repeated with different outcomes.
The actress, 44, said: “It is quite a scary play. Just the structure of it… you are like ‘What am I doing now? I haven’t got a clue’.”
While O’Dowd, 41, said: “The nerves have been strong, but there is a real buzz about it. We go through 40 universes and possibilities in 70 minutes. It is hard to remember where we will go next. It is literally just us on stage. And some lighting ... There is nowhere to hide.”
Since June, four pairs have taken on the play. First it was Sheila Atim and Ivanno Jeremiah, and Peter Capaldi and Zoë Wanamaker. Now performances alternate between Russell Tovey and Omari Douglas, and Maxwell Martin and O’Dowd.
Maxwell Martin said the duo brought comedy to the production. “We definitely look for the funnies in it,” she said.
“We have the same sensibility. We will look for a joke in a scene. We have that in common. You are serving the play in the best possible way. That is our job. I hope we have done that well.”
