We caught up with Victoria Cartagena, who plays Natalya and Mrs Popov in our upcoming Chekhov Double Bill at The Proud Archivist.
Victoria Hamblen
What are you most looking forward to with these plays? I’m looking forward to accessing the Russian cultural and artistic elements and trying to adopt them in my performances. It’s so important for me to stay true to the piece and the writer’s intentions. So I want to do justice to these plays and find the comedy and sincerity in the appropriate places.
Do you have a favourite moment from the plays? In The Proposal there’s a moment when Natalya breaks down into hysterics. I love the explosion of emotions that Chekhov packs into his plays, but what makes it so funny are the absurd situations he puts his characters in to expose their absurdity!
Has this project changed your opinion of Chekhov? What I have seen of Chekhov I’ve always found very forgettable and stoic. Whereas I’ve found that Chekhov can be so unleashed and busy if you want it to be!
What’s your favourite previous role (or past project)? I loved playing Estella in the last Cyphers production of Great Expectations. I find her a fascinating character, who is so full of depth. I just kept exploring and discovering new things about her.
What was the first piece of theatre you ever saw (that you remember!)? The first piece of theatre I can remember was a production of The Wind In The Willows at the Minack Theatre. It was so magical and inspiring to me.
Any pet hates? Does hating selfie-sticks count?
You can see the Victoria performing in the Chekhov Double Bill at The Proud Archivist, London, N1 5ET from the 4 – 9 August. Tickets are on sale now: bit.ly/CyphersChekhov