Interview: Stephen Boxer On SHADOWLANDS Tour!

Hello Stephen! Thank you for talking to us. How is the tour going so far?

It's going very well so far as I know! The audiences seem to like it - they laugh, and they are moved, which is the benchmark of the play working. I don't read reviews - I save them up until the end, it's much better that way, but the rumour is that the critical response has been good.

The film of Shadowlands is well known, but I guess there's enough distance from it that you aren't hampered by that.

I'm not. For years I thought I must see it, and I never got round to it, but now I'm glad that I'm not influenced by Anthony Hopkins being wonderful, or any of the marvellous actors who have done it on stage. Why it holds its own as a play is because it's beautifully constructed. It's not a bio-play, it's more than that. It's about humanity, grief, loss, love and how we deal with it, or fail to deal with it. He lived in a cloistered society in Oxford and was then challenged by new ideas and new feelings - and the opposite sex, in what was quite a misogynistic world, so I think it's a subtle play about gender politics as well. It's also entertaining and witty, and accessible.

It's not a bio-play, but there is a biographical element. Did you rely on the text, or did you do any extra research?

I read a very good biography by Michael White, and I'm ploughing my way through the works of CS Lewis - the Narnia books, 'A Grief Observed', letters, his poems. I'm steeping myself in him. Some of his theology and philosophy I found quite heavy-going - I think he was a creature of his time in many ways. The Narnia books are just wonderful. Any child will be able to relate - I read them to my own children so it's nice revisiting them.

One of the interesting things about Lewis as a whole is that people think of Narnia, but it's so much more than that.

It is interesting. He was a polarised man - I'd imagine he was quite intimidating if he was your tutor, but he was in touch with his inner child. I discovered I was actually in Oxford when he was there - I was a schoolboy there when he was teaching. I know exactly where I was the night CS Lewis died because it was the same night as President Kennedy. I was walking along, back from New College Chapel to my accommodation, and someone I vaguely knew stopped me and said, "Have you heard the news? President Kennedy has been shot." It was the same night as CS Lewis was taken to the hospital, so I was within a mile of him when he died.

How interesting to be able to track back to the character you're playing! You're on tour until July - that's a lengthy schedule.

I don't think I've ever signed on for one quite this long. What can you say? It's a wonderful play, a fantastic part. I don't think I've ever worked quite so hard, but Amanda Ryan is just brilliant - she is great to play off.

How do you feel about living out of a suitcase for the next few months?

Every so often I do this. I love this project. We go to some great places and theatres - I've never done Chesterfield, Doncaster I've not done since 1977 so I'm sure that's changed. It's nice catching up with friends all over the country too.

Shadowlands is on tour around the UK.