Bill Ward as Sir Lancelot
in Spamalot
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One of the great joys of the acting profession must surely be the potentially limitless opportunities to transform yourself from, say, an out-and-out cad into a dashing, crusading hero—if, perhaps, a slightly dim one. And, if that is indeed the case, then Bill Ward must currently be a very joyful fellow indeed. The Newcastle-born actor has stepped out of his high-profile TV role as womanising Coronation Street ratbag Charlie Stubbs and into the considerably cheerier, very much sillier guise of Sir Lancelot in the West End’s hit Monty Python musical, Spamalot. The star is known predominantly for his TV work, in shows including Cold Blood, Jonathan Creek, Footballers’ Wives, Fallen, Rose and Maloney, In Deep, The Bill, Holby City, EastEnders, Swag and Make My Day, as well as the aforementioned Corrie, of course. But he’s no dilettante when it comes to treading the boards either. Having begun his career as an advertising executive, the smell of the greasepaint eventually proved overpowering and led him to embark on a successful stage career that’s included performances in Oh! What a Lovely War for Theatre Clwyd, A Chorus of Disapproval, The Beggar’s Opera and Antigone at the Bristol Old Vic, Destiny, Around the World in Eighty Days and Uncle Ebenezer – A Christmas Carol at the Battersea Arts Centre, Harriot for the Royal Exchange Studio Theatre and numerous shows on the London Fringe. These days, Ward says that he’s more than happy to be back inside the proscenium again. Now he has obligingly agreed to take time out from his Spamalot schedule to answer. Read on!
From Alex R.: Were you a fan of Monty Python before you started in Spamalot? If so, what was your favourite bit?
Bill responds: I just missed out on Monty Python when I was growing up... I was more of The Goodies generation and Not the Nine O'Clock News. But it was something you bumped into the whole time. They just seemed to invade the English language. I remember singing "The Lumberjack" song at school a lot for no particular reason, I remember the whole hoo-ha when Life of Brian was banned, and I also remember saying "nice one centurion" a lot to my friends although I had no idea why. Favourite bit? I think their films in particular are genius, and have really stood the test of time: the "Bigus Dickus" sketch in Life of Brian still makes me howl.
From Adam Starr: Do you prefer a live audience like in the West End or a TV audience like Corrie?
Bill responds: The interesting thing about TV is that you're not aware of the audience at all; you're aware of your fellow actors, obviously, but particularly on a show like Corrie where you're shooting up to 16 scenes a day, it's actually very technical. You're constantly adjusting your performance to make sure you're on the right spot for the camera (up to four of them at any one time), sound and lights. And you've often no idea how something's worked until you see it back on the TV six weeks or so later. Whereas theatre is much more organic: every night your performance changes depending on how the audience responds, and the feedback they give you is instant. You can sense how much they're enjoying it (or not!) as you go along.
From Heather Moore: What made you want to play the role of Lancelot?
Bill responds: Lots of things. I'd spent the first three months after I left Corrie turning down a lot of work: I got offered a lot of murderers, murder suspects, abusers, love rats and general baddies. Which was very flattering, but there's a real danger when you've played a character as extreme as Charlie Stubbs that you paint yourself into a corner. So firstly, I was very keen to do work which was a genuine departure from what I'd been up to the last three and a half years. Secondly, I was desperate to do some more theatre, which has always been my first love and mostly what I'd done before Corrie. And thirdly, I'd seen Spamalot and thought it was fantastic, and something I really wanted to be a part of.
Bill Ward as Sir Lancelot in Spamalot
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From Yannick Vermeer: When I see some of the footage of this musica,l I can not stop laughing. Is it difficult for you too keep from laughing during a performance?
Bill responds: Actually, yes, although more so in rehearsals than in performance. By the time you've put it in front of an audience you've heard most of the jokes a fair few times. But there's always things you suddenly notice that you've never seen before, and the great thing about this show is there's always room for a little bit of improvising which helps to keep everyone on their toes.
From Kevin: When did you know you wanted to be an actor? Got any tips to making it big like you?
Bill responds: Actually when I was about 14, although I didn't get round to it until I was 30! Weirdly, I'd only ever wanted to do two things: work in advertising or be an actor. I did a history degree at Bristol University, where I did a lot of acting, but didn't quite dare take the plunge and head off to drama school like many of my friends did when I graduated. Instead, I headed off to London and worked in a couple of big London advertising agencies (BBH and Saatchi) as an account director and strategic planner for the best part of 10 years or so. But I couldn't quite shake acting off, and when I hit 30 I knew I needed to do something about it. So I put myself through drama school, came out the other side, and started out. To be honest, I was mostly interested in finding out what might happen: I had no idea whether I'd be able to make a career of it or not. So I suppose my only tip would be: if you really want to do something, do it. You'll never know until you try.
From John: Obviously, you were fantastic in Corrie, and Susie Blake who often played in the same storylines as you is now in Wicked. Have you seen her in it or have you been to busy with Spamalot?
Bill responds: Actually, I have seen her in Wicked; she's fantastic. I went on her press night before I started on Spamalot. She was brilliant to work with on Corrie, and really helped me find my feet when I started. She's a top actor and a very lovely lady.
From Liam: If you could have any other role in a musical what would it be and why?
Bill responds: Funnily enough, I generally tend to prefer straight plays to musicals (Spamalot obviously excepted!). I'm a particularly big fan of Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller: Stanley Kowalski, John Proctor and Willy Loman are all extraordinary parts for men. Musicals-wise, the show that's had the biggest impact on me was Oh What a Lovely War, which I did up at Clwyd Theatre Cymru four and a half years ago. It's very much an ensemble piece, with no real stand out parts as such, but that's its greatest strength. It's fantastically well written, at times extremely funny and very, very moving,
Bill Ward in Spamalot
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From Sacha: What's the best part and the most difficult part of doing eight shows a week?
Bill responds: Well, it's an absolute joy to be working in the West End full stop. But on a cracking show, with good audiences and a great cast and crew, it doesn't get much better than that. Most difficult part of eight shows a week? I suppose looking after your voice and your body. I actually play five or so different parts in Spamalot, and you use pretty much all of yourself most of the time, so just looking after yourself, getting enough sleep, those kind of things are most important.
From Katherine: Who is your favourite Python?
Bill responds: They're all geniuses (or should that be genii?); no favourites.
From Mary: What's the funniest thing that a fan has ever sent you or said to you?
Bill responds: Hmmm. When Charlie Stubbs was at the height of his two-timing-good-for-nothing-woman-eating ways on Corrie, I did get sent a number of Bibles, which was nice.
From Henry: Have you had any stage mishaps? What were they?
Bill responds: Loads. Standing on stage inadvertently in my pants, eating invisible cream (not at the same time), that kind of thing.
From Patrick: Do you really like to dance-a-lot?
Bill responds: Actually yes, but not in the professional sense. The poor choreographers were tearing their hair out trying to teach me the moves for Spamalot, but I think I just about got there in the end.