Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore in The History Boys

A stalwart of both the National and the RSC, Stephen Moore has forged an impressive career across the last five decades. His credits stretch from the West End to Broadway and from the small screen to the big screen and radio. He’s an actor who confesses he is most at home when he’s not at home—he loves to work. The stage has been his life; and meeting him backstage at Wyndham’s Theatre, he’s the model of the kind of courtesy and charm that finds audiences responding with a reciprocal affection. Now Moore is back at a theatre that he remembers fondly as the place where he was in his first West End success: the Wyndham’s, where he is headlining the National Theatre production of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys. The play has made history for the National as one its most successful ever, and its arrival in the West End marks the culmination of a journey that has taken it from national tours to Tony Award-winning glory on Broadway and a film version. Moore has come to it late—in fact, it turns out, very late—but is delighted to be part of it and the National (where he has appeared in nearly two dozen productions) again.

The National has been a very large part of your life, hasn’t it?
Yes, it has. I’ve done 23 shows for them, and the RSC has also been important to me. I’ve always enjoyed being in companies. I’ve not been there for a while before I did The President of an Empty Room last year and playing Pickering in My Fair Lady—but that was a National Theatre production too, so it’s all kosher.

How did you come to play Hector in The History Boys? Did you see Richard Griffiths, who played the role originally, or Desmond Barrit, who took over from him at the National?
No, I never saw it before. I’d heard a lot about it—like we all did—and I wondered what it was, so I was coming to it fresh and will be leaving it not quite as fresh! It’s actually been quite a wearying experience because I came to it rather late. I was a late replacement for someone else just before it was due to launch a national tour last year.

How long did you get to rehearse?
Not really very long. I began rehearsing about four days before we left for Birmingham, which is where we opened. I’ve slipped into parts late a few times, but this time my agent finally blew her top and said I should have been offered it in the first place. I don’t necessarily go along with that, but I’m glad she said it. Who could refuse—even at the shortest notice—to be in a play like this? I’m very glad to have done it. I wouldn’t have refused even if I had to go on the next day!

How did you learn it so fast?
People were very kind. I had lots of folders, like you do if you’re a teacher in a school, which I would consult from time to time. I had to do it quite a lot at the beginning, and people would guide me around the back of the set. I didn’t even know what side of the stage my next entrance was from at the beginning. The lines didn’t come very fluently for a few weeks, I can tell you—to the delight of the history boys, who were merciless and just roared with laughter if I made a complete nonsense of a line. They’re no respecter of age, so I have had to keep very much on my toes.

Steven Webb and Stephen Moore in The History Boys

It’s a big role, though, isn’t it, to have had to take in so quickly?
It’s quite big, but it’s not that big. It seems bigger than it is, because people talk about him when he’s not there. But it’s big enough.

Why do you think Hector is so special?
He has the sympathy of the audience. They obviously love him, although he does these terrible things to the boys on the back of his bike, though it’s a very difficult thing to do. I actually ride a motorbike myself, and you’ve got the throttle in one hand to make you go faster and the other on the brake, so you have to take your hand off the brake if you’re going to put it behind you, and it’s a very dodgy thing to do. Alan Bennett has now changed the line so he’s caught doing it a traffic light, which makes more sense. Hector says some very funny things. My favourite line is when he talks about what he does on the bike, and says, “I didn’t actually do anything. It was a laying on of hands, I admit it, but more in benediction than gratification.” Hector is Bennett’s favourite character as well, although he balances him well with Irwin, the supply teacher.