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Brydon Tackles O'Toole's Hangover Legend
7 Nov
Summary
- Brydon found it challenging to stay in character as Peter O'Toole.
- New drama explores O'Toole's stage roles and themes of aging.
- Brydon admired O'Toole's distinctive voice and speech rhythm.
Rob Brydon has spoken about the difficulty of portraying the legendary actor Peter O'Toole in the new radio drama, 'Peter O'Toole Is Unwell.' The production focuses on O'Toole's celebrated 1999 West End role in 'Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell' and his infamous 1980 performance of Macbeth.
Brydon, known for his role in 'Gavin and Stacey,' admitted that maintaining character felt challenging in the studio. He noted the complexity of the script by Terry Johnson, which is based on O'Toole's own words from various publications and memoirs. Brydon found O'Toole's distinctive voice and speech rhythm captivating.
The drama is set in the Old Vic dressing room in London, where O'Toole performed both roles. It examines themes of success, failure, love, ageing, and confronting one's true self. Brydon shared that he occasionally found himself speaking in O'Toole's voice even after recording sessions.
He also touched upon O'Toole's Macbeth, suggesting its ticket sales success stemmed from audiences wanting to witness its widely perceived poor quality. Brydon also mentioned his upcoming project, 'The Trip to the Northern Lights,' with Steve Coogan, airing on Sky and NOW in December. 'Peter O'Toole Is Unwell' is currently available on BBC Sounds.
