Press Archive

Daily Mail
08 December 2006
by Baz Bamigboye
Source

Blair ‘wife’ goes West

Helen Mccrory, whose feisty portrayal of Cherie Blair was one of the many enjoyable things about the movie The Queen, is not putting her career on hold just because she’s had a baby.

She and Damian Lewis are parents of eight-month-old daughter Manon. The couple were on the board of jurors of the British Independent Film Awards and took Manon to several screenings.

‘Life is the same,’ Helen told me, ‘but it just takes a lot more organising.’ She has three films she hopes to do next year, but already set in stone is a new production, being directed by the brilliant Anthony Page, of Ibsen’s Rosmersholm, in which she will play the glamorous but tricky Rebekka West.

Rebekka tries to help a former clergyman — who happens to be married — realise his dream of creating a world of happy, noble people.

Paul Hilton will play Johannes Rosmer, the man she bewitches. ‘He’s an outstanding member of the community, as they always are in Ibsen… before they’re torn down,’ Helen said. Brian Friel is writing an adaptation of the play for the Almeida Theatre, where Rosmersholm will open in October. It was he who adapted Uncle Vanya for the Sam Mendes farewell season at the Donmar.

She played a gloriously sensual Yelena. Rebekka West is a very complex character. As the actress noted, Freud studied the sexual behaviour of three fictional women — and Rebekka West was one of them. ‘Can’t wait to read that!’ she exclaimed.