We caught up with actress Amy Parker ahead of her performance in a sharp, poignant and original new musical, Tokyo Rose, at The North Wall Arts Centre, to find out what makes this story so special.
So, the clock has been set back to 1949! What has it been like, reliving that era? How has this influenced the production?
It’s been fascinating and also a challenge at points reliving the pre/post war era. I really loved doing the historical research for the show as it helped me get to grips with each stage of Iva’s journey. But it was also uncomfortable sometimes too, to actively step inside of characters who aren’t of your time or outlook in order to see how they view the world. And even though the music is modern, because this is a true story the era has definitely influenced the production a great deal from props, to movement, to character choices.
Iva Toguri's story is so intriguing - how much did you know about her before this production? What was it like translating her story to the stage?
I’m ashamed to say I knew absolutely nothing about Iva or her story before joining the show! Frustratingly it is still so often the case that these stories about women in history – especially women who aren’t white! – often fall through the cracks. So yeah, when I joined the production earlier this year for the R&D it was a massive education. Not only about Iva herself, but about the Japanese?American conflict too, which I was mostly clueless on. When I was at school the way we were taught WW2 era history was pretty Eurocentric, so to learn more about the conflict that Iva was trapped in was harrowing. Especially learning about the internment camps her parents were put into in the States and what Iva had to do to survive during and after the war.
In terms of translating her story to stage, I think I have to leave all the credit for that at the feet of our amazing team of writers and directors, because they have tackled an enormous historical story with such love and sensitivity. But I feel very grateful to be a part of bringing Iva’s story to life on stage. She was a remarkable person and it’s a privilege sharing that with audiences.
It's great to have our theatres open again - what was the pandemic like for you as an actor? How does it feel to be back? How have audiences reacted to the show so far?
Eek, the pandemic – don’t remind me. Well, it was definitely a rollercoaster! But I think in the grand scheme of things I was very lucky during the pandemic to be honest; I did some teaching which was really rewarding and even snuck into an acting job pre-Lockdown 2.0. But it was obviously a bleak period for the industry and was heart-breaking watching theatres close down or battling to survive. The lack of certainty and security were awful. But theatre for me is unique and important because it’s about connection and a shared collective experience, so more than anything as an actor I just missed that and wanted it back!
After so long it still feels a little surreal being back, in truth - I have to keep pinching myself. But I am just so grateful to be on stage again and especially with this incredible cast of actors. It’s a joy.
We’ve had an amazing reception from our audiences so far, and what’s lovely about the show is that the cast are on stage for the whole thing, so we really get a sense of the energy in the room, and we get to go on the journey with the audience every night. And you can really feel them willing Iva on, fighting with her!