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A heart to heart with… actor Benjamin Blyth 30/10/2013

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1. If you could have anyone’s heart, whose would it be and why?

Working on the assumption that this question has more to do with the idea of cellular memory than asking ‘who would I most like dead?’, I’d have to say my Dad’s. So, Dad’s probably a poor choice for a heart as he’s carrying some extra weight and drinks too much – but he the most patient and thoughtful of men. Both of which are qualities I could use a bit more of.

2. Could you tell us a little about your character? What three words would you use to describe them?

Linus is thoughtful, caring and very sharp. Constantly encumbered by the weight of caring for his sister due to her chronic heart condition, Linus has had to grow up very fast. Marnie’s needs are such that he’s worked long hours in a number of different jobs to provide for her from a young age. It’s never specified what happened to their parents, but the most important thing for Linus is that he’s there for Marnie whenever she needs him. His journey through the play follows the shedding of this responsibility and the increasingly terrifying prospect of trying to define yourself through the things you choose, rather than by the role you play. Even though he’s 25, Linus has a lot of catching up to do before he begins to understand who he really is.

3. What does home mean to you?

I suffer from serious bouts of Wanderlust, so I can’t really place my home geographically. Like Linus I suppose, I have trouble quantifying the idea of a home solely through a family which are yours by blood rather than yours by choice. For me, home has to be found in the people that you love; those that you choose and who choose you in return. Those that bring you back down to earth, but also understand that life is short and there’s a lot of it to see.

4. What is the best and worst thing about being on tour?

“You only play Lowestoft twice, darling! Once on the way up and once on the way down.”

5. What was the last photo you took? 

Ok, so this is cheating as I’m in it, but we ran some lines too, so it was kind of…work…

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