Joanne Heywood

1>Over the course of your career what is the most favorite role you ever played?

Over the years, I’ve been very lucky to be cast in a diverse range of television and theatre roles and I really couldn’t narrow it down to just one.

I’ve enjoyed different roles for different reasons. For example, sometimes the challenge of the role; like learning to horse ride for “Grace & Favour”, or using accents and a different physicality from my own, or the technical learning curve of working with Green Screen.

Of all my television roles, playing “Dilys” in “First Of The Summer Wine” holds a special place in my heart. It was my first big role. It was filmed on location in the beautiful North Yorkshire countryside and was set in the 1930s, so I got to wear fabulous vintage costumes. I’d only been in a couple of small TV roles, when I was cast at “Dilys”, so I learned a LOT over the two series and I loved the character too...so that one will always be very special to me.

Theatre roles have included Shakespeare, musicals, comedy, drama, farce and thriller...again I’ve loved them all for different reasons but playing all three female roles in Neil Simon’s “Last Of The Red Hot Lovers” was a particular favourite. The characters were so different - it was a fabulous challenge and fun for the audience too, getting to see the same actress transform herself into the different roles.

2>Did you have any celebrity actors/actresses/playwrights you looked up to growing up or help your interest in the performing arts?

Whilst I was in my first year at Drama School, I met film director, Bryan Forbes, on a British Airways flight--my Dad was the Captain, so I was privileged to be travelling First Class and got to sit next to Bryan. In those days, Equity was a “closed shop union” and you needed to be Proposed and Seconded by existing Equity members when you made your application to join. Bryan and his beautiful wife (actress Nanette Newman) kindly proposed and seconded my application!

In terms of inspiration, when I was very small, I saw Yul Brenner in “The King & I” at London Palladium. He was magnificent, mesmerising, utterly fabulous! I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He definitely fuelled my desire to pursue a career on the stage and make it to the West End, which I did just a few short months after graduating.

I think the most challenging role was playing Susan in a tour of “Haunted”. I stepped into the role at short notice (when the actress originally cast pulled out) and I only had one week’s rehearsal. It meant I had to learn as many of the lines as possible before rehearsals--which is not how I usually work. So, I didn’t have the anchor points I find when blocking/rehearsing the scenes and, consequently, I didn’t feel quite as secure as I would have liked on opening night. Also, it was a huge part, I was never really off the stage, so it was a lot to take on but I do love a challenge and, in the end, it all went very well!

My childhood hobbies (singing, dancing, acting) became my career. I still love to dance, so do that as much as I can even when it’s not part of the role I’m playing. I’m currently attending aerial yoga classes and thoroughly enjoy them. I’m not sure if the aerial skills will ever come in handy for an acting job but you never know!

5>Looking over your career you performed on TV shows, plays and commercials. What are the pros and cons of performing in these three types of mediums?

They are very different mediums and require different skill sets. Some actors are more suited to screen and some to stage... and some don’t get the chance to work in both, so I feel very lucky that I’ve had lots of work across both genres.

In terms of pros and cons, I love the theatre. I feel, as an actress, that I’m a “storyteller” and I get to tell the story from start to finish on stage. Screen work is more disjointed and you may shoot some of the later scenes first. The director and editor get to decide how the story is finally told, so you really need to keep on top of all the continuity.

For me, getting to perform both on stage and on screen is a joy and a privilege, so I hope I have many more opportunities ahead of me yet! .

(A very sincere thanks to Ms. Joanne Heywood for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my interview questions).

Interview with Joanne Heywood
by Kieran
February 2004

Q1. What would be your best memory of your short time on Knightmare?

I don't have one particular memory that I could pick but, as jobs go, there was rather a steep learning curve for me on Knightmare! I hadn't worked with "blue screen" before so there was a lot to deal with technically and, in many scenes, there weren't any other actors which, bearing in mind that a huge part of acting is "re-acting" was also a little difficult. When I got the opportunity, I sat in on the editing to try to understand how the scenes were put together and I really learned a lot!

Q2. Who did you generally associate with behind the scenes?

One great aspect of working on Knightmare was that everybody made me very welcome. The nature of the game meant that there was rather a lot of waiting around to see if things were moving on to the next level - depending upon how the team were going, but whoever you were waiting with in the green room you could expect it to be very friendly.

Q3. Your outfit looks a little uncomfortable to wear...Was it?

No, the costume itself was just like a leotard and skirt so it was very comfortable but the knives and sheaths were tied to my arms and calf with little straps and had to be quite tight or they would slip. They were secured with sticky tape which was a bit of a palaver but otherwise no problem.

Q4. How did you get the part of Stiletta?

I had an audition - which is the usual way programmes are cast - but whether my agent at the time put me up for it or some other kind person suggested me to the production team I cannot remember.

Q5. Did you watch any previous seasons of Knightmare before you became a cast member?

I have to admit I hadn't seen any of the previous series - although the producer showed me a few clips of the early days and the technology had come on leaps and bounds by the time I was involved.

Q6. The Knightmare fan base is closing on 500 members at the moment, on the forums alone. Did you ever expect Knightmare to have this kind of following?

Knightmare was a hugely popular programme in its day, so "no" I'm not surprised to hear this.

Q7. I discovered you appeared in Are You Being Served? Again in the early 1990's.....Am I right? Got any memories from working on that?

The programme was actually called "Grace & Favour" and was a spin-off from "Are You Being Served". It had five of the original cast members in it and was set in a country manor house. I played "Miss Lovelock" who had been Young Mr Grace's "last companion"!. He had used the "Grace Brothers" employee's pension fund to buy the manor house and my character lived in the converted groom's quarters. I was in every episode of the two series that were made. It was great fun to work on and proved hugely popular in the United States. It was marketed over there as "Are You Being Served Again", just to make sure the Americans realised it was the same team!

Q8. There is a rather famous incident from a scene of yours in Knightmare. (And I hope I am correct in saying this). A scene was deleted due to a dungeoneer commenting on a 'chest' in the chamber (Saying similar to 'just admiring your chest'...) Do you recall this scene at all? Anything you said in reply to it?

Sorry to disappoint but if this did happen, it either wasn't in my scene or, if it was, I don't remember it? However, in my very first episode, the dungeoneer was about as old as you can be and still qualify to be in a children's game and rather tall. So, although he had his visor supposedly covering his view, when he stood close enough - bearing in mind the cut of my costume, he probably saw more than he should have!

Q9. How did you hear news of the shows cancellation? Were you contracted to appear in the next season of Knightmare?

As far as I can remember, when we completed the series the question of a further series was already in debate and everyone was sadly advised that there would be no more.

Q10. Have you heard Knightmare is returning? Do you feel it can survive in today's television climate?

No, I hadn't heard anything about Knightmare returning but I'm sure if it did it would be as popular as ever. There is always a place for competitive, skills based programmes and as it was such a leader in its day I would imagine it would be up there with the best of them when it came to special effects.

Q11. Anything on TV that we could note you in?

I don't have anything waiting to be aired at the moment.

Q12. Do you still work in acting/in the theatre?

Yes, I couldn't contemplate doing anything else!

Q13. If asked to return to Knightmare, would you be interested?

Absolutely, my memories of my time on Knightmare are all favourable so I would certainly be interested.

Q14. Final question....Anything you'd like to say to the masses of Knightmare fans?

It's always good to know that people enjoy your work and the evidence the fans provide of this is extremely appreciated. Thank you - without the fans it wouldn't have been such a successful show.

Thank you to everyone who suggested questions for this interview and thanks to Joanne Heywood for giving me her time to do it.