The play depicts the relationship of the prostitute Ley de Lonval with the son of his partner Charlotte Peloux. Public opinion understands prostitutes as prostitutes, how do you see it?
A prostitute is not a prostitute, but an educated and intelligent creature who has mastered the art of living life to the fullest and without prejudice. They are free-spirited women with a good point of view, they are wonderful friends and of course lovers, because love is one of the beauties of life. Even Sidonie-Gabriella Colette carries this freedom within herself, apart from her husband, she also has a lover and mistress and enjoys the pleasures of life. These women live wonderful lives. Of course, they knew how to make their lives easier than other women of la belle époque. It is not calculation, but the art of living.
How did you deal with the whore character?
It wasn’t easy because I was raised in a strict Catholic spirit in a convent school. Lea opened new horizons for me, I realized how important free thinking is, the art of looking for beauty in life without prejudice. I’m glad I met him. This is one of the roles that is important for an actor’s life.
Playing the mistress of a young man your son’s age might be a bit difficult…
At first I didn’t know how to do it. I’ve never had a deeper relationship with a young man, I prefer men older than me. I met Igor Orozović, Fred’s representative named Chéri, for the first time, but we understood each other very well.
Having a son Fred’s age is a help or a hindrance for you?
At first, this was more of a barrier that I quickly got over. But Igor is a very good actor, open and generous. So every situation with him is born very slowly, slowly and in its own natural way.
Chéri calls Lea her nanny, her nanny…
He had watched him grow up since childhood. A friendship develops between them, which grows into love. And that also includes maternal relationships. Every man looks for a mother in his lover, a little motherly indulgence, that’s a well-known fact.
Was it your first time working with director Pavle Ondruch?
Yes, and it’s amazing. Pavel is also a successful writer of dramatizations, his characters and dialogues are written clearly, with great stage feel. And he is also a sensitive director, even though he has a definite idea, he gives the actors space to make it happen. And I also thank Regina Rázlová, she is an irreplaceable actress, perfect for Charlotte. I played very well with him.
So, are you impatient to play outdoors?
I really like it, it’s very different compared to when we play the same show in the theater. Audiences get it and love seeing both versions. It started playing in the light and there were a lot of disturbing moments around it, so it was much more difficult for the actors. In addition, the summer scene in Nové Svět has amazing nature, it looks like a green park, a pleasant place to have a drink after the show and enjoy the summer evening
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