Diana Princess of Wales will always hold a special place in many people’s hearts. When any play or production create something where she features it is bound to have an audience. The famous interview from 1995 divided opinion on the Royal marriage and separation then and continues today.

Jonathan Maitland’s new play The Interview takes a closer look at the events leading up to the filming of the television exclusive. Martin Bashir (Tibu Fortes) used lies and manipulation to obtain access to Diana played by (Yolanda Kettle).

Kettle’s performance as the late Princess of Wales captures her mannerisms and demeanour throughout the play. The famous tilting of her head and wide staring eyes. Her attempts to work out who she can trust and who is reporting back to the Palace must have exhausted her. She knew everyone around her had an agenda to exploit her in some way, apart from a very few select friends.

Paul Burrell (Matthew Flynn), the Butler Diana, is called a friend and confidant. He acts as a go-between initially and repeats how he is looking after her best interests! As the public later found out, he wasn’t particularly interested in anyone but himself. Any scrap of dignity or respect was lost a long time ago.

The play offers more about exposing the detracted BBC journalist Bashir than anything new about the late Princess of Wales and the unscreened revelations that she spoke about during the 1995 interview. Forte’s performance brought to life how underhanded and ruthless he was at the time to get exactly what he set out to do.

All I saw, then and today was a beautiful lady who desperately wanted to be loved and to be in love, she didn’t deserve to be exploited.

For more information about this play and future productions at Park Theatre please visit the link below.

Three Stars.

Photo credit Pamela Raith.

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