You might already be aware that there’s a production of David Greig’s ‘Outlying Islands’ on at Jermyn Street Theatre at the moment, not least because we recently tipped it ahead of the start of the run. 

The play was first performed more than 20 years ago, which makes me feel rather old, and that made me think that perhaps not all our readers are entirely familiar with this brilliant work. 

So, I thought it might be good to do a feature on the production, which stars Bruce Langley, who you may well recognise from his role in the high profile TV adaptation of ‘American Gods’. I spoke to him to find out more. 

CM: For those who haven’t come across it before, can you give us a brief idea of what happens in ‘Outlying Islands’? Who is it about and what story does it tell? 
BL: On the eve of World War Two, two young ornithologists are sent to an outlying island off the coast of Scotland to conduct what they believe to be research into the native wildlife population. However, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a little bit more to what they’re doing than what they’ve been told.  

The play introduces four characters, the ornithologists and the two guides who have accompanied them to this isolated and remote location, and the stakes grow higher and higher. It’s a lovely little pressure cooker with a whole bunch of outer world but not too far way context feeding into it.

CM: What would you say are the primary themes of the play? 
BL: Isolation, freedom and death. They may sound like strange bedfellows but they’re all there.

Isolation comes with the territory in that these four characters are locked together in a small space and weird things can happen in that kind of situation. Freedom is ever present with imagery of the air, the sea, the birds flying and all of that.

And death is all around, both in terms of the looming war, the research itself and in a much more in your face way. Death is a real burden to be carried – at one point quite literally.

CM: It’s been more than twenty years since the first performances of the play. Are the themes as relevant now as they were then? 
BL: Yes, I would say so. That is a really good marker of good writing and good art in general – themes tend to rhyme and echo throughout time.

David Greig has highlighted themes that are fundamentally about being human and these are not locked into a specific time period.

The reference points change but they remain relevant because we are all still people, and we all still face similar issues to those that all people throughout time have faced.

CM: What role do you play and how have you approached it? 
BL: I play Robert, one of the ornithologists sent by the mysterious ministry to, as far as he is concerned, conduct research on the island.

He’s a Cambridge graduate who is excited to be going to study a very elusive bird population. He’s very focused on what he’s there to do, very enthusiastic and very pleased to be bringing his colleague John along for the ride as well. 

CM: What made you want to be in the play? What do you love about it? 
BL: Theatre in general is wonderful in terms of the live feedback you get. There’s nothing quite like it – the instant, haptic response that tells you whether what you’re doing works with that audience in that room on that night.  

The play itself is tricky in a lovely way. It’s so rich. When I read the play, I immediately felt a kinship with Robert and I felt I had a pretty streamlined route into exploring this character which could blossom into a full depiction on stage. 

I suppose that’s a big flowery way of saying I thought it would be fun.

CM: Can you tell us a bit about your fellow cast members? 
BL: What do you want to know?  They’re all lovely!

CM: And a bit more about you? How did you come to be pursuing a career in the arts? Was it what you always wanted to do?
BL: I got the lead in the school play when I was five and that may have been game over for me then. I was a caveman befriending dinosaurs with chocolate. My character’s name was Chip. 

There was a song in it called ‘Chock Rock’. I had a speech impediment at the time so I blasted out ‘Chock Wock’. The cute factor may have played some part in me choosing my future career. It’s been what I wanted to do for a long time.

CM: You’ve done film and TV work as well as theatre. Is there anything you would like to do in the industry other than acting? 
BL: I could see a world in which I might direct and I could also see a situation in which something I had written was produced.

My first love is acting and I’m not intending to step away, but you never know what opportunities are around the corner and I wouldn’t be averse to pursuing them. As I say, my main focus right now is definitely the acting.

CM: What have been the highlights of your working life thus far? 
BL: Getting cast in ‘American Gods’ was a huge huge shift. 

When I got the call I was packing a couple of suitcases, one of which was full of props for a kids party – I used to be a children’s party entertainer – when the phone rang and my American manager said, “You got the role” and I thought, “hey you’re moving to Canada for half a year, pack all your stuff”. 

That changed my life.

CM: What aims and ambitions do you have for the future? 
BL: To continue acting and to enjoy, improve and partake in art that interests me. We’ll see what comes to fruition in terms of writing et al but for now, that’s it. 

CM: What’s coming up next for you after this? 
BL: Not immediately loaded, consider me ready to go!

‘Outlying Islands’ is on at Jermyn Street Theatre until 15 Mar. See the venue website here for more information and to book. 

LINKS: jermynstreettheatre.co.uk | x.com/JSTheatre | instagram.com/brucejlangley