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RAIN MAN STAR TILLY HAPPY

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3 October 2008

 ‘Southwark is just the most amazing area; I've
     completely fallen head over heels in love with it’

SOUTHWARK actress Tilly Blackwood will be starring in the West End's production of the film Rain Man with Josh Hartnett. She has lived in Southwark for the past ten years and has "fallen head over heels in love" with the borough, writes Meabh Ritchie...

Chances are, you would recognize Tilly Blackwood, even if you can't quite remember where from. She has appeared in countless TV roles, from Lady Candida de Dennison Bender in the hit-show Absolutely Fabulous to a variety of different parts in the Bill, Midsomer Murders and Holby City. The British actress has also performed in a range of theatrical productions and is now starring in the west-end production of 1988 blockbuster film, Rain Man.

Tilly plays three different roles in Rain Man, starting off with Lucy, Charlie's secretary who according to Tilly, "is quite similar to him - likes cutting a deal and likes the fast pace of life," then a waitress and finally Iris, a hooker in Las Vegas who tries to seduce Raymond.

The play was a week late to the West-end, after rehearsals were disrupted when the original director David Grindley was replaced by playwright/director Terry Johnson, but the production is now back on track and has been causing quite a stir due the appearance of Holywood actor Josh Harnett.  Harnett, best-known for his roles in Pearl Harbour and Forty Days and Forty Nights,  and British actor Adam Godley play brothers Charlie and Raymond - characters played by Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in the film.

Tilly has worked with many high-profile actors, but I asked her what it's like working with American heart-throb Harnett?

"Lovely! He takes his job very seriously and is very responsible about his work. It's very important to him, I think, to come over here and prove himself as a serious actor. I think the last time he was on stage was at drama school! So it's a very big deal for him and I think he's doing a terrific job."

The  Sussex-born actress has never been one to limit her options and she has done a variety of different roles, but I asked Tilly whether she likes TV or theatre more?

 "I really can't say that I prefer either. You tend to get a bigger pay cheque at the end of the day when you're on telly, but hand on heart, I love them both."

Tilly genuinely sounds like she loves what she does and if her CV is anything to go by, she is in the lucky position to be offered a range of roles. "I just really like my job," she smiles, "so I couldn't say one way or the other which I prefer. They're both very different and require very different things from an actor."

Since leaving Sussex, where she was based near Brighton, Tilly has lived in a few different areas in London, from Belsize Park to Shepherd's Bush. But after moving to Borough Market ten years ago she has no plans to move any time soon.

"Southwark is just the most amazing area; I've completely fallen head over heels in love with it. There are wonderful walks by the river and lots of properly old parts of London to explore."

As with so many other Londoners, Tilly was won over by the charms of Borough Market:

"It's just a divine place to hang out and have lunch. I love Fish in Borough Market and Waterloo Wine by Borough Tube is fantastic! All of my favourite places are obviously related to alcohol! Baltic, near Southwark tube is another lovely place - it has really good cheap, affordable lunches."

"There's an endless array of fantastic places to go in this area. There are new places cropping up all the time - I don't ever want to live anywhere else."

Rain Man is on at the Apollo Theatre until 20th December 2008.

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