The actors have been friends since they starred together at the National. They talk about their showbiz debuts, the dangers of getting wrapped up in roles – and the thrills to come when theatres reopen
Cush Jumbo and Anne-Marie Duff had been fans of each other’s work for years before they became friends when they starred in Common at the National Theatre in 2017. They were both preparing to take on major stage roles when the pandemic hit last year. The pair caught up to talk about why theatre is like church and how Covid will change the plays that audiences want.
Anne-Marie Duff: After my first job in acting I believed everybody would be best friends for ever. We’d all become so close. You realise quite quickly that it’s like lots of passionate love affairs. Along the way you collect people and they stay with you. You might not see each other properly for five or six years then you’re back in rehearsals together and it’s as if you never left. That’s the nature of actors – they’re generally very open, funny and forgiving people.
