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Interview from craigparker.de, done at RingCon 2005
The original, with audio files, you can find here. Reposted here with permission.
Claudia: "The Lord of the Rings": In the books the Hobbits, the Elves, the Ork ... they all sing! Would you have taken the part of Haldir if you had to sing?
Craig: That's what terrified me when I first heard about it. They are coming to the glade and there are elves singing everyhwere endless songs and I thought: "Aw, this is gonna be dreadful!" But thankfully for me it wasn't. I can sing if lots of other people around me are singing and I can join in, but I can't ... not very well. A friend of mine, Joel [Tobeck] is very encouraging about singing, he is basically amazing, it's quite fun to sing with him. I don't think I can beat any elven sing. Dreadful!
Claudia: Concerning the bomb attacks in London in July ... You're currently living in London. How did you feel about that?
Craig: It's a strange thing I think. It's obviosuly terrible for people who were directly affected by that and these people lost their lives and were very seriously hurt and for those people it's a terrible event. But the thing I love about London is, the rest of London just goes: "Right. Let's happen, let's go on with that." And even that day it was surreal, I met a friend for a coffee in the afternoon and the streets were just full of everyone walking back from the city. Just walking and [it] was a beautiful summers evening and golden light everywhere, all these people just casually walking and within - that was just before the weekend, was Thursday - by Monday everyone was back on the tubes. I think people are a bit nervous initially but then two days later it's life as usual which I think, it's absolutely fantastic. And it's so crazy if you suddenly become terrified and afraid of living your life and doing things in the odd chance that something's gonna happen to you. And you just can't get around London without using public transport. You've got to.
Claudia: On a lighter note: Tell me two, some kind of silly, facts about you.
Craig: There's nothing silly, I am a very serious person. Very serious. Erm… [long silence] I don't know what to [laughs] Most aren't silly really [silence] Don't know! Don't know! I'm sort of, erm… [pause] I'll think about that one [laughs]
Claudia: Another hard one: Describe yourself in three words, not more.
Craig: Words, erm...
Claudia: I know, I'm so mean.
Craig: It's so mean [silence] I hate these things, I really hate them, I hate talking about that stuff. Can I come back to that one as well?
Claudia: [laughs] Okay.
Craig: [laughs] Sorry.
Claudia: Something easier: You've done a lot of conventions.
Craig: [mumbles] Really...
Claudia: I'm sure you have seen many people there, fans, which come back again and again. What does that feel like?
Craig: It's quite a lovely thing. I think Ring*Con was the first one that Mark and I did. How many years ago? Three years ago? So this is turning up and meeting people who were on the first one. So here we are, three years later. It's fantastic, it' sort of got to know fabulous people and it is very bizarre to be there. There was one stage where I had a whole series in a row, you're on one continent the one weekend and you meet all the people and you're on a totally different continent and there are some of the same people there. And then you're somewhere else, then you're suddenly in Australia and there were people who have been in all three and it's quite bizarre. You do have that thing and also the guests of the conventions. You have moments when you're sitting down and having a drink and go: "Christ, what country are we in? Where are we?" But it's lovely, it's been a really bizarre but quite lovely way of meeting a lot of different and quite eccentric people which has been wonderful. It's gorgeous.
Claudia: Do you still think about it this way if those people just come for you?
Craig: I actually think it's not really about the guests. I think these events are more about an excuse, the guests or the conventions as excuse to get together. Lots of you meet online or that way and it's a chance to actually physically meet each other and hang out and have a silly time really. A really good weekend. It's fantastic, you go here and hear John Noble talking. But it's really, it's not about us, I think we're kind of an excuse to build it around and it's the idea of the show and the books.
Claudia: I am sorry but I am coming back to the mean things. Let's start with the three words.
Craig: Three words. These aren't words, single words, but I tend not to take things too seriously which is probably what it best describes. I'm hedonistic - which I probably shouldn't say - like things sort of great fun and ... care about puppies. Does that help? Not really words ... puppies and kittens.
Claudia: Yes, that's oaky. Now two silly facts about you.
Craig: Two silly facts ... I have fantastic point which dancer friends of mine have been really jealous of. Perfect dancer's point. Not a very silly fact. And when I was very little, I have an older brother and sister, and they used to call me "buggerlugs" … perhaps I shouldn't have said ...
Claudia: Another question: I've heard about you rehearsing a play?
Craig: Yeah, we're rehearsing a play called "Serial Killers". And we're in the Midlands rehearsing it at the moment, out of London. We finished rehersal at five o' clock and then got the train up from there to Birmingham and on the plane and came here and got here about midnight. I apologize for being late. And stayed up until about 5.30 which was no good idea. But the play is fantastic, the original play is based on Shortland Street which I've done years ago and James [Griffin, playwriter] was one of the writers there. It's strangely enough about a group of writers on a soap opera and it's a strange world that writers get into there every week. They have to create a whole new week's worth of story and just have to keep going in feeding the beast. And this one particular week they decided to kill off one of the lead characters. He's been in there for ten years, it's sort of the young hunk of the thing and it's all about getting the point of writing him out. When they finally do, he finds out about it and takes some hostages. It's a comedy but very black. But it's sort of a comedy.
Claudia: When will it have its premiere?
Craig: In the end of October. Not sure about the exact date but it's the end of October. And then we run through November 26 and then we are looking to bring it to the West End February next year. But if you're in Derby, come and see it! | | |