DIVA sat down with the British actor to find out more about her return to the National Theatre
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY PIP
As the lights dim at the National Theatre, Pearl Mackie enters the stage as 12-year-old orphan Sylvia. She listens as her Great Uncle Matthew, known as Gum, gives a lecture about fossils. Around me, the audience is immediately sucked into the magic of the show, captivated by Pearl’s charming and thoughtful performance. There are grandmothers, mothers, daughters, and granddaughters dotted around the packed theatre, all here to see the stage adaptation of one of literature’s most beloved books: Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes.
Ballet Shoes has been inspiring generations of girls to follow their dreams ever since it was published in 1936. Telling the story of three adopted daughters – Pauline, Petrova, and Posey – the story has become a tale of empowerment. Pearl Mackie stars as the hard-working, loving guardian of the three girls, Sylvia. This new stage production, adapted by award-winning writer Kendall Feaver, is bringing this story to life with magic, incredible sets, and (of course) ballet.
If you haven’t seen Pearl on stage yet, it’s likely that you’ve seen her on screen in her role as Alysse on Netflix’s The Diplomat. The British actor is also known for her other roles like the trailblazing character Bill Potts in Doctor Who.
Away from the carnage of the Fossil household, DIVA sat down with Pearl to find out more about this new role, and the power of chosen family.
Audiences can see you in the role of the Fossil’s guardian Sylvia, lovingly known as Garnie. What drew you to the character of Sylvia?
The book is a favourite of mine from childhood. When I read it I was a child, so I didn’t really connect to Sylvia at all – instead, I strongly related to Posey and Pauline. Reading the script made me realise that this woman is really going through a lot! She basically became a mother to these children from the age of 12 which, however much she loves them – which she desperately does – is quite difficult. I didn’t realise how desperately she was trying to hold the house together. The house is literally falling down around her and she’s just trying to protect the girls and make sure that they have an opportunity at the childhood that she didn’t really have.
It’s been such a beloved story for decades and it’s beautiful to see so many generations of people in the audience. Are there challenges that come along with that?
My mum was more excited about me getting the job than I was – and I was pretty excited! There always are challenges with any kind of adaptation of such a beloved story. Everyone remembers it in their own way and they remember it in the way that they relate to it. What makes a story really successful is if people from many walks of life and different experiences can relate to it and can find solace and joy within the words. It is different to the book in places but it does retain the magic and the forward-thinking nature of the story. It’s so empowering.
Chosen family is at the heart of the story. What do you hope queer audiences take away from this?
Found family is something that we really relate to within the queer community. There is so much of that. It’s really beautiful and really speaks to me in this story.
While there have been queer-coded depictions of Dr Jakes in the past, in this production she is explicitly depicted as a lesbian. Why is this representation so important?
It is queer-coded in the book, but it wasn’t allowed to be overtly expressed in the 1930s. I think it’s so nice that Kendall Feaver has addressed it head-on. I enjoy the frankness of it. Noel Streatfeild was a lesbian herself as far as history tells us, and so I think she would really enjoy that happening at the National Theatre on a national stage in the centre of London.
Ballet Shoes is showing at the National Theatre until 22 February. You can book your ticket now: nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ballet-shoes/
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