Miriam Margolyes fears for the future of the theatre industry.
Miriam Margolyes
The 79-year-old actress - who played Professor Sprout in the 'Harry Potter' film series - has admitted she's not sure whether the industry will ever be able to make a full recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.
She explained: "We’ve forgotten how to be an audience. We’re all at home, streaming movies. That excitement of being in a room with other people, experiencing the same moment, being part of what I call the golden thread between the stage and the audience.
"Will it happen again? Will it be safe for people to be in the same room with other people?"
Miriam has enjoyed a successful career on the stage and on screen, but she's never truly felt at home in the movie business.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, the actress shared: "I’ve always felt more at home on stage than in front of a camera. I’m not truly interested in the process of filming.
"The minute you get on stage, the terror leaves you - it’s in the wings. Then you become the character. And you’ve got that other element - the audience - who you can’t see, but you feel with every pore in your skin. You hear them, smell them, and yet you’re still inside your character.
"When you feel that you’re explaining the character properly, showing what should be shown to the audience, and you feel them drinking in what you’re offering, it’s the most extraordinary feeling of joy and gratitude. I just don’t get that from the camera.
"I’m happy to be in films and I enjoy them, but the transcendent joy for me is on the stage."
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