Helen McCrory on The Deep Blue Sea by Terrence Rattigan | National Theatre Talks

[@illustratormagda]

is speechless and incredibly sad that such a beautiful actress and wonderful woman had to go...

[@brendan-kailerlieb4347]

RIP, Ms. McCrory. What heartbreaking news to read of her passing. We've lost one of the greats.

[@garymorgan3314]

Yes she was great all right. I was lucky enough to meet her and Damien in the audience and they were truly lovely people. I wish him and the two children strength and peace. She will be sorely missed.

[@garymorgan3314]

Autocorrect renders the name wrongly, I typed "Damian"! Anyway you Madonna and Gulliver are in my thoughts. I've not left a tribute like this before but Helen was truly exceptional.

[@fraserbotting9684]

Helen was BREATHTAKING in the role 👏

[@garymorgan3314]

I was so sad I wrote on her condolence page. Loved her in 'Medea' and in retrospect 'The Deep Blue Sea' feels sadder but the Donmar's brilliant 'The Late Middle Classes' where she does a sort of 'Plenty' turn as a frustrated wife was poignant and funny. And her husband was seated behind me and had a chat. They were such a lovely couple and hers is a grievous loss as she was certainly a great actress you wanted to see in all she did. RIP Helen, you gave me such joy.

[@user-jl7ym4en5b]

If there is a teardrop of solace in a life ripped away so soon, it is that it seems that this lovely soul LIVED LIFE AS A HAPPY PERSON? She really seemed to have lived a life that she loved. My thoughts to her family.

[@elliehart9373]

Such a mesmerising play, Helen was sublime. I'm so glad I get to see her talking about such a fantastic heartbreaking play

[@emilychen555]

R.I.P. Helen McCrory 1968-2021 ❤️

[@joshuaclinching4dummies810]

Helen is just glorious.

[@eamonndeane587]

Helen McRory was truly one of the UK's finest Talents on Stage and Screen. Her death is a tragic blow for too many reasons to count.

[@annewarrell748]

Such an intelligent, empathic actor, a massive loss...... but her talent will go on and on.......

[@dereginaldlewis3965]

May God's grace reign on your family, friends and those of us who took a bow to your work!

[@chrisgordon6599]

In many ways, Rattigan's play is a study in minimalism. There is so little of it as far as 'things happening' are concerned that you wonder that it can actually work. And yet... all of life, or rather all of all-consuming love is held within it and all of totally-consuming emotions flowing like an endless torrent from that utterly hopeless all-consuming love that Hester feels for Freddie that Freddie feels suffocated by. It is a play about how we are all prey to this very human process, the process of loving someone so devastingly completely that both you and the person loved drown in the torrent. What Helen McCrory portrays as Hester is both that helplessness as the torrent carries her onwards towards, as she would want it, her own destruction, and also the monumental loneliness that living with Freddie engenders. She loves and she is totally trapped within that expression of love which forbids any other expression of love or desire of anything or even anyone else. But- and this is the genius of Rattigan's play - Mr (I am not a doctor) Miller shows Hester, in the depths of her despair, that she has within her two things that will enable her to swim to the shore of the raging torrent and climb onto dry land- faith in herself and her creative talent as a painter and the courage to reject Freddie. In that very last scene, as they say goodbye, you can see Freddie literally cling on to Hester as doubts rise up in him about leaving her and she pushes him away. Yes, Hester rejects Freddie and as she finally says goodbye to him, her voice is cold and flat. And in that moment, Hester takes back her life - every aspect of it and, I suspect, she never relinquished any of it in such a dangerous way ever again. Oh, I am sure she still had affairs, especially if she enrolled at an art college, maybe at the Slade or theRoyal Academy, but those affairs would always have been on her terms. Her friendship with Mr Miller would have continued but it would, I feel, have remained platonic, and the meetings with Bill would have been more and more infrequent. But again, it is possible that he eventually overcame his desire to possess Hester and realised a continuing friendship with her was far more valuable. Who knows?

[@blvesoda]

here before 2025, each year is not the same without her being here with us. RIP to the great Helen Mccrory 🕊🕊

[@lynnharper4422]

Lovely to have sen the play last week then come across this interesting interview.

[@tinabaxter1614]

A brilliant performance. Heartbreaking ... a fried egg sandwich can bring you back from the brink of a devastating love - I know!

[@udoka96]

Helen is just fab in everything she does, I hope this will be streamed via NTLive :)

[@shannonwri]

You mean the play? It's really soon! (if you're in the US) It's playing at some theaters October 4 and/or 6. So next week!

[@lynnharper4422]

Its on NT live until tomorrow(16th July) at 7.00 pm

[@kaya6447]

I can't believe she's gone, it just seems unreal...

[@luciavitale5903]

Thank you

[@hannamodzelewska8874]

What a delightful, rich interview. I just couldn't stop listening to it. English is not my native language and I enjoyed every second of the conversation. The only expression i didnt catch was the one commenting the lack of histerectomy in the old times. It was humorous, Hellen laughed, RIP and Laughter, Hellen. Can somebody explain, write it and explain it to me, please 🫂❤️?

[@kaya6447]

I speak english and I didn't get it either! 😓

[@kaya6447]

I think what she was implying was that people kept their emotions to themselves back then. And women wouldn't speak up when they were have ladies problems so they wouldn't have to get hysterectomies.

[@mauricespoetryreadings]

She was quoting a line from the great British comedian Victoria Wood - so not to be taken literally, an exaggeration for comic effect. Wood's line is about the stoicism of that generation of women of the 40s and 50s "We didn't go having hysterectomies in those days. If something went wrong 'down below' we shut our gobs (mouths) and turned up the wireless (radio).'

[@IngemoH]

Loved the play!

[@debra13]

I am not sure why, but I felt that the interviewer and Helen weren't quite on the same wavelength.

[@genevievemagnusson3644]

I am going to spend the next few months quoting this and no one is going to have any idea what I’m saying

[@gunjanandi3588]

Such great insights! ❤️

[@TheJanjanman]

Excellent

[@secretkid1239]

R.I.P Helen Mccroy. The world will miss u.

[@NationalTheatre]

She's already so missed :(

[@secretkid1239]

@@NationalTheatre yes very much by her family and friends but also by people all around the world who have grown to love and relate to her and her work. Thank you for keeping this video online. I believe it meant a lot to loads of people.

[@catherine5599]

Does anyone know who the interviewer is? She is superb.

[@mickknighton]

Libby Purves.

[@catherine5599]

@@mickknighton Thank you so much for your helpful response. I've never seen this interviewer before and I am so impressed with her skill and love her voice. All the best, Catherine Albrecht Minneapolis, MN U.S.

[@lynnharper4422]

@@catherine5599 she's been on radio a lot over many years. Google her, she's a terrific reviewer.

[@VikasNiranjanBellary]

missed it :(