Message of solidarity from Wind that shakes the barley actor actor Shane Nott (Ned) to the audience of the Rebel Cinema Club, Belfast. 17th January 2014 Hi, my name is Shane Nott, my friend Tomas Gorman asked me to say a few words on my experience in The Wind That Shakes The Barley. Ken Loach made it his business to get into working class heartlands of Cork City to recruit young men such as myself with republican views and also a serious class conscience. I first met Ken Loach in my local GAA Club in Togher expecting to be asked to perform or at least do something that would resemble a traditional audition. But it turned out to be the most unique auditions I have ever experienced. I was asked about my views on race, equality, and various working class issues. I left that night not knowing what to think. Next meeting was in a local school, and auditionees were paired up and were given a situation to argue and were left to develop it as we saw fit. From these arguments and conversations he saw the type of characters he wanted, the energy in the room that night was amazing, very raw and very natural. I think this was his way of finding real to life characters, and not just people performing for the Art of it. He wanted reds in his film and that is what he got. Eventually, after a couple more of Loachs unique auditions I landed the role of Ned. Once filming began it was obvious Loach wasnt obsessed with the script, he was more interested in the character coming across as natural as possible and comfortable in speaking his/her lines. The socialist aspect of the characters was also very apparent from start to finish. All of the young men characters in the film were farm labourers who didnt have much, only the chance to defeat the British, and not just the opportunity to free Ireland from the Imperialists, but also native capitalists. He portrays the competing pig-headed nationalists and republican socialist currents of the time in a beautiful scene of raw emotion during the Courthouse scene which deal with a contentious decision made by a Republican Court. You can really see the reasons why Loach took the path he did in those auditions a few months earlier come through here. If you saw the script and the actual final cut of this scene you wouldnt believe how different it was scripted. The actors he picked believed every word they spoke and it comes across in the scene magnificently. Away from the cameras, the cast, crew and extras all mixed and were fed together, drank together and roomed with each other. There were no fancy trailers or demands by egoistic actors and all actors were paid at union rates which were pretty good for aspiring part-time actors like myself. It was most refreshing to know that I as a member of the cast was paid at the same rate as some other more experienced cast members like Cillian Murphy and Liam Cunningham, this was Ken Loachs way. I hope I didnt keep you too long, its about time you watched it now and im sure youll enjoy it. Comradely greetings to all, Shane Nott (Ned)
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 16:35:32 +0000
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