Towards the end of 2007 when Nicola was doing publicity for Oliver Twist (she played Sally), she gave an interview to Whats on TV where she talked about her views on Christmas. The video of this short interview used to be available on the Whats on TV website, but sadly they must have archived the video because the link is no longer live. So for the benefit of fans who are interested in Nicola’s views on Christmas, here is a transcript of that interview.
Interviewer (“Int”) : What are you planning this Christmas?
NW : Erm, I don’t know, cos I’m in that awful phase, that thing where you’re all rowing. I’m rowing with my husband, I’m rowing with my dad, his rowing with his brother, about where we go. That for me has now slightly become Christmas, where you row about where you’re driving, for how long, for what day. And its like having trumps, cards, where you sort of swap them. I’ll swap you Boxing Day for Christmas Day if you do the Christmas Eve. I don’t know where I’m going to be, but I know that I’ll probably be in a car, driving somewhere, for most of it.
Int : Who usually wins, these Christmas disputes?
NW : (Smiles) Me, yeah.
Int : So you know where you’re going to be?
NW : I do, secretly, (laughs), I know exactly where I’m going to be, on Christmas Day. (Nods) yep.
Int : And what do you particularly like or dislike about Christmas?
NW : I think I really like the build up to Christmas, that’s fantastic, putting the tree up is brilliant, and then everything from about 11 o’clock on Christmas morning, it starts going downhill for me. Then its all the law of diminishing returns after that, after you’ve opened the presents, its all downhill. But then you’ve also got New Year’s to look forward to, when one could get raucously drunk and embarrass oneself in front of one’s family.
Int : Or you could start getting drunk on Christmas Day …
NW : Well I’ll obviously, actually, be watching Oliver Twist, that’s what I’ll be doing.
(This was three years before Nicola knew that she was going to be in Season’s Greetings at the National in 2010!)
Update 12 December 2010
National Theatre/Season’s Greetings Cast Interview
The National Theatre has just put up a video of interview of the cast of Season’s Greetings, with their thoughts on Christmas. You can watch the video here, by clicking on “cast interview”. Nicola was interviewed together with Oliver Chris at the beginning of this video. In case the video is not available to non-UK IP addresses, or becomes unavailable, here is a transcript of that interview :
Oliver Chris : We eat turkey.
NW : We do that as well, I think we often do that.
OC : Do You?
NW : Do you listen to Phil Spector’s Greatest Christmas Hits?
OC : I love that, I love that, that is the best album.
NW : That is, isn’t it.
OC : I was going to give everyone that for first night presents, I won’t bother now.
NW : I think we are really traditional in my family. I don’t think we do anything strange. We adhere to all the …
OC : Do you argue?
NW : We do all the things you’re meant to do at Christmas.
OC : Argue, fight, watch telly
NW : Yeah, argue, fight, laugh, reminisce …
OC : Stuff your face until you can’t eat any more.
NW : Yeah …
OC : With a chocolate orange …
NW : Yep, we keep eating.
For more interviews with Nicola, go to Interviews.
Thanks for posting this great interview, what a shame the video is no longer available