Henry Goodman's London

Friday 10 Sep 2010

He won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in 1993 for his role in Stephen Sondheim's musical Assassins and in 2000 for his role as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice at the National Theatre. Most recently in London, he played opposite Juliet Stevenson in Tom Kempinski's Duet for One.

His most recent role was playing Sir Humphrey Appleby in the stage version of Yes, Prime Minister at the Gielgud Theatre. We spoke to him during a break in rehearsals.

Interview: September 2010

Where do you live in London?

South West London. I'm very lucky to be near Wimbledon Common and Putney, as well as Richmond and Kingston. You've got the river, and plenty of open spaces.

Where did you last eat out in London? When?

I went to the Lighthouse before I started rehearsals. But a wonderful restaurant in the area is Cocum. I think it's South Indian cooking, and it's fantastic. They use really interesting spices.

Where do you think serves the best London breakfast?

When you're in rehearsals, and you need to sit and work hard, and whether you need to eat a big plate of rubbish or a good breakfast like muesli and yoghurt, there's a brilliant place in Southwark, that's also an art gallery, on Southwark Bridge Road. [Novas Contemporary Urban Centre]

What's the best play, gig, comedy act you've been to in London recently?

I saw Welcome to Thebes at the National. I loved the mix of ancient Greek and modern African; I thought it was theatrically exciting and stimulating. And I'm also impressed by the fantastic modern work that goes on at smaller London venues like the Arcola. They put on really interesting new plays; not blockbusters, but still great pieces of theatre.

What's your favourite shop in London?

This is complete fantasy! But I love a yachting shop called Beale's in Covent Garden. Now, let me be clear: I don't own a yacht, and I'm a long way from ever doing so. But I love the ropes and brass fittings, and the do-it-yourself feel to this shop. If I'm walking past, I can't help stopping to look in the windows.

Where do you think's the most romantic place in London?

Cannizaro Park is a beautiful spot. There's every type of tree in that park. It's nurtured by a local conservation group. And there are plenty of nookies where young lovers can hide away, and older lovers can look in nostalgic longing...

If you were invisible for the day where would you go?

Well, because I'm part of a political comedy at the moment, I'd like to go and sit in one of the great clubs, like the Reform Club, and listen in on the conversations going on in there today. You've got this incredible mix of huge, old, tradition, and incredibly edgy tough up-to-the-minute decisions being made in there today. It'd be great to be a fly on the wall there.

If you could go back to any period in London's history when would it be?

Straight after the Fire of London. I'd be fascinated by that commitment, that impetus to rethink and recreate following the destruction. You'd also be able to catch the tail-end of Elizabethan era theatre too, which would be very exciting.

If you could take one piece from a London museum /gallery, what would it be?

I'd like to take something from Freud's desk in the Freud Museum. I played Freud a few years ago (in Terry Johnson's Hysteria), and went to the museum to research the part. I thought it was great.

If you were Mayor for the day what would you do/change?

I'd get a large chunk of the budget and give it to the theatres, so everyone could have a free ticket for the evening.

What are your top tips for visitors?

I would say get on a 76 bus from Waterloo and sit on the top deck at the front, and travel up through Aldwych and the Law Courts, past Bank and Shoreditch and up to Dalston. Really, they should charge £100 a ticket for that show! You get the most amazing exposure to architecture, culture, diversity, naughtiness, niceness, everything that London has to offer.