Interview

Tad: Hello Mr. Killigrew, it's so great to be meeting with you today.

Thomas: Thank you my good sir, I am glad to be here.

Tad: Awesome! Let's get this interview going.

Thomas: Splendid!

Tad: So, can you tell me a bit about the time and place you lived in?

Thomas: Well, I was born on February 7, 1612 in London, England. At that time King James I ruled England and after his death, Charles I became king. Unfortunately, Charles wasn't particularly liked by many of his citizens and that led to the English civil war and his execution. After that, Oliver Cromwell became ruler of England and, my, that was a terrible time. He closed down all the theatres and forced actors, including me, into exile. In 1660, the English government , led by Richard Cromwell, collapsed. Parliament then invited Charles' I son to be king of England. He accepted and was crowned King Charles II. His greatest act as King, in my opinion, was the reopening of the theatres and the blossom of theatre that ensued.

 Tad: What made you become interested in the arts?

Thomas: From a young age, I was really fascinated by theatre. I would volunteer to be a "devil upon the stage" or as you might call it, an "extra" at the Red Bull Theatre.

Tad: What was the acting world like when you entered it?

Thomas: I entered the "world" of theatre in the early 1600's. At this point in time, theatre was starting to lose its popularity in the middle and lower classes. So, if my family had not been apart of the court of  James I, it's quite possible that I would not have ever experienced theatre and would never have become a dramatist. The main reason that theatre was losing its popularity was because the theatre was missing its most important piece - William Shakespeare.
Many changes occurred in the theatre at this time, known as the Jacobean period. One of the main changes was the growing popularity of  tragicomedies which is a play that contains both dramatic and comedic elements (I wrote a few of these in the early part of my playwriting career). Some of the popular characteristics of Jacobean plays were increased realism, moral corruption, horrific violence, and cynical and pessimistic outlooks on life.

Tad: How did the major political situations of the time impact your work?

Thomas: In 1647, I followed Prince Charles into exile and I remained in exile until 1660. This didn't stop me from continuing my playwriting, however. I lived in several different cities throughout Europe during this time, so I made it my goal to write a play in every city I lived in.
Then, in 1660, Prince Charles was invited by Parliament  to come back to England and be king. This meant I could also come back to England. When I returned, King Charles II (Prince Charles) rewarded my loyalty to him by making me Groom of the Bedchamber and Chamberlain to Queen Catherine. Also, most importantly, I was given a royal warrant to form a theatre company, which led to me create the new King's Company.

Tad: What were your major accomplishments as an artist?

Thomas: I had a few major accomplishments as a dramatist. My two biggest were starting and managing my theatre company, The King's company, and being appointed the Master of Revels. My other accomplishments were writing many plays and even having a couple be successful on stage.

Tad: What key opportunities did you have that led to turning points in your life and art?

Thomas: The first opportunity was being born into an upper class family. As I mentioned previously, in the early 1600's people in the middle and lower class had lost interest in theatre, so the upper class became the main viewers and patrons of theatre. Therefore, I had access to theatre that I would not have had if I was apart of the lower or middle class.
My next opportunity came from my loyalty to Prince Charles through all of our years in exile. If I had not been loyal to him and a friend of his, he would not have given me the opportunity to open my theatre company.

Tad: What personal story best illustrates how you became successful in the arts?

Thomas: Well, I'd say it would be the story of my exile and return from exile because it was during  the restoration period that followed the end of the Commonwealth where I found my most success as a dramatist. During the Civil Wars and the Commonwealth, it was not a great time for actors and Roman Catholics... I was both. So, as you know, I left England and lived throughout Europe for about 13 years. When Prince Charles returned to England, he wanted to change England back to how it was before the Civil Wars and the Commonwealth and a big part of that was reestablishing English theatre. I had been a friend of his throughout our time in exile, so he gave me the opportunity to assist in the "restoration" of theatre by giving me a warrant to form a theatre company.

Tad: How did your work impact the world of art?

Thomas: My work mainly impacted English theatre. I helped lead the revival of English theatre and establishing a new standard for theatre. I don't consider myself to be one of the best playwrites or actors, but I do believe I influenced other actors and playwrites to continue the art of theatre and to not let it die like it did during the Commonwealth. I think I brought people enjoyment through my plays. I doubt they particularly inspired anyone, but I think they served their purpose in entertaining people and, after all, that's what theatre is all about - entertaining people.