{"id":609359,"date":"2026-08-30T15:46:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-30T15:46:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/609359\/"},"modified":"2026-08-30T15:46:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-30T15:46:14","slug":"thats-what-saved-me-darren-raymond-and-mark-rylance-on-the-prison-drama-workshop-that-brought-them-together-theatre","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/609359\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018That\u2019s what saved me\u2019: Darren Raymond and Mark Rylance on the prison drama workshop that brought them together | Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"

Darren Raymond doesn\u2019t remember having any significant interest in acting when he was growing up. And when he met Mark Rylance<\/a> for the\u00a0first time, on Christmas Eve 2004, he had never heard of the multi-award winning actor. These days, things are very different: Raymond is the artistic director of Intermission Youth, the London-based arts charity and theatre, and is directing his friend Rylance in the lead role of Tartuffe (Remixed), Raymond\u2019s adaptation of the Moli\u00e8re play, which opens at London\u2019s Marylebone theatre this week.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fair to say neither could have anticipated they\u2019d still be in touch this long after their initial meeting. \u201cUnlikely companions\u201d is a tired cliche by this point, but that doesn\u2019t make it any less true to say that on the surface, the two had very little in common. Raymond was a young twentysomething raised on an inner-city housing estate and serving a prison sentence at HMP Brixton. Meanwhile Rylance was twice his age, a successful professional actor, and artistic director of Shakespeare\u2019s Globe. Nevertheless that meeting, at a Shakespeare workshop in the prison, turned into a professional connection, which soon evolved into a solid friendship.<\/p>\n

double quotation markIn terms of my debt to Shakespeare, my debt to all the great teachers I had, this is it \u2013 this will be it until the day I dieMark Rylance<\/p>\n

Rylance has been a supporter of Intermission, the charity Raymond set up 20 years ago \u2013 which helps to transform the lives of young people aged 11-30+ through theatre \u2013 since the very early days. Its flagship programme takes 80 trainees a year for a regular schedule of masterclasses, pastoral support and professional performances. In a 2008 interview on Radio 4, Raymond mentioned the positive impact of his and Rylance\u2019s Christmas Eve meeting and how it inspired his vision for Intermission. Rylance was listening, and was prompted to visit the theatre\u2019s headquarters at St\u00a0Saviour\u2019s Church in Knightsbridge. \u201cI was really knocked out by it, the production was everything I\u2019d been looking for,\u201d Rylance says of the performance he saw. We\u2019re speaking today at Intermission\u2019s temporary base at Omnibus theatre in Clapham \u2013 the organisation has struggled to secure a suitable permanent home since being asked to leave the church in 2019.<\/p>\n

Intermission\u2019s output is why Rylance thinks it holds such a critical place in the context of the industry. It offers free-of-charge, rigorous, professional-standard training that produces high-quality results. For many, particularly those from working-class backgrounds, such an opportunity would be otherwise unaffordable. Rylance firmly believes in giving back, but in the current climate his preference is to invest in grassroots arts initiatives over major institutions. For him, that feels more impactful. \u201cI don\u2019t support my drama school, I don\u2019t support the Globe any more, or the RSC,\u201d he says. \u201cIn terms of my debt to Shakespeare, my debt to all the great teachers I had as a young person, this is it for me \u2013 this will be it until the day I die.\u201d<\/p>\n

Darren Raymond in rehearsals for Tartuffe (Remixed). Photograph: Mark Senior<\/p>\n

Raymond\u2019s own debt to Shakespeare started with that workshop he reluctantly attended while in prison. He was confused when his friend told him he\u2019d signed\u00a0them both up for drama classes, but saw it as an\u00a0excuse\u00a0to get more time out of their shared cell. On\u00a0the day of\u00a0the workshop about 20 prisoners were\u00a0greeted\u00a0by\u00a0Dr\u00a0 Bruce Wall, co-founder of the London Shakespeare Workout \u2013 a charity that uses work\u00a0by major cinematic, musical and choreographic writers and thinkers, along with Shakespeare, to promote confidence and relationship-building among its participants.<\/p>\n

Casting his mind back to the first session with Wall, Raymond and his friend didn\u2019t know what to expect. \u201cThis guy\u2019s come in, like, \u2018Drama!\u2019, all flapping hands and flamboyant. I dunno how he got away with that because it\u2019s just him and there\u2019s 15 to 20 inmates in there. All serious inmates.\u201d The group was initially hesitant, but Wall\u2019s upbeat energy proved irresistible \u2013 the enthusiasm soon spread. Raymond remembers an exercise where participants were given a line of Shakespeare\u2019s text and had to respond using their own words. The group reacted to Raymond\u2019s contribution with a chorus of oohs and aahs. \u201cWhen I look back, that was a really profound moment in my life because it was the first time I knew my words could have any kind of impact. When I left the session, Bruce said: \u2018Well done, I thought you were excellent.\u2019 I don\u2019t know if he said it\u00a0to everybody \u2013 probably did. But it meant something\u00a0to\u00a0me.\u201d<\/p>\n

double quotation markI didn\u2019t know what an audition was. But I went, met him, done the audition \u2013 and then they cast me as OthelloDarren Raymond<\/p>\n

Back in their cell, Raymond and his friend were energised by their first drama workshop experience. \u201cNormally we\u2019d be talking about how to get one back over the system, but that day we were talking about Shakespeare,\u201d he remembers. Wanting to replicate that feeling, he returned every week, eventually becoming an advocate for the group \u2013 encouraging others to get\u00a0involved, petitioning the prison to keep the initiative\u00a0going when it was under threat of closure, and even declining relocation to a lower category prison with fewer restrictions as well as privileges such as home visits, knowing that the move would mean he\u2019d no longer be able to attend. Nobody had ever turned down a move to a \u201cD-Cat\u201d prison before, the governor told him, adding: \u201cYou must be really into this drama\u00a0thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Raymond\u2019s commitment earned him the opportunity to represent the prison in a poetry convention, where he first met Rob Gillion, an actor turned reverend who maintained an active interest in the life-changing power of the arts. \u201cFor some reason there was a lot of clergy present, I don\u2019t know why. I remember [Gillion] showing a real interest in my story, but I didn\u2019t think anything of it,\u201d he says. He didn\u2019t know it at the time, but that was the beginning of his artistic journey.<\/p>\n

Darren Raymond and Mark Rylance. Photograph: Seamus Ryan<\/p>\n

At one of the final Shakespeare sessions Raymond attended, he met Rylance, who was guest-facilitating the session along with his late wife Claire van Kampen<\/a>. The group had been told Rylance was an acclaimed actor and the artistic director of Shakespeare\u2019s Globe \u2013 \u201cnobody knew what the Globe was!\u201d, Raymond laughs. He describes his first impression as an anticlimax: \u201cHe\u2019s come in with his shorts and sandals, looking like some dishevelled guy off the road. None of us really paid any mind to his stature. Nobody knew any Shakespeare, and that was a good thing \u2013 it made the playing field more even.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rylance remembers that first meeting well. \u201cIt was a small workshop, with just four young men,\u201d he says. \u201cEach had learned a soliloquy and I listened to them. There was a definite marriage of what\u2019s mortal and immortal, because of the interweaving of their own language right next to Shakespeare. The Shakespeare stuff will live as long as humanity lasts on the planet, but the mortal lives of these young people brought alongside the immortal, is very thrilling and delightful to me. That\u2019s what was happening with those four guys that day\u201d.<\/p>\n

The exercise was a revelation for the group. \u201cWe could talk to him very quickly\u201d recalls Raymond, \u201cand that was testament to how he came to us in the room. The way he spoke to us about Othello \u2026 it was riveting listening to these stories because he related it to us and the situation we were in and the lives we were living. At the end of it, he said: \u2018Look, we don\u2019t have to revere this work in the way people make you think you need to. Use whatever you want from it \u2013 take whatever you want and use it however you want.\u2019 That\u2019s what I do now. That\u2019s what saved me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some time after his release from HMP Brixton, Raymond received an out-of-the-blue call from Wall \u2013 an invitation to audition for London Shakespeare Workshop\u2019s national tour of Othello. \u201cI really didn\u2019t know what it meant. I didn\u2019t know what an audition was really, I didn\u2019t know what a UK tour was. But I went, met him, done the audition \u2013 and then they cast me as Othello.\u201d Rehearsals took place at St Saviour\u2019s Church, where Gillion was the resident vicar.<\/p>\n

Mark Rylance and Blanche Williams in rehearsals for Tartuffe (Remixed). Photograph: Mark Senior<\/p>\n

The relationship between Raymond and Gillion would be transformative \u2013 \u201cI was really inspired by Rob, he was a role model to me,\u201d Raymond says. They stayed in touch following the end of the tour, and when Gillion later took a sabbatical to do some international travelling, he asked Raymond to move into the vicarage and keep an eye on the place while he was away. With hindsight, he realises they both knew the vicarage probably didn\u2019t need anybody to look after it but rather the \u201cfavour\u201d was a calculated act of kindness in the knowledge that a young Raymond would have been too proud to accept the help he needed. In 2006 Gillion invited him to run Intermission theatre.<\/p>\n

Staging full productions has always been part of Intermission\u2019s regular activity. Over the years Raymond has adapted 15 Shakespeare plays, each time weaving contemporary issues into the classical texts in order to demystify the language and make the pieces feel more relevant for a new generation of actors. The upcoming production of Tartuffe (Remixed), however, is the company\u2019s biggest production to date, and a rare instance of a cast that brings together Intermission graduates and actors who have taken other, sometimes more traditional routes into the industry.<\/p>\n

double quotation markThis feels like a natural path forward for me as I try to figure out a new story to my lifeMark Rylance<\/p>\n

Rylance wasn\u2019t sure if he\u2019d return to do any more theatre. \u201cThis is the first time I\u2019ll be directed by Darren. First time back in the theatre since my wife has died, too.\u201d Van Kampen passed away in early 2025 after being diagnosed with cancer. \u201cWhen you lose your wife of 35 years \u2013 I keep thinking of wonderful Joan Littlewood<\/a> who, when she lost Jerry Raffles, stepped out of that theatre and never stepped in any theatre again. And that\u2019s a temptation \u2013 but it\u2019s like when you think you have a death wish but its not that you want to kill yourself \u2013 but you want to kill a certain way you\u2019ve been living.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to stage acting feels like part of a ritual of remembrance for his wife, who was also a passionate supporter of Intermission\u2019s work: \u201cIt was something we gave money to, something we supported. And so this feels like a natural path forward for me as I try to figure out a new story to my life. What\u2019s the story of my life without her?\u201d<\/p>\n

For Rylance, Intermission is part of the journey of his life, and he\u2019s not alone. When it comes to the organisation\u2019s impact, there have been many success stories that have come from the training programme. The actor Tosin Cole graduated from the very first Intermission cohort in 2009, and has since worked consistently across TV, film and theatre. His CV includes series regular roles in Hollyoaks, Doctor Who, and most recently as the lead in Supacell on Netflix. \u201cI never really had aspirations to become an actor,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was just a cool thing to do on a Saturday.\u201d It was going to Intermission that helped him not only realise his talent but also supported him to develop the tools he needed to take advantage of the opportunities that came his way.<\/p>\n

Asked what he thinks he would be doing if he wasn\u2019t an actor, Cole laughs heartily as he says \u201cBoy!\u201d, elongating the short syllable as he diverts his gaze. That\u2019s south London speak for let\u2019s not even go there. Does he think there are still challenges facing young people who want to pursue a career in acting? \u201cFor a start, we need a lot more different types of stories from different types of cultures. [As Black people] our history is rich and full of those stories, and we are capable of telling them.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s also an advocate for more spaces like Intermission\u2019s original venue to exist, lamenting the loss of the city\u2019s youth clubs and adventure playgrounds. \u201cThat place was super special. It\u2019s sad now when you\u2019re in Knightsbridge and you walk past and see the place vacant.\u201d The church has since been converted to a luxury home and was on the market for \u00a335m last year. \u201cLook at any artist or musician that\u2019s come from an inner city and a lot of their skill and their success has come from resources being accessible. A lot of talent came out of the youth clubs where things were free.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut every success is relative, right?\u201d says Raymond. While he\u2019s keen to note the commercial success of Cole and others, he also wants to spotlight the young person \u201cwho came to me from a youth offending team and was no question on the road to prison, or death. Now they have a job and a family. They\u2019re not acting or working in the industry, but that\u2019s also success to me.\u201d For Raymond, the definition of success isn\u2019t limiting, it\u2019s expansive.<\/p>\n

Tartuffe (Remixed) is at Marylebone theatre<\/a>, London, 4 September to 24 October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Darren Raymond doesn\u2019t remember having any significant interest in acting when he was growing up. And when he…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":609360,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[321,93,61,60],"class_list":["post-609359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrities","tag-celebrities","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=609359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/609359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/609360"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=609359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=609359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=609359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}