Evanna Lynch Says Theater Made Her a Better Actor

In a recent interview with Backstage HQ, Evanna Lynch discussed her experience transitioning from film to stage. Lynch has been starring alongside Colin Campbell in Disco Pigs, first in London and now in New York City, since last summer.

Lynch mentioned in the interview that training and technique were crucial for success on the stage.

I think training is so important. I’m not saying I got lucky on [Harry Potter], but it’s a role that I didn’t have to work too hard to get into character [for. Luna] was somebody I understood innately. Ever since then, there have been other roles where I don’t feel as much of a kinship or connection. That’s where technique is so important. You fall back on those things of how to get into character, how to understand them.

She also suggested that the discipline required for theater has improved her acting ability.

[Theater] is a lot more of a discipline. The first few days of rehearsal, I would turn to Colin in awe and be like, ‘How do you do this?’ You have to work harder for it to be fresh. With film, every day it’s something different, whereas on Disco Pigs, the director’s there every day for the rehearsal process. Then they’re gone, and you can feel a bit adrift. You’re saying the same lines every night and you have to work harder to find fresh inspiration. I’d say it makes you a better actor.

Lynch said that she likes playing Runt in Disco Pigs because she likes playing roles that inspire her.

I like to pick characters who[m] I admire. With Runt, I found that she was so confident and bold and fearless—I would have a bit more doubt than she does. Sometimes I’ll read a character and I’ll be like, I want more of that! When I’m playing this character for nine weeks, some of that does seep into me. I really need to admire the character and want to step into them.

She was inspired by Runt’s character and some of the standout lines in the Disco Pigs script. That said, she also mentioned that it took her multiple reads to fully understand the script.

When I first read the script, there were a few lines that really jumped out at me and I thought were really beautiful. It all felt very romantic to me. I loved the youthfulness and the innocence to it. Once I sort of accepted that you can’t intellectualize [the language], I started to get into it. It took me three reads to understand it. But a lot of it was also the Cork accent. It makes so much more sense saying it in a Cork accent.

In addition to her talent and discipline, Lynch’s success in Disco Pigs, in part, comes from her close relationship with her costar, Colin Campbell.

We did this play for five weeks in London; we’ve done it for about three weeks now in New York. Nobody understands [the experience] like [Colin]. Your partner’s right there with you.

If you’re interested in seeing Disco Pigs, there’s still time! The show is running at the Irish Repertory Theatre until March 4.