Colin in Daily Telegraph’s ‘Tempest’ Article

“If you’re going to do Shakespeare, this is the place,” says Irish actor Colin Morgan, best known for the title role in BBC One’s hit fantasy seriesMerlin, which ended last year. He’s looking forward to his debut at the Globe Theatre in late April. “It has a legacy to it. When I had my first stand on the stage, yeah, it was exciting,” he smiles.
Arriving at the Globe in a  beanie, baggy coat and bulky backpack on a chilly Thursday morning, Morgan, 27, has none of the attitude you might expect from a prime-time TV star whose name only has to be mentioned to whip his many Twitter fans into a foaming frenzy. Looking much like any other young jobbing actor, he’s charming and thoughtful, with a mop of brown hair and a sudden grin that seems to cover his whole face.
Morgan is starring as elemental spirit Ariel opposite Olivier Award-winner Roger Allam’s Prospero in The Tempest - “probably one of my favourite Shake speare plays”, he says when we meet. Launching the Globe’s Season of Plenty, it’s directed by Jeremy Herrin, whose recent staging of This House at the National Theatre was showering with praise.
Working with Herrin - who struck gold for the Globe with his acclaimed 2011 production of Much Ado About Nothing - was just one of the attractions that drew Morgan to the project. “And Ariel is such a blank canvas. That excites me in a part, when you can put your own stamp on it.” But The Tempest, staged countless times, does mark a break from Morgan’s previous theatre roles, beginning with his stunning breakthrough performance as the eponymous lead in the Young Vic’s 2007 adapation of DBC Pierre’s Vernon God Little. “My experience has mostly been new writing, so I’ve been very much the first person to play that part,” he concedes.
In contrast, Shakespeare has what Morgan calls “this feeling of a previous life. ‘Interpretation’ is a word that comes up a lot.” But he isn’t letting this faze him. “I’ve not entered into this thinking ‘This is what I want to do to the part’. I’ve approached it in kind of the opposite way. ‘What does it want to do to me?’ It’s all there in the script.”
Morgan’s take on Ariel is still in its infancy when we meet, but already sounds intriguing. “At this stage there’s definitely a huge physical element involved, and not in the way you would traditionally associate with a spirit,” he reveals. “And there are other angles in terms of his past. You know, the idea of spirits having a previous life.”
“But that’s what I love about this point in rehearsals,” he enthuses. “Anything goes. It’s your chance to make mistakes, to throw everything out there and see what happens. That’s the environment we’re in with Jeremy.” Morgan relishes the time to bounce ideas around after Merlin’s hectic filming schedule. He’s flexing his theatrical muscles again and keen to soak up everything from being at the Globe to acting with Allam. “I was excited about working with someone who has so much experience. That’s what every job is this year - a learning curve.” It’s all about discovery right now, which is why Morgan wasn’t sad to wave goodbye to the loyal young warlock who finally saw his master, Arthur achieve his destiny as Albion’s once and future king in a tear-jerking Christmas finale.
“Merlin was five years of my life. I enjoyed every year, every day. I had a brilliant time on it,” he says. “But I’d be lying if I said I wanted to do more of it.” None the less, he’s hugely grateful for his devoted fanbase. “Entering into other projects afterwards, they’re there supporting you. It’s amazing,” he says. ” And it was ” just a huge compliment” to win the best drama performance prize for Merlin at the National Television Awards in January. “For a little while it was kind of an unsung hero of a show, so I felt I could fly the flag for it a bit up there.” However, fans shouldn’t raise their hopes for the future one-off specials or a rumoured movie. “I don’t think I’d be breaking any rules if I said I don’t think there will be any more.” Morgan says tactfully. “It would be the opposite of what I want to be - not the project, but being static. As an actor, you need to be versatile. You need to challenge yourself.”
The NTAs were a rare trip into the spotlight for Morgan, who’s neither that comfortable with its glare nor that fussed about it. “There’s no social media or googling yourself. You only have to do it once to learn never to do it again,” he says. He only ventures online to check emails or to shop, and won’t catch him being papped drunk, outside a nightclub. Morgan is deadly serious about his career. “My sights have always been on acting, on the creative process, never the lifestyle,” he says earnestly. From when he could speak, performing was all he wanted to do. “Growing up in Northern Ireland when I did, everything was against you if you wanted to do something like that. But I was determined.”
As well as treading the Globe’s boards in April, Morgan is back on TV later in the year alongside Gabriel Byrne in Dublin-set 1950s BBC crime drama Quirke. But beyond that, he’s just enjoying seeing what roles are available. “Doors that presented themselves before, which I couldn’t walk through, are at least there. And there are a few keyholes I can pick.” What about a holiday? After all, he’s been working pretty much non-stop since drama school. “I know, a lot of people say that, but I’m not very good at taking breaks,” he says. “I’m still too hungry for whatever comes next.”
And what that, it’s time for lunch. With a cheery smile, Morgan lugs his rucksack on his back, helpfully directs me to the nearest M&S and prepares to plunge straight back into The Tempest.

Source - The Daily Telegraph (April 25th 2013) (Page 24)