Darcy Willison

Currently starring in Empty In Angel, a one-woman play about a bicycle courier in London, actress Darcy Willison tells us about the new meaning the show has taken on in a post-Covid world, her time as a care worker and her love for Matthew McConaughey.

How did you become involved with Empty In Angel?

I saw a post on Facebook, in a networking group for people who identify as women, it's kind of a creative social space where people post about headshot deals or castings or whatever, and this casting came up for a four-night run at The White Bear. I needed a job and it was right before Christmas, so I said I was interested and they sent me the script, and I read the whole thing on a train journey home. I was like "This thing is amazing!", there was something about it, I can't really explain it but I fell in love with it. I went to the audition, and I thought they hated me - I thought the director really didn't like me! But they emailed me like the next day and I'd got it!

Was it intended to just be that short run or were there plans to take it further?

This was James' first play he'd put on professionally, and I think we saw a future life for it potentially, but to my knowledge there were no set plans to do another run, it was more like "Let's do this run and see how it goes". So we did that run and it went really well, so the plan then was to do what we're doing now in 2020, but the pandemic shattered our dreams!

I guess that might've been for the best though, as post-pandemic the show might resonate more?

Totally. Last time it had a story but it was about entertaining people, whereas now you listen to the message, you listen to the politics. Not that that stuff could get missed before, but there's a lot of comedy in it so I think that's not really what you think about. Now, in a post-pandemic would, everyone's relied on the gig economy so much more - before people used to come out and say "That was so interesting, I've learnt so much about the gig economy", and now it's like "Wow, I rely on these people all the time". Before Covid hit it did not have the same impact as it has now, for sure. I think it has a life, and will go on for longer. I know I'm gonna get a slightly skewed view as people are always nice to the person acting in it, but from what I know people care about this, and James has an amazing way of telling a story that's important without it being like "Listen to me preach at you", and it makes people think.

Have you ever worked in the gig economy?

No, never, although I did look at it when Covid hit, applied for a job with Deliveroo and Dominos to do some delivery driving, but I ended up getting a job in a care home instead. I was there consistently from the beginning of the pandemic to about April, May this year, so about a year. I’d never done that before, but I did have some experience looking after an elderly relative. I'm still on the register, so I can go back and do it if I want, but as things have opened up more I've tried to keep my fingers in as many creative pies as I can. Working in care is probably the most insightful thing I've ever done.

How long have you been acting?

Amateur-wise, probably since I was about 2! I started getting serious about it when I was 16, 17. My agent at the time was doing extra-curricular drama classes at my school, and she invited me to go to them. I did auditions for a couple of years, and I booked a two-episode stint in Casualty, then I was like "Yeah, this is what I want to do". I did try out uni, I went to King's College to do English, but I lasted probably about eight weeks! I auditioned for the Fourth Monkey Actor Training Company and got in - I graduated from there in 2018 and since then acting is all I think about doing.

Are there any other actors in your family?

No, well, my sister did a tiny bit when she was younger, but no. My mum liked the idea of it when she was younger but never pursued it - she modelled though - and my dad's a golfer! I think in another life he probably would be an actor. He always makes comparisons between golf and acting, which I kind of understand in a way. My stepsister is currently in training at my drama school, which is super exciting, and we talk a lot about that.

Is there anything you specifically look out for when auditioning, anything you'd really like to do?

I think there's a lot of exciting British drama, and there's a real pull at the moment for things like Netflix and Amazon Prime shows, some really big stuff. It's exciting when you see good British drama on there, or European stuff, anything that isn't your typical massive blockbuster American show. Stories that touch upon the here and now in the UK.

Do you go to the theatre much yourself?

Yes! I try to go to a lot of fringe stuff, pub theatre, I think that's important. I'm also desperate to see 2::22: A Ghost Story, with Lily Allen. I don't go to the cinema much though! I'm really falling into the trap of Netflix and Amazon Prime being there, and I'm such a homebody in the sense that I don't mind waiting for something to reach my TV. There's a BBC drama called Time which is the best thing I've seen on TV in a really long time, it's super, super good.

Are there any actors you admire?

I’ve been reading Matthew McConaughey’s book recently, and I love what he says about acting, about life. He’s that kind of actor who, like in The Wolf Of Wall Street, his performance is everything and nothing - he’s barely in it yet he makes such a huge impression. And there’s an actor called Jharrel Jerome, in a Netflix show, When They See Us by Ava DuVernay - I think he’s amazing, probably the best actor I’ve seen in anything in a long while.

Follow Darcy on Twitter and Instagram.

Words: Scott Bates

Images: Amelia May, taken at The Defector’s Weld, W2.