WEBVTT

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TERRY WOGAN: Jonathan Pryce.

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[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE]

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TERRY WOGAN: We won't go into the story in any great length,

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but in fact, yours is a pretty nasty part.

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He's a nasty piece of work for the engineer.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yeah, I'm her agent. Put it politely. [LAUGHTER]

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TERRY WOGAN: But you also engineer

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all the sexual release for the Marines in Saigon, as well, don't you?

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yes, I couldn't have put it more politely.

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Yes, that's it. That's what I do.

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I run a bar called Dreamland in Saigon.

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She's my new star in the bar.

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The story goes on from there. You've said the rest of the story.

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TERRY WOGAN: You've had to have special makeup for all this.

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You're not wearing it at the moment, obviously,

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but you've had [OVERLAPPING]. It suits you.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Some blusher.

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TERRY WOGAN: But you've got to get the eyes.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: They don't go that way, Terry, they go this way.

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TERRY WOGAN: You tell that to Prince Philip.

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[LAUGHTER] LEA SALONGA: Prosthetics.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Prosthetics.

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It's a very light latex which is a false lid.

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TERRY WOGAN: I'd hate that. Does it not irritate and ...?

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JONATHAN PRYCE: I'd rather be without them, but they're quite comfortable.

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The great thing about them, no acting is required once you've got those on,

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you just stand there and it all happens.

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TERRY WOGAN: Slip into the role.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yeah.

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TERRY WOGAN: There was, I would imagine. You were widely regarded as a versatile actor,

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but quite a serious actor.

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Did any of your theatrical friends say to you,

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"For heaven's sake, this is a musical"?

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JONATHAN PRYCE: No, my friends, they were very supportive of the idea,

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and they found it, as they do still, find it quite exciting.

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TERRY WOGAN: What about convincing the producers who are actually putting,

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well, millions into a show like this?

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Now, they know you Jonathan Pryce,

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a tremendously highly-regarded actor.

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Great. Get Jonathan Pryce,

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but we can't have anybody who can't sing.

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There must have been a hard-selling job required there for you.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: No, Cameron MackIntosh knew I could sing

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from a little adventure we thought about beforehand.

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But I sang for the Frenchmen.

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The two of them, and I sang at the London Palladium on stage there,

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and it went over it quite well.

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If I hadn't got the job,

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that would have been enough, I think, just singing at the Palladium.

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TERRY WOGAN: But as a non-singer in a sense, non-professional singer,

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does it take a lot out of you?

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Is it more demanding? Must be more demanding than straight acting.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: It's the easiest job I've ever had in my life.

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[LAUGHTER] I'm not giving any of the money back.

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TERRY WOGAN: Don't worry. [LAUGHTER]

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yes. Not that you'll know, will you?

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I was looking for a quiet life.

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Playing things like Macbeth and other similar roles,

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it feels like beating your head against the wall every night.

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It does actually take a lot out of you in terms of stress and emotional stress.

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It's very uplifting work, but it's very tiring.

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I found doing the musical,

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I get a great deal of pleasure,

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a great deal of enjoyment out of it.

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I only have to work 50%,

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because the orchestra and the music take care of 50%.

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I'm still not giving any of the money back.

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TERRY WOGAN: But you got to remember all the notes and all the dance steps and all the rest of it.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: It comes like second nature,

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it's... Once it's in.

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TERRY WOGAN: Being a Saigon pimp suits you, and it's easy work.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yeah, easy-peasy.

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TERRY WOGAN: But Lea,

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I know from reading about you

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that in fact, a musical career is not necessarily or

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a career in showbiz is not necessarily the be-all and end-all of your ambitions.

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LEA SALONGA: Yes, it isn't.

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Because I'd like to go back to medical school

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and finish and I'd like to be a doctor in the future.

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But since with the success of Ms. Saigon,

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it's now very difficult to place where I would like to go,

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I could either go back home after Ms. Saigon and finish

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medical school or go back home and continue a career in theater.

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I really don't know now. I'm really confused now. I need lots of help.

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TERRY WOGAN: Because you're an old lady, you better make your decisions. You're only 18.

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LEA SALONGA: Only 18.

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TERRY WOGAN: Take your time.

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LEA SALONGA: I will.

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TERRY WOGAN: You can be a big star,

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you are, and be a successful doctor.

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LEA SALONGA: Yeah, I could.

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TERRY WOGAN: Why not?

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LEA SALONGA: Why not?

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TERRY WOGAN: Meanwhile, you'll just have to go back.

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You'll be bored stiff, going back to the straight theatre, won't you?

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Well, I'm in this for a year,

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and then we start talking about America.

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TERRY WOGAN: You've already won a Tony on Broadway anyway.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Yeah. Done. Been there. [LAUGHTER]

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TERRY WOGAN: Well, it hasn't changed you.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: No.

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TERRY WOGAN: This show—you're both marvelous in it,

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so thank you both. Lea and Jonathan.

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LEA SALONGA: Thank you.

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JONATHAN PRYCE: Thanks. [APPLAUSE]