#david hare

Journey through Ralph’s interviews and speeches

In an era dominated by streaming platforms, algorithmic feeds and shrinking attention spans, actor Ralph Fiennes and playwright David Hare make a compelling case for the enduring force of live theatre. In a reflective conversation with the Financial Times, the two artists explore what keeps the stage relevant - and why genuine artistic work still demands obsession, vulnerability and emotional risk.

At the centre of their discussion is the unique intensity of theatre itself. Unlike film, where scenes can be edited and refined endlessly, live performance unfolds in real time before an audience. For Fiennes, this immediacy creates a kind of emotional electricity that cannot be replicated on screen. The actor describes performance not as technical execution, but as a process of emotional exposure - one requiring discipline, instinct and complete immersion in a character’s inner life.

Hare, whose plays have long examined politics, morality and personal conflict, argues that audiences continue to seek stories that challenge rather than simply entertain. He suggests that theatre’s power lies in its ability to confront uncomfortable truths directly, forcing viewers into a shared emotional and intellectual experience. In a culture increasingly shaped by distraction and superficial engagement, both men see serious art as a form of resistance.

The conversation repeatedly returns to the idea of artistic obsession. Great performances and meaningful writing, they argue, rarely emerge from comfort or balance. Instead, creative work often demands total commitment - an all-consuming pursuit of authenticity that can blur the line between professional dedication and personal fixation.

Yet despite the difficulties of the profession, neither Fiennes nor Hare sounds cynical. Their reflections carry a sense of faith in art’s lasting value: the belief that theatre, at its best, still has the power to unsettle, provoke and move people in ways few other mediums can.

Ultimately, the interview becomes less about performance alone and more about why serious artistic expression continues to matter. For both men, theatre survives not because it competes with modern entertainment, but because it offers something increasingly rare - a genuine human presence, emotional depth and the possibility of transformation.

The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante

Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore as Clarissa Vaughan and Laura Brown in The Hours