Kara Tointon finds her dark side in Theatre Royal Brighton thriller Gaslight

A psychological thriller, the play sees Bella isolated in the home she shares with her husband Jack, who is out on the town every evening. As Bella starts to notice ghostly occurrences – objects disappearing, spooky footsteps overhead and even the flickering of living room gaslight – she starts to question her own sanity. Tointon spoke to EDWIN GILSON about the role.

What drew you to the play in the first place?

I was desperate to do some theatre, and I was hooked on this script within the first few pages. I’ve never done a thriller like this before – it’s a bit dark. We’re looking into the psychological damage of a woman being manipulated by her husband. It’s a fascinating subject and I’m into psychology anyway. We’re doing a period piece that is relevant – people might relate to it in some way, although hopefully not such a dark way.

Patrick Hamilton basically came up with a new word – “gaslighting”. It was used to describe manipulation of the mind, and being torn apart. I’m excited to look into that.

When you say the play has relevance today, how do you mean exactly?

I think in everyday life we have our own agendas and without knowing it we manipulate things to the way we want them to be. People are in relationships where they don’t realise that somebody else’s actions are affecting their everyday state. But this play features quite an extreme situation which I would hope not many are going through.

How do you go about tapping into the pysche of a character who starts to doubt her own imagination and mental state?

That’s the best part of theatre. You have usually about a month, give or take, to prepare for the role. You look through every little bit of the back story. The first time I did theatre, I was like “can’t we just get going”, because we were running out of time. That prep time means it all comes together gradually though.

How do Patrick Hamilton and your director Anthony Banks portray that difficult balance between Bella’s potentially warped imagination and the idea that the spooky happenings in her house might be for real?

We want the audience to question what’s going on, and it’s not clear. We want to twist and turn it as much as possible and leave you wondering who is in the wrong or what is going on. That is cleverly done with staging and different means. You feel for Bella because she is no weak little flower. That’s what interesting – that somebody so strong can be mentally broken down in this way.

The blurb for the play states that the “respectable Victorian marriage” between Bella and Jack is shaken to its core. Is the play’s satirical social message overt, or more subtle?

That’s a good question. They’ve been married for seven years and you quickly realise that he has a darker story going on underneath which she is oblivious to. This was a time when the relationship between men and women is much different to what it is today. I’ll be delving further into that question the further I get into the play.

Do you remember much about treading the boards for the first time, at Cliffs Theatre in Southend where you performed in The Sound Of Music?

I remember it really well. Up until that point it had been a bit of a hobby, and I remember thinking: “Oh my God, can I really do this?” I don’t think I really believed I could until I was a bit older. I think theatre is the basic reason I act, in a way.

Do you get nervous before a performance?

I do, but I’ve learnt to use that in a positive way. I’ve spoken to many actors over the years and they say that it’s a shame when the nerves go. I’m not there yet, though. They are well and truly there at the moment. I quite enjoy that adrenaline, though – that’s what it’s all about.

You’ve become quite an ambassador for raising awareness about dyslexia. Is it still stigmatised as much as it was, or has the situation improved in your eyes – maybe even as a result of your 2011 documentary Don’t Call Me Stupid?

I’ve been lucky because I found out at a young age that I had dyslexia and I’ve had all the support I needed since then. I’ve learnt different ways to help myself, especially as I have to learn and read lengthy dialogue. Up until that point I hadn’t spoken about dyslexia, so it was a little bit daunting. I was almost voluntarily sabotaging my career.

More people have said more positive things to me about the documentary than anything else I’ve done. I’m in a position of privilege and if I can help people through that position in any way, it’s great. It’s important to talk about any troubles you have.

Do you miss the day-to-day life of acting in EastEnders, or any of your other television roles?

When I did a soap and a long-running show it was because I wanted to feel part of a team. You’re always feeling like the new girl and that can be intimidating, so it can good to relax into a programme. I feel I suit a shorterterm project. I love playing different characters and having more time to do the best you can do with something, whereas with longrunning shows it’s so intense and fast. Some people are really good at that, but not so much me. It’s a great training ground, though, because if you can do that it sets you up well.

Where does winning Strictly Come Dancing rank in your career achievements? And have you been watching this year?

Winning is definitely up there as one of the most crazy experiences I’ve ever had, but most valuable to me was learning about myself and how to not take things too seriously. I love watching the show every year and this series has been so enjoyable because everyone’s bought into the idea of letting go and having fun with it. I haven’t got a clue which way it’ll go to the final, so it makes it all the more interesting.

Gaslight, Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, Monday, February 6, to Saturday, February 11, 7.45pm (2.30pm matinee Thursday and Saturday), from £12.50, 08448 717650