Warwickshire &amp; West Midlands

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1.jpg" alt="The Forsyte Saga Parts 1 &amp; 2, RSC" class="wp-image-61481" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1-800x800.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1-400x400.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/06/399253_The-Forsyte-Saga-Square_2025-1-500x500.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Left to right: Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Fleur, Fiona Hampton as Irene and Joseph Millson as Soames Forsyte. Credit: The RSC</figcaption></figure>



Actors Fiona Hampton and Flora Spencer-Longhurst star in this ambitious two-part epic &#8211; a marathon six-hour double-bill! &#8211; playing at The Swan, Stratford, until Sat 10 Jan.



Fiona makes her RSC debut as Irene in Part 1; while Flora takes centre stage in Part 2 as Fleur, the daughter of wealthy solicitor Soames Forsyte &#8211; and the story&#8217;s main narrator. Originally a low-budget, under-the-radar hit at London&#8217;s Park Theatre in 2024, the production has transferred to Stratford with much of the original creative team intact, including director Josh Roche and cast members Fiona, Flora and Joseph Millson as Soames Forsyte. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Fiona-Hampton.jpg" alt="Fiona Hampton" class="wp-image-67478" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Fiona-Hampton.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Fiona-Hampton-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Fiona-Hampton-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Fiona-Hampton-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Both actors also have strong Warks &amp; West Mids connections. London-based mum-of-two Fiona studied film and literature at Warwick University; while Flora is originally form Handsworth, Birmingham. This marks her fourth production with the RSC &#8211; very much one to watch. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Flora-Spencer-Longhurst.jpg" alt="Flora Spencer-Longhurst " class="wp-image-67479" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Flora-Spencer-Longhurst.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Flora-Spencer-Longhurst-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Flora-Spencer-Longhurst-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Flora-Spencer-Longhurst-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /></figure>



Based on John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning nine-book family saga, this &#8216;gorgeous, beautifully acted&#8217; (The Telegraph) stage adaptation has been winning over audiences and critics alike, racking up glowing four-and five-star reviews.



Over to you, ladies&#8230;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/415916_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-1_-Irene_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg" alt="The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene. Photo by Cam Harle" class="wp-image-67181" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/415916_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-1_-Irene_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/415916_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-1_-Irene_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/415916_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-1_-Irene_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/415916_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-1_-Irene_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Forsyte Saga Part 1: Irene. Fiona Hampton, Andy Rush, and company. Photo by Cam Harle</figcaption></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-give-us-the-pitch-for-the-forsyte-saga-parts-i-amp-2">Give us the pitch for The Forsyte Saga: Parts I &amp; 2.</h4>



Fiona: It follows the story of a wealthy family during a time of huge change, spanning the late Victorian era through to the Edwardian period. Part 1 follows one particular couple, Irene and Soames, who are unhappily married. Irene falls in love with someone else, and the story charts their eventual downfall.



Flora: In Part 2, my character delves into her family&#8217;s past. It&#8217;s a &#8216;metaphysical excavation&#8217; to try and understand why her life has been shaped and damaged by long-buried family secrets. In a way, it&#8217;s a memory play.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-you-think-this-production-has-hit-such-a-nerve-with-audiences">Why do you think this production has hit such a nerve with audiences? </h4>



Flora: I think it captures the essence of imaginative storytelling in an overstimulated world, helped by the simplicity of the minimalist design.



Fiona: Seeing it in a small, intimate space &#8211; almost in a Fringe-style setting &#8211; means it&#8217;s completely stripped back, so all the audience really has is the acting. At its heart, it&#8217;s about the struggle to make good decisions in difficult times &#8211; which is why I think it resonates so strongly now.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-this-rsc-production-differ-from-the-first-showing-at-london-s-park-theatre">How does this RSC production differ from the first showing at London&#8217;s Park Theatre?</h4>



Fiona: The essence is the same, a re-write has made the play even stronger &#8211; but the costumes are definitely more lavish. The Other Place is a bigger venue, but it still feels wonderfully intimate.



Flora: We also have the RSC&#8217;s amazing WHAM department &#8211; wigs, hair and make-up &#8211; which was a lovely surprise. My wig, in particular, has been a real creative collaboration.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tell-us-about-your-character-and-your-prep-for-the-role">Tell us about your character and your prep for the role?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416231_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg" alt="The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur with Flora Spencer-Longhurst. as Fleur Forsyte. Photo by Cam Harle" class="wp-image-67184" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416231_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416231_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416231_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416231_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Forsyte Saga Part 2: Fleur &#8211; Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Fleur Forsyte. Photo by Cam Harle</figcaption></figure>



Fiona: So much happens to my character, Irene. She&#8217;s very passive, and everyone projects onto her. All the other characters have an opinion about her, but you rarely hear from her directly and never quite get to the bottom of who she really is. 



One of my favourite things when you get a job is all the reading around it &#8211; the academic side. You almost become an expert. I am half Chinese, so the creative team made Irene mixed race, and I spent time reading about Singapore in the late 1800s. I absolutely loved it!



Flora: Fleur is very headstrong, confident, determined, entitled and very, very spoiled by her father, Soames. She&#8217;s described as &#8220;a force of nature.&#8221; To prepare for the role, I dipped into The Forsyte Saga novels, watched Stephen Fry&#8217;s film Bright Young Things for a feel of the era and our director introduced me to a brilliant book, Borrowed Time: The Story of Britain Between the Wars&nbsp;by Roy Hattersley &#8211; which I found incredibly helpful. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416183_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg" alt="The-Forsyte Saga-Part 2 Fleur" class="wp-image-67185" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416183_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416183_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416183_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416183_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The-Forsyte Saga-Part 2: Fleur</figcaption></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-pre-show-ritual">What’s your pre-show ritual? </h4>



Flora: We have lovely warm-ups led by our movement Director, Patrice Bowler.



Fiona: I really need to warm my body up, especially when we&#8217;re doing two shows in one day. We play lots of silly games and one of our cast, Andy Rush, is amazing at circus skills &#8211; so we&#8217;ve been practising handstands. 



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-anything-you-can-t-do-without">Anything you can’t do without?</h4>



Fiona: We&#8217;ve all become obsessed with grapefruits!



Flora: &#8230;They bring a bit of zing.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-you-most-excited-for-audiences-to-see-with-this-show">What are you most excited for audiences to see with this show?</h4>



Fiona: A two-show day really feels like an event. It&#8217;s wonderful to play, and you&#8217;re performing to pretty much the same audience both times. There&#8217;s a lovely energy &#8211; a real buzz &#8211; when you go back on stage for the second show 



Flora: Each of the two parts has a different tone. It&#8217;s really exciting as the audience doesn&#8217;t know what to expect. Part 1 is more of a thriller, whereas Part 2 is more psychological.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1000" height="1200" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/The-Forsyte.jpg" alt="Fiona Hampton in The Forsyte Saga Part 1 Photo by Cam Harle" class="wp-image-67481" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/The-Forsyte.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/The-Forsyte-667x800.jpg 667w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/The-Forsyte-833x1000.jpg 833w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/The-Forsyte-768x922.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Fiona Hampton in The Forsyte Saga Part 1 Photo by Cam Harle</figcaption></figure>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-your-absolute-dream-role">What’s your absolute dream role?</h4>



Fiona: Lady Macbeth



Flora: Beatrice in Shakespeare&#8217;s Much Ado About Nothing. I have played Hero, but Beatrice is just so witty and on a par with Benedick. Their spa-ing is endlessly fun.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-actors-have-most-inspired-you">Which actors have most inspired you?</h4>



Fiona: My idol is the late Helen McCrory. I saw her in As You Like It with Dominic West in 2005 at the Wyndham Theatre, and she was just incredible and so elegant. I saw her again in Deep Blue Sea at The National &#8211; and even got to meet her afterwards. I told her: &#8216;You&#8217;re the reason I went to drama school&#8217;, then promptly descended into complete verbal diarrhoea!



Flora: For me, it has to be Dame Judi Dench &#8211; she&#8217;s just amazing. She came to Stratford for a fundraising event the other day, and we nearly saw her. So close!



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-would-you-absolutely-love-to-share-the-stage-with">Who would you absolutely love to share the stage with?</h4>



Flora: Dame Judy or a New York actor called Portia, who was in my very first professional play, The Member of the Wedding at the Young Vic, in which I played a 12-year-old tomboy. I&#8217;d love to work with her again.



Fiona: Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer)



<h4 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-have-been-your-cultural-highlights-in-2025">What have been your cultural highlights in 2025?</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1001" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416078_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg" alt="The Forsyte Saga Part 2 - Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Fleur Forsyte and Joseph Millson as Soames Forsyte. Photo by Cam Harle" class="wp-image-67183" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416078_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416078_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-800x534.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416078_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/416078_The-Forsyte-Saga-Part-2_-Fleur_-production-photos_-Nov-2025_2025-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Forsyte Saga Part 2 &#8211; Flora Spencer-Longhurst as Fleur Forsyte and Joseph Millson as Soames Forsyte. Photo by Cam Harle</figcaption></figure>



Flora: <a href="https://www.hampsteadtheatre.com/whats-on/2025/showmanism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Showmanism</a> at Hampstead Theatre &#8211; Dickie Beau&#8217;s one-man history of the stage in which he lip-syncs to the voices of actors, including Fiona Shaw. 



Fiona: This year I saw <a href="https://www.meute.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meute</a>, a big brass band from Germany who play drum and bass &#8211; they were great!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Untitled-design-2025-12-20T201503.964.jpg" alt="German marching techno band Meute" class="wp-image-67266" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Untitled-design-2025-12-20T201503.964.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Untitled-design-2025-12-20T201503.964-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Untitled-design-2025-12-20T201503.964-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2025/12/Untitled-design-2025-12-20T201503.964-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Meute</figcaption></figure>



<a href="https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-forsyte-saga/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Forsyte Saga</a>: Part 1: Irene and Part 2: Fleur will be showing at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until 10 Jan 2026. Tickets from £5-£75. Box Office <a href="https://www.rsc.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rsc.org.uk</a>. or call 01789 331111.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-in-the-mood-for-more">IN THE MOOD FOR MORE? </h2>



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Muddy meets two stars of ‘gorgeous’ RSC epic, The Forsyte Saga

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