Richard Goulding interview
Richard Goulding talks about playing Prince Harry... again.
Tell us about The Windsors...
The Windsors is a new comedy about the Royal Family and their relationships and the silly imagined scrapes they might get into - it's a very lovable, hilarious, cartoonish drama about the Royal Family.
And is this your second time playing Prince Harry?
It's my second time yes, I played Prince Harry in a play which was done three times - at the Almeida and in the West End and then on Broadway.
How does The Windsors take on Prince Harry compare?
Well in The Windsors the joke is that he isn't the sharpest twig in the wood so to speak. The Harry I play in the show is the party boy, the shagger who gets away with everything with his charm and his not 'A grade' brain - that's very funny hopefully. But the play was written in the style of a Shakespeare play, so it was much more highbrow, however there was a common thread with his stupidity in the play and there was also a love story in the play as well as in The Windsors. There's a love story on the show and it's very obvious who he falls for.
On that note tell us about Harry's relationship with Pippa?
In the show his relationship with Pippa is up and down and confusing for him, what with him being the bearer of a little brain. He is convinced by his father (Harry Enfield's Prince Charles) that the feelings he has when he is near Pippa are actually symptoms of Irritable bowel syndrome! Over the course of the series it becomes apparent to him that it's not actually Irritable bowel syndrome and that he is in fact desperately in love with her and they go through various separations and disasters... and I won't tell you how it ends!
You look a fair bit like the real Prince Harry, have you ever been mistaken for him?
Actually a couple of years ago, just before the play, I was in Clapham Junction and I was wearing a jacket and a shirt and it was around 10pm on a Saturday night, so it was quite rowdy and someone shouted at me 'Oiiii It's Prince Harry!' and everyone looked at me - but it was quite scary actually! That was the first time that I've ever been mistaken for him, but in New York I was mistaken for him again, however I was also mistaken for Ed Sheeran as well! My hair's not naturally ginger, I dyed it for the part; I'm sort of blond really. I might keep it in fact, it's quite fun being ginger you get more attention!
You played the brother of Jack Whitehall's character JP in Fresh Meat - is taking on Prince Harry a step up on the posh-ness scale, so to speak?
Definitely! Tomothy is pretty landed and obviously not royalty and there's an element of trying too hard to be posh with him, and that's part of Tomothy's tragedy and thus comedy. But Prince Harry - the royalty, the land and the money - he's just born with it so its legitimate entitlement, it's much more fun playing that!
Harry's got a bit of a rep in the media as a party prince - how do you compare?
Well I am a Dad now so my outlook on life and my taste has changed a lot but to be honest, I'm much happier playing a perceived party animal than being one. I felt some pressure in my youth to go out and all that but I'm a bit of a pussy actually, I can't take it any more - I'm getting old! I'm happier in a pub having a pint than a night club having shots - my days in Boujis are over!
What was it like working with Harry Enfield and the cast?
It was absolutely great! I was surprised that he was so nice and supportive and humble and so gracious. He's such a star and he really sort of completely re-invented TV comedy in the 90's, watching him was a master class in seeing an actor being incredibly funny and a master of his comedic craft. The rest of the cast are equally brilliant, everyone brings something totally different to it and yet we all seem to be working on the same page in the style of the show. Morgana is hilarious and it's a real step in a different direction for her from her sketch show, it was fantastic working with her she's amazing.
Was it a good atmosphere on set? When you have that many comedians thrown in together?
Well yeah it was a fantastic atmosphere and although the pressure is on with these things - the level of fun we managed to have was just about right, although I must say that I was fairly borderline corpsing all the time. There's one particular scene with our Fergie (Katy Wix) and Edward (Matthew Cottle) that's more or less impossible to get through, I had to bite my cheek to stop myself laughing.
Ok, silly question... Snog, Marry and Avoid - between Pippa, Cressida and Chelsea?
Hhhm, I would avoid Chelsea, snog Pippa and marry Cressy I reckon!
And if you could buy the real William and Kate a 5th wedding anniversary present what would you get them?
I think its wood isn't it? Then I'd buy Wills a shed - so he can work and relax in it and Kate would get a wooden corgie - she's got to step into the Queens boots at some point.
What do you think the Royals will make of it?
I don't know! I'd like to think they'd watch it! I don't know if they will but if they do watch it I'd like to think they see the fun side of it and see that in the end it's actually very loving, almost a tribute to them in an odd way. It does become a very touching story in the end and its very silly and it's not mean, I hope they'd see that and enjoy it for that and for what it is. It is using real people as a spring board for a story, rather than taking the piss out of them directly, it's an excuse for a good drama about a family that we all think we know very well.