Actor visits location that was inspiration behind one of his best-known films
Date posted
2 December 2016
11:00
Last updated
19 March 2020
Game of Thrones star Jonathan Pryce has shared his experiences of working on the stage and screen with Edinburgh Napier students at a special Q&A event.
The award-winning actor, who most recently played The High Sparrow in the hit HBO series, visited Edinburgh Napier’s Craiglockhart campus on Thursday (1 December) and delighted his audience of acting, film and television students with tales from his career so far.
Hosted by acclaimed screenwriter, film producer and honorary professor of film at Edinburgh Napier Allan Shiach, the Q&A covered a wide range of topics as he recounted his roles in blockbusters Tomorrow Never Dies, the Pirates of the Caribbean series and Evita to name but a few as well as his extensive theatre work.
The actor, who is currently in Scotland shooting scenes for upcoming film The Wife with Glenn Close and Christian Slater, also looked back on his role in Regeneration; the 1997 film which was adapted by host Allan Shiach from the novel of the same name by Pat Barker.
Starring Jonathan as Dr Rivers, the film follows the stories of a number of officers during the First World War, including Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, who are brought together in Craiglockhart War Hospital while being treated for shell shock.
Today, the original war hospital building houses part of Edinburgh Napier’s Business School as well as being home to its extensive War Poets Collection; a permanent exhibition of words, memories, voices and objects that were left behind by visiting officers, medical staff and relatives. The collection was recently relaunched to recognise 100 years since the building’s first official use as a military hospital.
As part of his visit, Jonathan received a tour of the collection and saw first-hand the building that was the inspiration behind the film Regeneration.
He said: “Craiglockhart was the total inspiration behind the film. The building we filmed in suggests Craiglockhart and having spent a little time here, I think it’s lucky we filmed in a smaller location as I think we’d get the feeling that this is a very grand building and the other one was a bit more intense, I think.
“It’s an obvious thing to say but we can only develop and grow if we learn from the past and it is very important that World War One especially, the memory, what happened and the people involved, is still kept alive as it is way, way past history for young people.”
Edinburgh Napier offers a wide range of acting for stage and screen, film and TV-orientated courses as part of its School of Arts and Creative Industries. It is also a partner in Screen Academy Scotland, a collaboration between the University and Edinburgh College of Art which is dedicated to fostering the future of film makers.
Dr Alistair Scott, director of Screen Academy Scotland and associate professor of film and television at Edinburgh Napier, said: “It’s fantastic for our students to hear about Jonathan’s varied and acclaimed career and be inspired by the breadth of his experience and successes across film, theatre and television.”