INTERVIEW
Julian bird and Stephanie Okoye on The Psychiatrist at White Bear Theatre, Kennington 8 - 26 April
The Psychiatrist is by Julian Bird, based on his experience in practice as a psychiatrist and physician before he trained as an actor. He plays Dr Andrew Faulkner and Stephanie Okoye plays both other roles. This is Stephanie's theatrical debut after training and working as a lawyer, she made the decision to pursue acting, drawn to the power of storytelling and human connection.
Stephanie Okoye
Hello Stephanie, we're very impressed to hear that this is your theatre debut - congratulations! What made you decide to act, following your legal career?
Thank you! I had always been interested in acting, I loved performing and storytelling. During a short pause in my legal work, I started attending some acting workshops which is where I met Julian and really the ball got rolling from there! It’s always been something I’ve wanted to do and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be starting my journey on such an interesting project.
Please tell us about your roles in The Psychiatrist.
Of course! I’m playing two very different roles in The Psychiatrist. One role is that of Alex, a very troubled young woman who is suffering with quite severe mental health issues and the other is that of Zarah, a composed middle aged psychodynamic therapist both of whom engage with the titular character as patient and therapist respectively. So, very distinct roles and I’m extremely excited for the challenge!
Image: Stephanie Okoye & Julien Bird in rehearsal
Stephanie, how have you prepared for playing two very different roles in the play?
It’s not without its challenges! Honestly, though the characters are very clearly defined which makes it easier. It’s been really interesting distinguishing their physicality, accents, even movement styles. I think that has helped me the most to differentiate them. They move and sound different to one another and have such different objectives in their scenes. So much is predicated on how they both relate to Andrew, Julian’s character so just working with him has been an immensely useful springboard in understanding how to characterize them.
What are you most looking forward to about performing The Psychiatrist at The White Bear Theatre?
So many things! It’s been a wonderful process working with Julian and being able to bring his wonderful writing and experiences to life, so I’m just looking forward to getting up and performing with him, learning from him and the whole process. It’s all new and I’m really just excited about it all! The White Bear is a great space and I am really connected with the play; mental health is such an important and pertinent topic and it’s wonderful to be a part of something that explores it in such an authentic way.
Julian Bird
Hello Julian, pleased to have a chance to chat with you. What made you first decide to make the leap to acting, following your career as a psychiatrist?
I was brought up in a theatre family so I had always loved theatre and also had also loved using role play in medical education. The main trigger for switching to acting was in my 60’s when I had t a series of cancer operations. I thought I might die fairly soon so I decided it was time try something different so I applied to drama school .
The Psychiatrist is based on your real experiences in practise. How much of yourself is in the character you play in The Psychiatrist?
The central character in the play is in many ways different from me - more driven and tense and less sociable - but of course there are similarities and this is not surprising given that the painful life experiences described in the play were real.
What can audiences expect from The Psychiatrist?
The play is mostly dark - it explores painful mental health issues that will be familiar to many members of the audience. The play gives a realistic description of the life of psychiatrist as he copes with a real case. The audiences can expect quite a lot of drama as the relationships between the three principal characters changes.
What are you most looking forward to about performing The Psychiatrist at The White Bear Theatre?
I look forward it because I have a great team working with me and a lot of friends in both professions will be coming and because it will be a particular pleasure to work with Stephanie.
The Psychiatrist by Julian Bird
Performed by Julian Bird & Stephanie Okaye at White Bear Theatre, kennington
8th - 26th April 2025
The play is based on real events and portrays a psychiatrist’s struggle with poor resources, whilst trying to achieve a better life for his patients. Troubling events and losses in the psychiatrist’s personal life lead him to seek help from a psychotherapist while he continues his work. In alternating scenes, he is shown as a patient and as a therapist.
Following his career in psychiatry, Julian Bird trained as an actor at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. His TV credits include East Enders and The Tudors for the BBC. He received critical acclaim for his role as Sigmund Freud in Freud’s Last Session at the King’s Head in 2022.
This is Stephanie Okaye's theatrical debut
The Psychiatrist is directed by Kenneth Michaels, returning to the White Bear after directing The Dedication in October 2024, and produced by Alistair Brown. Stephanie O
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