ScotsGay Magazine

CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN INTERVIEW - EDINBURGH FRINGE 2006

Equitalk

Those of you yet to see Killing Time at the Edinburgh Fringe will most likely know Claudia Christian from her role as Susan Ivanova in J. Michael Straczynski’s classic SF masterpiece, Babylon 5. B5 broke new ground in American TV Science Fiction, in that, for the first four seasons anyway, it ran with one continuous and compulsive story arc, a plotting device imitated by many shows since.

“Man, we can talk about Babylon 5 all night,” she enthuses, “working on that show gave me four great years. One hell of an experience.”

Given Christian’s extensive resume, she doesn’t seem to tire of the obsessive-compulsive nature of B5 fandom.

“The fans of the show are truly lovely, mostly,” she grins, “though I was shot by one once.”

In Upstate New York (where else?) in 1993, a ‘fan’ re-enacting his favourite scene from the show, got a little too close. “The gun was loaded with blanks, but the guy fired from close range. I dropped to the floor. I could have been seriously hurt.” She pauses. “It did seriously hurt!”

The show was an Emmy and Hugo award winning success, and despite being shot by a fan, she clearly agrees with most fans about B5’s appeal. “I would go back to it in an instant. In fact I’ve just completed my first Babylon 5 novel, Baptism of Fire, which is very much an Ivanova story. I’ve missed her.”

Christian moved to London in 2005, and quickly landed a part in the short-lived BBC satirical comedy Broken News. Perhaps her role as IBS news anchor Julia Regan, gave her a taste for sketch comedy. “I’d like to perform live comedy. Since being up in Edinburgh I’ve been checking out some shows. The Fringe is intensely exciting!”

Killing Time is her UK stage debut, playing opposite George Calil, from the TV shows Holby City and Band of Brothers. “It’s an intense psychological thriller. When I first saw the script, I thought wow, these characters are really put through it – a real challenge.”

Christian plays Jane, a seemingly well-to-do married woman caught up in a plot involving violence and murder. Calil, is Rick, a stranger who engineers a chance meeting with Jane in an attempt to persuade her to kill her unsavoury and violent husband.

It’s a fast-paced action thriller, featuring twist after twist. This isn’t an amateur student production, rather an explosive piece of live drama, which demands a lot from its two lead actors. Christian’s claim that the characters are “really put through it” is entirely accurate.

But, despite the demands of daily performances of intense drama, Christian seems to be really enjoying herself.

“I’ve enjoyed my time in Edinburgh so far. Seen a few really good shows. Can I write a review for you?”

Killing Time
C Chambers St
7:20pm 2nd-28th Aug (not 15th)
£9.50/£8.50. page180

Check the reviews section for Claudia's take on the hit show, Dusty Limits is Heartless