Mr Poldark, I do not wish for fame ... my heart is in the theatre says Heida Reed
Poldark has been drawing audiences of seven million, but instead of following it up with another blockbuster TV role, star Heida Reed is appearing on stage in a new play about cyberbullying.
The actress, 27, said she had “no idea” of the potential impact of the BBC1 drama when she took the role of Elizabeth - the first love of Ross Poldark, played by heartthrob Aidan Turner.
“I didn’t know about the previous series (in the Seventies) when I was cast,” she said. “I picked up the script and the story was captivating.”
But she said she had ruled out capitalising on fame generated by Poldark to instead appear at Southwark Playhouse in a work developed by her own theatre company. The play, Scarlet, tells the story of a young woman shocked to find herself in a sex video that goes viral.
Reed is part of the Theatre Renegade company, which has spent several years developing Scarlet with writer Sam H Freeman. She said it was a coincidence that it was premiering now, just as Poldark boosted her profile.
In the TV series, based on the novels by Winston Graham, she plays Elizabeth, who agrees to marry Poldark’s cousin following rumours he has died fighting for the British in America. When he returns to Cornwall, she is tormented by the clash between her feelings and her social obligations.
Poldark
Her new project, the story of a woman who wakes one morning to find a video of her being sexually abused by a boy gang has gone viral, is a world away.
“I think it’s a very relevant subject,” said Reed. “It’s about a girl who sees nothing wrong with being sexually free and open until she is a victim of a sort of revenge porn video.
“I’ve been involved in Scarlet from the beginning. I took myself out of the race for other jobs that might have a higher profile. I’m so grateful Poldark is as popular as it is and I’m able to do a little bit to promote the play.”
Scarlet runs from April 15 to May 9. Visit southwarkplayhouse.co.uk
