More Than One

Brent Hill can see the good in cloning: cloning a species of animal to keep it from extinction, for example, or cloning organs to save people's lives. He can also see the great fields of grey area that surround the issue, particularly when it comes to cloning humans. “I'm a big science fiction fan, so I'm kind of excited by the prospect of it,” he says, “but I'm also incredibly aware of the pitfalls that it has.”

It is the pitfalls that A Number, by acclaimed British playwright Caryl Churchill, is interested in exploring. A father, played by Kim Gyngell, clones his son. Four decades later, the clone, played by Hill, discovers the story of his origin and confronts his father. A dark, tense family drama ensues, examining issues of nature verses nurture, the concept of individuality, and – of course – the ethics and morality involved in cloning.

“I think people will leave the theatre going, 'Wow, what do I think about this? And how do I feel about this?,'” says Hill. “Because it is completely possible.”

The play requires a minimal cast, with Gyngell and Hill as the only actors, though Hill plays three different characters. Considering the subject matter and tone of the play, the atmosphere can become pretty intense at times. Hill, meanwhile, is a big believer in character bleed, where certain aspects of the character begin to bleed into the actor. He reports this happening during a 2009 production of Julius Caesar he was involved in, when he found himself secretly plotting against the director.

His and Gyngell's relationship is fine despite the intensity of the roles, Hill insists, though he does admit to some awkward moments. “Our relationship in the play is very complex and very thick with emotional undertones. You know, because it's a 40-year relationship of a father and son who have gone through difficult times, losing a mother and wife respectively,” he says. “There's a particular scene in the play where we are kind of  ripping each other apart. And then [director Melissa Cantwell] goes, 'Okay, lunchbreak.' And then we go on lunch for an hour and Kim and I sit in a cafe together, kind of feeling a bit weird, a bit awkward about it.”

Both actors in A Number have made their reputations in very different productions. Gyngell is probably best known for his role as a comedian in shows like The Comedy Company of the late 1980s, Full Frontal and The Librarians, while Hill's last major role was as Leo Bloom in the Mel Brooks musical The Producers.

Hill says he enjoys the challenge of these violent shifts in tone, even seeks them out. He gets bored easily. “Like a lot of people, I have a short attention span,” he says. “My primary mode of function is improv. And the thing I love about improv is how everything just changes on a dime. I always find it really exciting. So going from character to character and play to play – I enjoy challenging myself. And this has been a huge leap for me.”

“I think like everyone else,” he continues, “I don't want to play the same note my whole life, I want to jump around the orchestra.”