Company Interviews: Daniel Briere as Duke Frederick & Duke Senior
We asked Daniel Briere, who plays Duke Frederick and Duke Senior in our production of As You Like It, a few questions about himself, his characters, and his taste in music...
Daniel Briere as Duke Senior. Photo by Kyle Purcell.
What might people be interested to know about your take on your characters?
I've been having a fun time imagining what could have been the reason that Duke Senior was cast into exile, bringing him to the Forest of Arden. Specifically, what would Frederick find so offensive or treasonous that he would cast his own brother out? And at this point, given Senior's eccentric nature, a man who lives by his own rules, I'm wondering if there was some sort of sordid scandal. Think of all the conspiracy theories people have regarding Charles relationship with Camilla, and Diana's tragic death. The effects of those events rocked the British monarchy, and I'm sure at a point the Queen mother would have done anything to keep things hush. What if Frederick exiled Senior, not from a place of ambition or greed, but in order to keep a scandal quiet, before anyone got hurt? Lots of fun stuff to play with there.
What is your favourite forest or type of forest?
One with friendly animated bears who steal picnic baskets.
Who is your favourite pro wrestler?
My favourite pro wrestler growing up was Bret "the Hitman" Hart. He and his family lived not far from me in Calgary; I went to school with his kids. They were obviously a big part of the community, even the Calgary western hockey league team was named after him. But my favourite was when I started theatre school in Calgary, I met a young man from Quebec who had travelled all the way across the country to pursue his double passion of becoming a serious theatre actor and training at the world famous Hart School of Wrestling. Boy did he have energy.
If your characters were at Junction City Music Hall, what drinks would they order?
Frederick would drink Spanish wine, something bold and haughty, but only one glass. And Senior would probably spend an hour grilling the bartender on all the possibilities and never settling on just one, so he'd attempt to try them all.
What is your favourite 1960's love song?
My Cherie Amour. Best elevator song everrrrr.
If you could see one band/musician at any time in the past, present, or future, who would that be?
I got to see Jeff Lynn last year, which was a huge one for me! ELO is one of those bands everybody thinks they don't know, and then can sing along to at least half a dozen songs. Right now I'm thinking it would be crazy to see one of those Emerson Lake and Palmer tours in the mid sixties when they were trucking around that massively expensive and massively huge analog synthesizer, the early Moog that blew everyone's minds? But really, who wouldn't give anything and everything to see The Beatles in the early or mid sixties in the middle of Beatle-mania? Oh! And the Steve Miller Band. And Nina Simone. Oscar Peterson. Booker T and the M G's. And Patti Smith. Harry Belafonte. The Doors! Wait... did you say just one?
I've been having a fun time imagining what could have been the reason that Duke Senior was cast into exile, bringing him to the Forest of Arden. Specifically, what would Frederick find so offensive or treasonous that he would cast his own brother out? And at this point, given Senior's eccentric nature, a man who lives by his own rules, I'm wondering if there was some sort of sordid scandal. Think of all the conspiracy theories people have regarding Charles relationship with Camilla, and Diana's tragic death. The effects of those events rocked the British monarchy, and I'm sure at a point the Queen mother would have done anything to keep things hush. What if Frederick exiled Senior, not from a place of ambition or greed, but in order to keep a scandal quiet, before anyone got hurt? Lots of fun stuff to play with there.
What is your favourite forest or type of forest?
One with friendly animated bears who steal picnic baskets.
Who is your favourite pro wrestler?
My favourite pro wrestler growing up was Bret "the Hitman" Hart. He and his family lived not far from me in Calgary; I went to school with his kids. They were obviously a big part of the community, even the Calgary western hockey league team was named after him. But my favourite was when I started theatre school in Calgary, I met a young man from Quebec who had travelled all the way across the country to pursue his double passion of becoming a serious theatre actor and training at the world famous Hart School of Wrestling. Boy did he have energy.
If your characters were at Junction City Music Hall, what drinks would they order?
Frederick would drink Spanish wine, something bold and haughty, but only one glass. And Senior would probably spend an hour grilling the bartender on all the possibilities and never settling on just one, so he'd attempt to try them all.
What is your favourite 1960's love song?
My Cherie Amour. Best elevator song everrrrr.
If you could see one band/musician at any time in the past, present, or future, who would that be?
I got to see Jeff Lynn last year, which was a huge one for me! ELO is one of those bands everybody thinks they don't know, and then can sing along to at least half a dozen songs. Right now I'm thinking it would be crazy to see one of those Emerson Lake and Palmer tours in the mid sixties when they were trucking around that massively expensive and massively huge analog synthesizer, the early Moog that blew everyone's minds? But really, who wouldn't give anything and everything to see The Beatles in the early or mid sixties in the middle of Beatle-mania? Oh! And the Steve Miller Band. And Nina Simone. Oscar Peterson. Booker T and the M G's. And Patti Smith. Harry Belafonte. The Doors! Wait... did you say just one?