Jun 7, 2026 · 31 min · 10 segments
Send us Fan Mail As Rajiv Joseph's *Archduke* prepares to open at the Royal Court Theatre, Olivier Award winner Chris Walley sat down with us for an…
Chris WalleyGuest
Carlos TsengHostNo entities detected.
And so this really feels like a beautifully irreverent comic exploration of the young men who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Um, what was your initial reaction to reading Rajiv's script when you first read it?
Uh, it was a rhythm that I immediately fell into the rhythm while reading it and found it, like, so enjoyable to read.
Uh, it just kinda like moved along at such a, a pace that it was just very difficult to stop reading it.
You know, sometimes you can put something down and go get a coffee or whatever.
I just wanted to keep 'cause it kinda felt like once the train had left, it wasn't, wasn't stopping.
And then being struck just by, I mean, I don't wanna give anything away, but, uh, its viewpoint and the story i- uh, it chooses to tell and, you know, the depiction of these boys and the decision they're faced with and how they actually ultimately reach this point where they're going to, to, to do something that, that changes the course of, of history and what that means to them and do they realize what they're about to do.
Um, I find that very interesting that do people at the time realize the impact of their decisions, you know? Or do people just do things?
I feel like I didn't really know that much about the Archduke or the people who killed him either.
Um, how much of this, the history, were you aware of before going into this play too?
I knew there was a guy called Gavrilo who shot Franz Ferdinand and started the war.
It was, it was, uh, eye-opening in that way to, to particularly know that all these boys had TB, and to know that there was a group of them that were sent there, 'cause you just hear about Gavrilo, but there were two more boys.
I mean, it's a, it's a very powerful story, and one that feels very timely as well given that, you know, um, ongoing cycles of violence, uh-
And so this really feels like a beautifully irreverent comic exploration of the young men who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Um, what was your initial reaction to reading Rajiv's script when you first read it?
Uh, it was a rhythm that I immediately fell into the rhythm while reading it and found it, like, so enjoyable to read.
Uh, it just kinda like moved along at such a, a pace that it was just very difficult to stop reading it.
You know, sometimes you can put something down and go get a coffee or whatever.
I just wanted to keep 'cause it kinda felt like once the train had left, it wasn't, wasn't stopping.
And then being struck just by, I mean, I don't wanna give anything away, but, uh, its viewpoint and the story i- uh, it chooses to tell and, you know, the depiction of these boys and the decision they're faced with and how they actually ultimately reach this point where they're going to, to, to do something that, that changes the course of, of history and what that means to them and do they realize what they're about to do.
Um, I find that very interesting that do people at the time realize the impact of their decisions, you know? Or do people just do things?
I feel like I didn't really know that much about the Archduke or the people who killed him either.
Um, how much of this, the history, were you aware of before going into this play too?
I knew there was a guy called Gavrilo who shot Franz Ferdinand and started the war.
It was, it was, uh, eye-opening in that way to, to particularly know that all these boys had TB, and to know that there was a group of them that were sent there, 'cause you just hear about Gavrilo, but there were two more boys.
I mean, it's a, it's a very powerful story, and one that feels very timely as well given that, you know, um, ongoing cycles of violence, uh-
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