Grainger is the French connection

He's a Brit, lives in Waiake and has had to master French for his latest role as the Prime Minister of Zelande du Sud. Sharu Delilkan reports.
Brit Andrew Grainger couldn't resist playing a Frenchman in Dave Armstrong's latest play, Le Sud. But the decision was not taken lightly.
"I didn't think I could do it when I realised the first 15 pages of the script were purely in French. It was a daunting prospect since I've never spoken French in my life, having taken Spanish in school," says Grainger. "I put my actor's hat on, took lessons and decided to give it my all."
The satire, which pokes a very big stick at political ambitions and idiocies, is based on the premise that the South Island was colonised by the French in 1838, hence the play's title, Le Sud (The South).
Today, Zelande du Sud is now an autonomous, affluent, French-speaking socialist nation where people work 30 hours a week and enjoy wine-fuelled lunches. Its popular Prime Minister, Francois Duvauchelle, is a notorious philanderer.
Director Raymond Hawthorne says he cast Grainger as Duvauchelle because he felt he had a "Gerard Depardieu-like quality. He's a creative actor with wonderful elegance who moves very well".
Waiake resident Grainger says his training in dance for musical theatre has been useful for the role. He has appeared in numerous musicals in London's West End. "It's allowed me to be light on my feet, which one wouldn't expect from a man of my size."
He is also finding the urbane nature of his Le Sud character a big change from the hard men he's played recently in television dramas such as The Cult. Grainger's film work includes Spy Game, with Robert Redford and Mean Machine with classic "hard man" Vinnie Jones.
Grainger says working on Le Sud has given him a greater understanding of New Zealand history, having moved to the country only three years ago. "It's great to have the chance to do a good local comedy that shows how polar opposites the Kiwis are to the French."
Auckland Theatre Company presents Le Sud, Maidment Theatre, 8 Alfred St, Feb 11-March 6. Tickets: ph 308 2383 or see www.maidment.auckland.ac.nz