Best known for her breakout role as Kali Prasad (008) in Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, Linnea Berthelsen makes her UK stage debut in Titas Halder's solo play Darkling which shows at Birmingham Rep later this month. What's On recently caught up with Linnea to find out more... 

You're best known for your screen work on Netflix's massive hit Stranger Things. What is it like stepping away from the film set and onto a live UK stage for the first time?
It’s been incredible! I've had the most amazing rehearsal process with the brilliant Matthew Xia and his amazing creative team. 
I find great similarities between working on Stranger Things and something like Darkling. Once again, I get to work closely with a team of wonderful creatives, and do work that is quite intense and requires a lot of stamina. 
In many ways, TV/film has prepared me well for this; between my theatre training and being challenged by great directors over the years, I’ve felt ready to just jump in!

What was it about this story that made you realise it was the right project for your UK stage debut?
I really wanted to do this, due to the challenge it provided, Matthew’s involvement, and Titas wonderful characters. 
Titas Halder’s writing is very vivid and conveys some incredibly important messages about injustice and neglect, which I found immensely relevant to all of our lives in this day and age. Also, his works are a huge actor challenge and he asks a lot from you, but once you start to get your head round it, it is incredibly rewarding. Ultimately, I was completely disarmed by Titas' main character SHE - an enigmatic six-year-old girl who stole my heart from the first read. 

A solo play strips storytelling down to its absolute purest artform - just one actor, a script, and an audience. As a performer, what does this raw style of live theatre demand of your craft that screen acting doesn’t?
Live performances requires so much physical stamina, energy and awareness of your body and voice - and this show, in particular, is a bit of a marathon every time. 
However, I would say that working on some screen jobs, like Stranger Things 5, I prepared in the same way. Shooting some of my intense scenes with Frank Darabont also required this type of physical stamina. If I get injured, or if I can’t get through a scene, the consequences are the same, we don’t get a performances and maybe I wouldn’t be able to do the next days work. And both mediums asks one to be able to repeat a performance with full commitment. 
So, it might just be that I haven’t yet found a better way to approach theatre, but at the moment, I think I approach both mediums with the same dedication and stamina.

The play is described as a "ferocious" story about a life ruined by an ecological disaster. What was your initial reaction to these intense themes?
My initial reaction was that those were incredibly important themes that we had to approach with such respect and care. Also that telling this story came with such as great responsibility. 

What kind of conversations do you hope this story sparks among audiences who come to see it?I truly hope it will bring reflections on the consequences of our choices in this day and age of climate disasters, wars etc. But mostly, I hope it make us all think about how similar we all are. (Child) SHE reminded me of that. 

You are working closely with the Olivier Award-winning director Matthew Xia. What has that collaborative process been like?
It’s been fantastic. Matthew has made me a much better performer over such as short period of time. 
Luckily, we have a lot of the same instincts on many things which was helpful. 
In other ways, we are completely different. Matthew has an eye for storytelling in the space - the practicality of telling a story with precision and energy that I admire so much, and something that I had very little understanding of until now. 
I tend to approach characters from a very emotional place and being guided my Matthew's very practical rehearsal process, has been incredible. 
I feel very grateful for my time with him and his amazing team in the rehearsal room. 

The national tour will take you to several different regions across the UK. Do you think the play's message will hit differently depending on the distinct communities and audiences you visit along the way?
That is such a great question and one that Matthew and the wonderful ATC team will be much better equipped to explore.
The themes are so universal so I’d expect that the responses would be similar to those we received at the Bush - which were all so different, but equally wonderful. 

Fans worldwide know you best as Kali (008) from Stranger Things. How does the massive scale of a major Netflix sci-fi series compare to the intimate, direct connection of a live theatre space?
When I perform Darkling, it takes me back to when I did a Stranger Things 5, or Devs - those intense, intimate scenes in a room full of amazing creatives (crew, technicians). The hyper presence of a moment, the commitment it takes, and the connection with the crew and camera. That intimacy. 
The difference comes from bringing the performance to a new audience every night who will slightly shift the energy of the performance, which is amazing ans challenging. 

Looking forward, has this experience changed the kinds of stories you want to tell? Are you hoping to do more live theatre in the future?
I’d absolutely love to do more live theatre at some point. I still have so much to learn and refine, but this is an amazing opportunity for a debut. 
While it may not have changed what stories I’d love to tell, it might have changed what challenges I might try to seek out, which is exciting. 

Darkling shows at The Door at The Rep, Birmingham, on Friday 30 & Saturday 31 October.