Actor Brian Tree who is in his 21st season at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival flies planes in his spare time.Dave Chidley for The Globe and Mail
Veteran stage actor Brian Tree is entering the final leg of his 21st season at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, with roles in As You Like It and The Winter's Tale. On a clear day you may also catch the 63-year-old performing aerial manoeuvres in the skies above Southern Ontario. Born in Hertfordshire, England, Mr. Tree inherited his passion for airplanes from his father, who served in the Royal Air Force, and earned his own pilot's licence in 1978 after moving to Canada. Three decades on, he told The Globe and Mail from his home in Stratford, Ont., getting airborne is still a major high.
How did getting your pilot's licence come about?
When I was a kid, a family outing was to go to London airport. We'd sit on the tarmac with people who were about to board, and have a cup of tea at these little metal tables with the airplane 50 feet away. The airplane would warm up, the propellers would spin, and all the tables would blow over. The plane would go off to Abu Dhabi or Cairo - I imagined it was going there anyway - then a man would pick up the tables and we'd have another cup of tea and wait for the next one. So my love of flying came from that, just as my love of theatre came from my mum and dad taking us to the theatre.
My ex gave me flying as a birthday present. I went down to the Toronto island airport and sat in the GAT [general aviation trainer] where they check your co-ordination and so on, and shortly after that was on the tarmac in the left-hand seat. The first time hurtling down the runway you never forget. I started to laugh because here I was doing it. Then I looked down and wondered how we'd get back on that tiny piece of blacktop.
A lot of people suddenly remember they believe in God when they're in a plane that's taking off or landing.
I'm English and we don't do God, but I understand. It's called the five and nine: the five minutes of taking off and nine as it's landing, which are the most crucial times in flying, of course.
How long was it before you could fly solo?
I probably did about 50 hours of flying, spread over a good many months. I was always going away to some theatre gig, and it's not quite like riding a bicycle; you take five steps forward and three back. I took my test in Moncton. You start on your planned course then immediately the instructor gives you a diversion and has you going all over the place. Later on, he gave me a few spins. I don't like my eyeballs getting pushed into the back of my head, watching the trees and grass coming up toward me. On my final [descent] the airport called to ask where I was and I hadn't the faintest idea, I'd done so many spins. They say it's fine to throw up if you know which way to throw up.
Rumour has it you got fellow Stratford actor Bruce Godfree into flying.
It's true. I took him up a couple of years ago. Another passenger shot a video that's on YouTube called something like "Flying over Stratford," and Bruce is in the front with a smile from ear to ear. Very soon thereafter he signed up. The last time I spoke to him he was just waiting for the weather so he can do his solo cross-country [requirement]
Some actors prefer to lie low between shows to let the adrenalin wear off, but maybe, after 21 seasons, live theatre doesn't deliver the same rush.
If I were to make a comparison between acting and flying, I'd say it's the joy and thrill of getting the needle on the right numbers. One tries for perfection in one's acting - it's impossible, we know that - and one strives for perfection in flying. When you descend from 6,000 feet to 3,000 feet, it's nice to pull out at 3,000, not 2,900 or 3,100. I think of nothing else when I'm flying, but sometimes on stage I may think of other things, like maybe flying.
Do you have any pre performance or pre flight rituals?
I really cannot be bothered to touch the scenery, kiss my mirror, or whatever. Backstage you're thinking, 'I know my lines, my voice seems to be working, let's go.' It's a similar sort of thing with an aircraft. You do your walk around, your engine checks, get your radio calls. You have a checklist that you should never memorize because you can get momentarily distracted and forget little things. They recommend you work down the list, line by line, and don't learn it by heart.
Funny for an actor to be told not to memorize his lines. Did you ever have the chance to take your dad flying?
I did, and my mum too. We rented an aircraft and they took pictures of our house from the air. They loved it. I was quite thrilled that neither of them panicked at all. They were very cool.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
Special to The Globe and Mail