Jane Turner interview

In Australian rules football, 'holding the man' refers to a breach of conduct that incurs a penalty. In Melbourne in the 1970s, a gay teenager called Timothy Conigrave fell in love with the captain of the school football team, John Caleo. They went on to spend 15 years together, before both men died of Aids-related illnesses - Caleo in 1992 and Conigrave in 1994. He was 35 years old.

Before he died, Conigrave wrote a memoir about his life with his lover. First published by Penguin in 1995, 'Holding the Man' won the United Nations Human Rights Award for Non-Fiction and has since been reprinted 13 times around the world.

The stage play opened in Sydney in 2007. Adapted by Tommy Murphy, it enjoyed enormous success, winning multiple awards and transferring to the Sydney Opera House for a sell-out season. This week the play arrives in London, starring Jane Turner. Best known as writer, producer and star of the hit television comedy series 'Kath & Kim', Turner also happens to have known both Conigrave and his lover when she was growing up in Melbourne.

Tell me about your role in the play.
'I play 12 characters - a young gay guy, an older queen, a doctor, psychiatrist… But my main two are the mothers of the two boys, Mary-Gert and Lois. And then I play one of my best friends from real life. I knew these guys really well. We knew each other in school. We went to the same uni. We joined a drama group together. We went on tour together. So I know the people I'm playing.'

Is that hard, given the circumstances?
'I wanted to do the mothers justice. They both lost their sons. I have an 18-year-old son, so I have an idea of how that must feel. But I wouldn't say it was hard. It's not a sad play. There are sad parts to it, but it's also very funny. It's not your typical gay play. It's much broader and more ambitious. And it's set in the '70s, which is always a good look. I get to wear bri-nylon, which is going to be so hot and sweaty on stage!'

Were you familiar with the book?
'I read the book when it first came out and loved it. I'd known Tim as an actor. I didn't really know him as a writer. I was surprised at just how good it was. It's so raw and honest and realistic. I didn't see the play in Australia, but when I read the script I just loved it. I thought it really captured the book. It's about this incredible love affair that lasted for 15 years. I remember Tim was out from the word go. John wasn't as obvious about it. He was a footballer. Nobody was going to diss him because he was good at football. So people just accepted them as
Tim and John.'

People know you from 'Kath & Kim'. How does acting for the stage compare to acting for TV?
'It's not so much the acting. It's more about all the other things - the writing, the producing, the decision-making. One of the reasons I did the play is that I wanted to get away from making those decisions all the time. It's great to be working with a director and having them tell you what to do. It's incredibly freeing. I love it. You just have to worry about your performance.'

Do you worry about your performance?
'Yes! God, yes! I'm going to be shaking like a leaf on opening night. But it'll be all right. It's great once you get an audience. That's what theatre is for. It's for an audience. We did a run the other day and people were laughing at things I didn't expect. I love it when that happens.'

'Holding the Man' is at Trafalgar Studios until July 3, 2010.