There’s a story behind this interview.
https://youtu.be/8syQE4tvUCs
Rik seems ill at ease, and not his usual self. He’s always more low key during interviews like this, but there’s something more here, and his discomfort is palpable.
This is because this happened just one day after Stephen Fry famously walked out of the play they were doing (Cell Mates), leaving a letter behind, and heading for Belgium. The oblique reference to the flu barely hides how distraught Rik must have been for his friend’s safety at this point, with no-one knowing where Fry was.
It’s remarkable that these seemingly facile interviews can often mask so much.
