All work and no play, makes me a dull man. Well, the annoying self-destruction cannot stop me from looking forward to the coming play season… Also, what is the point of being in the U.K., if you are banished from the stuffs that make you love the place?
It is no need to mention the fan frenzy over a certain (mighty) Mr. Benedict Cumberbatch is going to be on the stage as Hamlet at Barbican Centre next summer. But I do feel dubious about his choice of collaboration and, as a fan of his, I want to see him sparks than anything else.
Anyway, that will be happening next year. So that’s see what is going to be on stage from now till the end of 2014! Or, in other words, to hear me being nutty about my obsessions.
Well, it is a festival for BBC ‘Sherlock’ fans! Andrew Scott, aka Sherlock’s nemesis Jim Moriaty, is collaborating with writer, Simon Stephens, who won an Olivier Award for his adoption of ‘The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night Time’ last year. The Irish actor was little known to me when he was in National Theatre production of ‘Emperor and Galilean’. I remember that U was impressed by the huge poster of the show that outside Theatre Royal Haymarket and was later regret that I miss it, after the prominent series of ‘Sherlock’.
However, I was lucky enough to see him performing with his voice in Harold Pinter short plays as part of Jamie Lloyd’s Trafalgar Transformed season. An absolutely marvellous performance and I gradually understand the magnificence of Pinter’s writing because of that.
Although the critics are quite split for this new play, I am simply looking forward to see Scott rockin’ on stage (come on, a friend of mine going to see the show the third time with me!)
I haven’t been following his works outside of U.K. television, but, man, it is Richard Armitage (screaming)! Compare to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy in BBC ‘Pride and Prejudice’, the train station scene between his John Thornton and Margaret Hale in Elizabeth Gaskell’s ‘North and South’ is on the very top of my classical romance scene for sure… When Mr. Thornton looking at the horse carriage driving Miss Hale away, my heart sunk with his restrained whisper: ‘Look back…’ His charming stranger, Harry Kennedy, in ‘Vicar of Dibley’ is a rare comical role he ever played. But, of course, I known him from the heart-breaking, aka the scriptwriters are bunch of cold blood j**k, ‘Spook’. I am still unhappy about how they wrote off Lucas North…it was so not fit the personality of that character.
I haven't seen any Arthur Miller's work so far...so it will be great to have the gorgeous Mr. Armitage in my first one!
Kevin Spacey's one man play! His 'Richard III', collaborated with film director Sam Mendes, was my first play at the historical Old Vic and it was magnificently staged and charismatically portrayed. I would love to see him again, but the ticket prices are rather unfriendly (plus the ouch transaction fee!) ...compare to the other shows that performed there. Also, as the artistic director of the theatre, I have to say that he is not making a good season so far. Still, I would love to see his powerful acting at close range.
Richard III @ Trafalgar Studios
Told you it is the BBC 'Sherlock' festival! The current habbit, Martin Freeman, is going to be one of the notorious Shakespearean kings this year, to inaugurate Jamie Lloyd's second Transformed season. It is an odd choice...probably because that I have seen the fantastic Spacey in the same role before and I just could not picture Freeman as a calculative, manipulating, and authoritative figure, from my perception of his past acting roles.
Although he gave me a negative impression after his comment on Lucy Liu, I am still curious about how Lloyd is going to direct this constantly-on-stage Shakespeare.
Man, I adore Bill Nighy! One of the charming silver foxes who have been playing many intriguing characters. His flamboyant charm and magnetic voice got me hooked with BBC's radio adoption of Simon Brett's 'Charles Paris Mystery', as well as the newspaper chief editor in the mighty ' State of Play' and the jazzed old fashion spy in new century, 'Johnny Worricker Trilogy'. After it was announced that he is going to partner-up with Carey Mulligan in this play, I found out that he has been working with writer David Hare so many times, both on stage and TV! He even played the same role in this play years ago...how much you love Hare, Mr. Nighy?
Out of things to read, I have exposed myself to the spoilers of the play and I must admit: I don't really get it though...it got me wonder why Hare like to write the affair between an old guy and (relatively) young woman and what is this emotional baggage (both in this particular play and in the spy trilogy) all about? I did enjoy Hare depiction of post-911 in 'Stuff Happens' and like his continuous devotion to capture the change of political atmosphere in an digital age. It is just the stereotypical repetition of female-male relation that I couldn't stand.
However, I like Mulligan in that provocative Steven McQueen movie, 'Shame', and cannot wait to see Nighy on stage (another silver fox I have been longing to see is the wicked Alan Rickman!).
James III: the True Mirror @ National Theatre
One name, Sofie Gråbøl, almost invoke me to go all the way up to Edinburgh International Festival (actually, I should really do so...as I claim myself a keen theatregoer). The 'Forbrydelsen' actress is going to play a Scottish queen in the final installation of Rona Munro's 'The James Plays', which will be premièred at EIF. Luckily (for me), National Theatre of England will transfer the show down south and save me the journey! I am going to get her autography!
As crazy as I am, I already booked both show (including 'James III') for this September. But you know, good seats selling fast! I am not exactly a fan of Cillian Murphy, missed his drama series 'Peaky Blinder', and always found his appearance a bit weird (sorry!)...so I want to see the play simply because he is famous (embarrassing!).
That is all for this summer season, I think... And hopefully my last desperate attempt yesterday can make things right, so I won't need to cut down my play dose (fingers cross).
留言列表
On the Stage (2)
