Dan Stevens - Theatre - The Vortex

[updated 18 September 2009]

Reviews

Telegraph
"...Dan Stevens is terrific in Coward’s former role as the neurotic son...Stevens brings a memorable combination of self-loathing and barely contained hysteria to the role, while the scenes of awkward tenderness with his cuckolded father, beautifully played by Paul Ridley, are very affecting..."

The Independent
"...Stevens, in agonised lost-boy confusion, beautifully registers the emotional neglect that Nicky has suffered because of Florence's selfish priorities..."

The Guardian
"...Dan Stevens's performance as Nicky is subtle and affecting..."

Daily Express
"...This was the role that Coward wrote for himself, and it’s testament to Stevens’ talent that you cannot hear anything of Noel’s trademark clipped delivery in this performance – nor do you want to..."

The Times
"...Coward wrote what he called this 'whacking good part' for himself, but Stevens seizes it with trembling, neur-asthenic hands and makes it his own..."

Bloomberg
"...Her [Felicity Kendal's] performance is matched by an equally subtle one from Dan Stevens as Nicky. Coward described this role as a 'whacking good part' and wrote it for himself. Stevens avoids mimicking Coward's clipped style, and turns Nicky into a frightened child who disguises his vulnerability with jokes and charm..."

Theatre News Online
"...Stevens's astute take on him [Nicky Lancaster, the character he plays]..."

Interviews

The Independent [link]
broadway.com [link]
Angel & North [link]

Pictures

Rex Features [link]
wooller.com [link
Getty - press night [link]

Tags: Dan+Stevens, The+Vortex, Apollo, theatre, theater, West+End, London, Noel+Coward, Nicky

Hayley Atwell - Film - Brideshead Revisited

There is a feature on Brideshead Revisited in the March issue of Vanity Fair (US edition). bohemianBDC from the IMDB made scans [link].

Articles
Daily Mail, "Brideshead comes of age for a new generation" [link]
Telegraph, "What I've done to Brideshead" [link]

Links
IMDB [link]
BBC Films [link]
Ecosse Films [link]
Dreamachine [link]
matthewgoode.net [link]

Hayley Atwell - interviews

A couple of recent interviews:

• Telegraph (mainly about Major Barbara and Brideshead Revisited) [link]


• The London Paper [link]

Tags: Hayley+Atwell, theatre, theater, film, movie, Major+Barbara, Brideshead+Revisited, interview

Samuel West - Theatre - Hamlet

Sam excerpt from an article about different versions of Hamlet:

SAMUEL WEST

Played Hamlet for the RSC, 2001-02

I loved Mark Rylance's first Hamlet, in 1989. He was unbelievably inventive, brilliantly lonely. I've seen the play about 20 times, but only once since I played it. It is the ultimate part for a young actor and you can never get it entirely right. But you get to do a lot of working things out; you can be pathologically self-centred, then you get to have a really good sword fight at the end. I'd love to play it again.

Three days from the end of the run, I was heckled. That told me I was on the right track. Our director, Steven Pimlott, always maintained that a soliloquy should be directed to the audience: "If you ask the questions in the right way then eventually someone will answer." And they did!

It was the "rogue and peasant slave" speech. I said "Am I coward?" And someone yelled out, "Yes!" The next line was, "Who calls me villain?" And he said, "Me! Last row of the circle, don't know the seat number!" Stage management met me in the wings and said, are you all right? I said, "It's the best thing that's ever happened to me!"

Tags: Samuel+West, Sam+West, theatre, theater, RSC, Royal+Shakespeare+Company, Hamlet, Shakespeare, William+Shakespeare, Mark+Rylance, Steven+Pimlott

Samuel West

Sam attended the opening night of Kneehigh Theatre’s stage adaptation of David Lean’s 1945 film Brief Encounter.

Links
whatsontage.com article [link]
pictures 1|2

Tags: Samuel+West, Sam+West, theatre, theater, kneehigh+theatre, David+Lean, Brief+Encounter, adaptation

Samuel West

Sam attended the opening night of Speed-the-Plow at the Old Vic. The play stars Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum and Laura Michelle Kelly.

Links
whatsonstage.com article [link]
Picture of Sam at the afterparty [link]

Tags: Samuel+West, Sam+West, theatre, theater, Old+Vic, West+End, Kevin+Spacey, Jeff+Goldblum, Laura+Michelle+Kelly

Charles Edwards - Theatre - The 39 Steps - Broadway

The 39 Steps has extended its Broadway run by a week. From broadway.com:

"Roundabout Theatre Company has announced a one-week extension of its Broadway production of Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, through March 29. The show opened at the American Airlines Theatre on January 15 and had been scheduled to close on March 23..."

Tags: Charles+Edwards, The+39+Steps, 39+Steps, broadway, theatre, theater, Roundabout+Theatre+Company, American+Airlines+Theatre, Alfred+Hitchcock, Hitchcock

Charles Edwards - Television - 2008 - Mistresses

Charles was in this week's episode of Mistresses (episode 5 of 6); he will also be in next week's episode. He plays Paul.

Links (spoilers ahead)
BBC One listings - episode 5 [link]
BBC One listings - episode 6 [link]
DigiGuide forums - episode 6 [link]

Tags: Charles+Edwards, Paul, mistresses, BBC+One, BBC1, TV, television

Samuel West - Theatre - Dealer's Choice

• Excerpts from the Dealer's Choice Q&A [link].



• Dealer's Choice has been nominated for two Olivier awards - Revival, and Newcomer-Play (Stephen Wight) [link].
  

Tags: Samuel+West, Sam+West, theatre, theater, Dealer's+Choice, Stephen+Wight, Olivier

Samuel West - Theatre - Drunk Enough to Say I Love You

Casting has been officially announced for the New York Public Theater production of Caryl Churchill's Drunk Enough to Say I Love You – Sam will play Guy, and Scott Cohen will play Sam. The play will be directed by James McDonald.

The play begins previews on Wednesday, March 5 and run through Sunday, April 6 with an official press opening on Sunday, March 16.

The following articles have a bit more information about the play:
broadwayworld.com [link]
broadway.com [link]
playbill.com [link]
theatermania.com [link]

Links
Public Theater of New York [link]
my previous entry about the play [link]
Scott Cohen 1|2

Tags: Samuel+West, Sam+West, theatre, theater, New+York, Caryl+Churchill, Drunk+Enough+to+Say+I+Love+You, Royal+Court, Scott+Cohen, Public+Theater, Sam, Guy, James+McDonald

Theatre - The Vortex - pre West End tour

* updated 18 February

Sir Peter Hall's production of Noël Coward's The Vortex is currently on a pre-West End tour. Here are nice quotes from reviews about Dan Stevens, who plays Nicky:

Hereford Times
"...a performance from Dan Stevens that brings a convincing intensity to the role..."

The British Theatre Guide
"...[an] emotionally draining and superb performance from Dan Stevens..."

Ledbury Reporter
"...Dan Stevens, who was suitably dashing in the recent BBC adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, is superb, portraying Florence's son Nicky with just the right amount of fragility and, eventually, strength to hope for a better future..."

Wiltshire Times
"...Dan Stevens powerfully portrays the complexities of an emotionally fragile young man..."

BBC Berkshire
"...Stevens creates a Nicky who is loveable and energetic. He instantly wins the audience's empathy..."

Links
Listings - The Stage [link]
Article from the Henley Standard about Chiltern Edge drama students attending a performance of the play. Dan is their patron. (scroll down to "Drama pupils enjoy a day out at the theatre" [link]
Article about the play [link]
Dan Stevens 1|2

Tags: Dan+Stevens, The+Vortex, Noel+Coward, theatre, theater, Nicky, Peter+Hall, Sir+Peter+Hall

TV randomness - January

Doctor Who series 3 episodes 1-3, 6-11, 13
Gossip Girl season 1 episodes 4-7
Ugly Betty season 1 episodes 1-16
Deadwood season 1 episodes 1-9
Office, The (UK) series 1 episodes 2-4
Torchwood series 2 episodes 1-3