Samuel West - Purbeck Art Weeks, Shakespeare and Love

Dates have been announced for performances by Natalie Clein and Friends at Purbeck Art Weeks (previous post about the event is here). Sam will read "Tales of Ovid" by Ted Hughes at St Mary Wareham on 1 September.

Sam's episode of The Essay Shakespeare and Love is now available on iPlayer.

Close the Coalhouse Door pictures and press

Nicholas Lumley as Thomas (Photo: Keith Pattison. Source: Northern Stage - used with permission).

Close the Coalhouse Door has sold out at Northern Stage. Following performances at the Richmond Theatre (9-12 May), its next stop on tour is The Lowry (15-19 May).  

Northern Stage's Flickr has production shots (1|2) and rehearsal photos.

Quotes from two recent reviews of the play are below, followed by a selection of tweets.

The Times (Libby Purves, 20 April)
"Sam West's playful direction is marvellously supported by Soutra Gilmour's set: a stark gantry and a housefront revolving from bleak brick to interior."

The Sunday Times (Maxie Szalwinska, 22 April)
"The show is an amalgam of tales, badinage and folk songs... you can’t fault the ensemble of actor-musicians in Samuel West’s infectious production."

@adamdon88: "terrific show! Vibrant staging, talented cast and gr8 atmosphere amongst the throng. Top notch."
@lawrencenotrin: "So poignant,so relevant,so powerful. Go see! I couldn't sleep I was so moved."
@arabellanr: "Bloody brilliant. Well done @exitthelemming and wonderful cast."
@KateSlaterPR (1|2): "Fabulous, funny + sad all at same time + amazingly talented cast... @nellidge - it was fab - sure you will take rest of country by storm."

Dan Stevens

A trailer for Babysitting, a short film starring Dan and Romola Garai, is available online.

Anchor Bay Entertainment has distribution rights to Vamps in North America.

A clip from The Making of Planet Earth can be viewed on Youtube.

Also on Youtube is a video from an Aspen Shortsfest Q&A in which Dan's casting in The North London Book of the Dead is discussed.

Dan mentioned the Josephine Hart poetry app in his April "My Week" for the Telegraph.

Close the Coalhouse Door press round up

[updated 23 April]



Paul Woodson as John (Photo: Keith Pattison. Source: Northern Stage - used with permission).

Close the Coalhouse Door will be performed at Northern Stage until 5 May. It will next be performed at the Richmond Theatre, 9-12 May.

Sam was interviewed on Night Waves earlier this week (the segment about the play starts at 33:40).
An interview with him in the April 2012 issue of Living North is now available online.

Below are some excerpts from reviews.

The Guardian
"Samuel West's lively Brechtian production glories in its ethos... Alex Glasgow's wonderful songs, inspired by Tyneside music hall, are crucial to the play's spirit."

Stephen Waddington
"The actors all combine their theatrical roles with music and song with wonderful results... If you have the chance you must go and see it. The show deserves to be a success."

Jarrow & Hebburn Gazette
"Director West’s tight and inventive direction has cast members playing musical instruments, which adds a new dimension to the show.The cast are strong in what is an essentially ensemble piece."

The Stage
"From a powerful opening, the production maintains a keen rhythm... The beautiful writing in this play strikes right to the heart."

Chronicle Live
"Spread over three acts, each is so compelling it feels like it lasts half the time... this remains a triumphant piece of theatre."

Express
"Director Samuel West has revived it with grit and sheer unrestrained joy."

The Northern Echo
"It’s pitmatic, poetic and passionate... I won’t be surprised if it runs and runs and runs."

The Public Reviews
"The cast are to be commended for their energy, versatility and talent.Director, Samuel West, keeps the action moving. Darker moments of complete stillness starkly contrast to the slick humorous scenes, bringing their poignancy home."

Financial Times
"This new production is helped by superb casting. Under director Samuel West, the actors are thoroughly convincing in the play’s sudden shifts between pathos, lyricism and comedy. And they do justice to the fine music of Alex Glasgow and the prose of Sid Chaplin."

whatsonstage.com
"[The play is performed] as a tour de force in acting, direction, comedy and musicianship... This production really has to be seen. I mean if you really appreciate good theatre, then you have to see it."

British Theatre Guide
"Under the direction of Samuel West, the cast of nine actor/musicians are a great ensemble, as they swap from scenes at the party to historical re-enactment or perform Alex Glasgow's often wickedly funny but hard-hitting songs."

Journal Live
"The play’s three acts, with additional material written by Lee Hall, direction by Sam West and design by Soutra Gilmour, rattle along... Grab a ticket where – and if – you can."

Charles Edwards - Theatre - The King's Speech

The King's Speech will be closing earlier than planned, on 12 May. Charles, who recently joined Twitter, said:

"The King's mouth is to have a sock put in it on May 12. Now look here, shake a leg and pop down to the Wyndhams pronto. #kingsspeechplay"

The play's Facebook page has featured a Q&A with Charles and Jonathan Hyde. They've been asked questions about touring and a pre-performance routine.
An audio Q&A with the cast can be heard at whatsonstage.com.

Some excerpts from recent reviews are below.

The Jewish Chronicle
"Charles Edwards is majestic and vulnerable as the monarch."

Passion for Theatre
"The two lead roles – Bertie and Lionel – are outstandingly portrayed by Charles Edwards and Jonathan Hyde respectively... The chemistry between both characters is compelling."

Glen's Theatre Reviews
"Capturing the pain of public speaking and the frustration this causes this complex man, Edwards delivers a beautifully observed performance."

Robert Tanitch Theatre Reviews
"Charles Edwards, a skilful actor, with an invaluable light comedy touch, judges the stammer perfectly and he is also deeply moving."

Close the Coalhouse Door: Friday's preview and Chronicle Live interview

Sam performed in the first preview of Close the Coalhouse Door on Friday, due to Tarek Merchant being hospitalised with appendicitis. Some details from Haze: "Sam West and Sam Kenyon (musical arranger) shared the part of Expert, with Sam West doing the words and Sam Kenyon doing the music; they're onstage now doing it tonight [Saturday] too. Depending on how quickly Tarek recovers Sam may be onstage again next week, but they're hoping not." Best wishes to Tarek for a full recovery!

Below is a selection of tweets and comments about Friday's performance.
Haze: "It was a fun, vibrant, energetic, moving, and informative show, well worth seeing. Lovely direction with some beautiful theatrical devices employed... The production involves liberal use of the Kazoo, at one point 8 guitars, and the odd Marx brother!"
The St James Evening Post: "Close the Coalhouse Door presents a culture sustained by communities held together and held captive by generations of abuse. The escape offered to the youngest generation of pitmen, represented by brothers John and Frank, by feminist sociology postgraduate Ruth (a compelling performance by Louisa Farrant) leaves one chill given the fate of many of the factories of Teesside and Consett steelworks."
@Tynewriter: "Thoroughly enjoyed 'Close the Coalhouse Door' last night. Great job in bringing the play up to date."
@andromedababe (1|2): "Heartwrenching & hilarious. Wonderful... Joyous, angering, heartbreaking. Full of resonance for me. I worked on the last miners' strike. Family all pitmen."
@EricaWhyman: "very first #coalhouse was a fantastic night in the theatre.Great team, great play, great audience."


Chronicle Live has an interview with Chris Connel and Adam Barlow (via @northernstage).

Samuel West - Theatre - Close the Coalhouse Door

Today (from 1 hour 17 minutes; via @NorthernStage) and BBC News have interviews with Sam and Lee Hall.

Sam was also recently interviewed in The Northern Echo ("Five minutes with... Sam West", 31 March).

Dan Stevens

Dan has been nominated for an Actor award at the Monte Carlo TV Festival for his performance in Downton Abbey.
Series 3 of the show is currently filming, and a recent article from the Telegraph contains some comments from Dan.

The North London Book of the Dead will have screenings at the Aspen Shortsfest, the Palm Beach International Film Festival and the Nashville Film Festival this month.

Dan will be a presenter at the Olivier Awards. Other presenters include Hayley Atwell, James McAvoy and Jodie Whittaker.

Samuel West - Theatre - Close the Coalhouse Door

A tweet from Sam about finishing rehearsals for Close the Coalhouse Door, which begins previews this week:

"Just done our final #Coalhouse run; saying goodbye to a very happy rehearsal room. Immensely proud of our remarkable company. We're ready."

The Independent has an interview with him in which he discusses mining and representations of upper class and working class narratives on television.

Charles Edwards - Theatre - The King's Speech

Photo: Perou (used with permission)

Below are a couple of quotes from recent reviews of The King's Speech, which is booking until 21 July.

TNT Magazine
"It's impossible not to feel for Charles Edwards' excellent Bertie as he battles with the agonising stammer which made addressing the nation an embarrassing ordeal not only for him but also for those waiting to hear what he was struggling to say."

heyuguys.co.uk
"Adrian Noble's direction allows the play's central themes to flourish at a brisk pace, setting the sad and perilous state of the monarchy up against the dark and uncertain future with an exceptional central performance from Charles Edwards..."

Dan Stevens

Vamps will have its world premiere in New York today.

The Poetry App by the Josephine Hart Poetry Foundation features Dan reading poetry by writers such as Kipling and Horne.

Other: "My Week"; Jean-Philippe Rio-Py party.

Samuel West. Contemporary Shakespeare conference. Shakespeare Institute.

Sam will give a keynote speech at the Contemporary Shakespeare conference at Hildesheim University on 15 June (via @EleanorPeter).


The Shakespeare Institute is currently cataloguing his theatre papers (@ShakesInstitute).

Samuel West - Purbeck Art Weeks Festival

Sam will perform readings at the Natalie Clein concerts with musicians such as Natalie herself, Nicholas Daniel and Sarah Beaty in late August/early September this year (Purbeck Art Weeks Festival).

Samuel West - Radio - Shakespeare and Love

Sam presents episode 3 of The Essay Shakespeare and Love, which will be broadcast 25 April on BBC Radio 3.

Charles Edwards - Theatre - The King's Speech

(A selection of screencaps from clips uploaded at the KingsSpeechPlay Youtube channel. Click thumbnails for full size and see alt text for clip sources.)

Interview

whatsonstage.com

West End press night

Videos:
dailymotion (via hellyescharlesedwards)
KingsSpeechPlay

Pictures:
wooller.com
Broadway World/Rex Features

Reviews

Variety
"[Edwards] vividly conveys a kind of physical and emotional blockage which prevents him from speaking. But he also allows audiences to see how this is at war with the stiff, formal demeanor permanently required of a man of his station. It's not his costumes that give him status and emotional weight, it's his performance."

Fourthwall
"In a restrained, pitch-perfect performance, Edwards is exceptional; riveting and beautiful and in this he is evenly matched by Hyde. Noble entices two intelligent, thoughtful performances from his leads..."

Evening Standard
"Edwards perfectly conveys the agony of Bertie’s struggle to wrench words from within himself, as well as the restraint involved."

The Good Review
"[Edwards] is completely believable as the reluctant monarch whose decency and courage shine through in his battles with the speech impediment which has blighted his life."

whatsonstage
"[Edwards] he pulls it [the role of Bertie] off with aplomb... Edwards lends him a childlike sensitivity."

The London Magazine
"Charles Edwards gives a technically astounding performance as the stuttering royal, swearing, singing and dancing his way through the speeches that terrify him."

Time Out
"As the shy, dutiful man nicknamed 'B-b-b-bertie' by his careless elder brother, Charles Edwards is outstanding... Edwards has been on the cusp of a major breakthrough for some time. Let's hope this richly appealing but MOR prequel to 'our finest hour' is a vehicle to the stardom he so richly deserves."

British Theatre Guide
"Edwards is magnificent as an insecure, self-effacing stammerer who has been mentally abused since childhood by everyone from his bombastic father played by Joss Ackland onwards."