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My blog has quite a lot of posts about Samuel West (Julius Caesar, On Chesil Beach and Darkest Hour) and Charles Edwards (My Fair Lady Australian tour and Henry IX).

Showing posts with label Lucy Prebble. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lucy Prebble. Show all posts

Monday, 4 January 2016

Diversity: I Gotta Be Me, Noma Dumezweni, ACE funding, film criticism


I Gotta Be Me is a 'real' documentary about Paul Shah, an actor playing Sammy Davis Jr in a tribute show. Phaldut Sharma plays Shah and is a co-creator for this web series. Click here for his thoughts on major themes in the series - diversity and identity.
Episodes 1-3 are now available; new episodes will be released in February (I found out about this web series because they mentioned me on Twitter).

Noma Dumezweni has been profiled in this article in the Independent about British immigrant contributions to the arts, science, food, fashion and sport (via her Twitter, @MissDumezweni). She stars in Linda at the Royal Court, which closes this Saturday. Her next project is her directorial debut - I See You, also at the Royal Court.

Malcolm Sinclair (president of Equity) spoke about increasing BME representation on screen and stage at the WhatsOnStage Awards nominations launch in December (The Stage via Act for Change's Twitter, @actforchangehq):
"All parts should now be available, rather than just the ones that are designated ‘ethnic’ parts... you have to call the people that actually make the decisions to account, which is the producers and directors."

Last month, Arts Council England released a report about diversity relating to workforce, programming, audiences and funding (via The Stage). It is based on data from 2012-2015. Its publication coincided with the announcement of four funding programs to lift BAME (black and minority ethnic) and disabled investment and development:
  • Change Makers - a leadership program
  • Unlimited - a single grant of £1.8 million will be made to an organisation to develop a range of new work by Deaf and disabled artists
  • Sustained Theatre - this is for emerging and established practitioners to increase BAME representation across the theatre sector
  • Elevate - this is for diverse-led organisations outside of the Council’s National Portfolio


The Atlantic has an article about the gender imbalance in film criticism (via Lucy Prebble's Twitter, @lucyprebblish). For example, in four US film critics' assocations, women make up less than a quarter of members. The article suggests that the recent drop in film criticism by women is related to the rise of digital.

Sunday, 13 September 2015

The Mono Box

The Mono Box is a resource for actors, directors and playwrights. It was set up by actor Joan Iyiola and movement director/choreographer Polly Bennett in 2012. The organisation runs workshops and events. It also has a collection of plays that was entirely donated by industry professionals. Several donors are people I have featured on my blog over the years* - actors Hugh Bonneville, Olivia Colman, Charles Edwards, Andrew Scott, Michael Sheen, Juliet Stevenson and David Tennant; and playwrights Caryl Churchill, Lucy Prebble and Laura Wade.




* belated realisation that I've had this blog for nine years!

Thursday, 25 November 2010

Samuel West. Narration - Peer Gynt. Time to Talk. London's 1000 most influential people. Theatre - Zone of Silence. Narration - Warsaw Ghetto. Narration - Lines of Flight. Television - Garrow's Law. Arts funding in Somerset.

'Wellington Crack on film' by Sal Brown. Picture used with permission.
(sources: Southampton Philharmonic, Young Vic, channel4.com, Sal Brown - used with permission, artscampaign.org.uk)


Two reminders: narration of Peer Gynt with the Southampton Philharmonic at the Southampton Guildhall on this Saturday, 27 November (previously blogged here); and Time to Talk at the Rose Kingston Theatre on 7 December (previously blogged here).

Sam has been included (among others such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear, Rebecca Hall, Lucy Prebble, Tom Stoppard, Simon Russell Beale and Ruth Wilson) in the theatre section of the Evening Standard's London's 1000 most influential people.

Ian McKellen, Jude Law and Sam will make guest appearances in Belarus: Zone of Silence presented by Index on Censorship and the Young Vic, at the Young Vic on 5 December (via whatsonstage).

He narrated the More4 documentary Warsaw Ghetto: The Unfinished Film, which was broadcast on 30 October (via his Twitter, @exitthelemming). In other narration news, Lines of Flight won the Jury Prize at the Torello Mountain Film Festival (via the film's Twitter, @LinesOfFlight). Lines of Flight will next be screened at the Fernie Mountain Film Festival in February 2011 (previously blogged here).

Sam plays Thomas Erskine in series 2 episode 4 of Garrow's Law, which will be broadcast on BBC1, 5 December.

On 10 November, Sam attended a council meeting in Taunton, as a representative of the National Campaign for the Arts to protest cuts to arts funding in Somerset. Press coverage: the Guardian and This is Somerset.

Saturday, 8 May 2010

Theatre - Enron

[updated 9 May - tweets from Sam West and Tom Goodman-Hill]

Saturday, 1 May 2010

Samuel West - Narration - Nocturne. Lucy Prebble - Theatre - Enron. Hayley Atwell - Film - Captain America. Ruth Wilson - Television - Luther. BBC Radio.

  • Sam West and Harriet Walter are the readers for Nocturne: The Romantic Life of Frederic Chopin with pianist Lucy Parham at the following performances (via Lucy Parham):
    11 July, Theatre Royal Winchester [link]
    18 July, Wigmore Hall [link]
    21 July, Petworth Festival [link]
    29 July, Harrogate Festival [link]

  • Enron (Broadway)
    • Lucy Prebble interview [link]
    • Article from Playbill about the Broadway opening night [link]
    • Broadway opening night video from broadway.com [link]

  • Captain America: The First Avenger begins filming 28 June. The film stars Chris Evans, Hayley Atwell and Sebastian Stan. (via MTV) [link]

  • Luther
    • Scans of an article from the Radio Times about the show from Momentary Bursts of Enthusiasm [link]
    • Screencaps of Ruth Wilson from the trailer:
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  • BBC Radio
    • Gemma Arterton will be interviewed on Woman's Hour [link]
    • Peter Hall will be interviewed on Start the Week [link]
    • Derek Riddell, Amelia Bullmore and Tom Goodman-Hill star in the Drama on 3 And So Say All of Us... (via Tom's Twitter, @tomgoodmanh) [link]
    • Julian Rhind-Tutt and Sarah Alexander are the readers for Words and Music "May Day" [link]
    • The cast of Alexander includes Geraldine James, Michael Maloney, Alex Jennings and Julian Rhind-Tutt {repeat} [link]

Saturday, 24 April 2010

Theatre - Enron. Television - Downton Abbey. Hayley Atwell - Theatre - Born Yesterday. Samuel West - Radio - The Aspern Papers. Dan Stevens - Radio - The Tennis Court.

  • Enron
    • The Broadway production has been nominated for the Drama League Distinguished Production of a Play Award [link]
    • Lucy Prebble interviews 1|2|3

  • Article from the Oxford Mail about Downton Abbey filming. The miniseries' cast includes Hugh Bonneville and Dan Stevens. [link]

  • Chris Noth has confirmed he will star in the Broadway production Born Yesterday with Hayley Atwell. Production dates are currently unknown. [link]

  • BBC Radio:
    • Samuel West reads the Book at Bedtime The Aspern Papers [link]
    • Catherine Tate and Tracy-Ann Oberman star in the Afternoon Play Bette and Joan and Baby Jane [link]
    • Toby Jones reads The Pig Scrolls for Big Toe Books {repeat} [link]
    • Dan Stevens, Jot Davies and Celia Imrie star in the Saturday Play The Tennis Court {repeat} [link]

Monday, 19 April 2010

Lucy Prebble - Theatre - Enron. Laura Wade - Theatre - Vibrant Festival. Ruth Wilson - Television - Luther. Television - The Prisoner. Hayley Atwell - Radio - The Leopard. BBC Radio.

  • Enron
    • Lucy Prebble interview from entrepreneur.com [link]
    • Article by Lucy Prebble from broadway.com [link]

  • The short plays Extra Ordinary and People by Laura Wade will premiere at the Finborough Theatre Vibrant Festival (via broadway.com) [link]

  • Luther will be broadcast in the week 1-7 May on BBC1. A trailer is here.

  • Transcript of The Prisoner BFI Q&A from The Life of Wylie [link]

  • BBC Radio
    • Stanley Townsend, Hayley Atwell and Tom Hiddleston star in The Leopard [link]
    • Alex Jennings and Carolyn Pickles are the readers for Words and Music "Finishing the Hat" (via the AJ Diaries) [link]
    • Toby Stephens will be interviewed on Front Row [link]

Thursday, 15 April 2010

Hayley Atwell - Film - Captain America. Television - The Prisoner. Theatre - Enron. Theatre - The Real Thing. Film - Made in Dagenham.

  • Hayley Atwell will play Peggy Carter in Captain America: The First Avenger [link]

  • Ruth Wilson and Hayley Atwell interviews for The Prisoner 1|2|3

  • Enron
    • The original cast will leave the West End production in May [link]
    • Video from nj.com [link]
    • Lucy Prebble interviews from Crain's New York Business and Papermag crain's|papermag

  • Scans of The Real Thing program [link]

  • Dagenham Girls, starring Sally Hawkins, Andrea Riseborough and Rosamund Pike, has been retitled Made in Dagenham. The film will be distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. [link]

Friday, 9 April 2010

Theatre - Enron. Television - Any Human Heart. Television - Murder on the Orient Express. Television - Doctor Who.

  • Enron (Broadway)
    • Lucy Prebble is briefly featured in a video from THV about the production [link]
    • Articles from Time Out and the New York Post time out|ny post
    • Lucy Prebble interview from Elle [link]

  • Tom Hollander, Samuel West, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Kim Cattrall, Gillian Anderson, Sam Claflin, Emerald Fennell and Natasha Little have joined the cast of the Channel 4 miniseries adaptation of Any Human Heart by William Boyd. Previously announced cast members include Hayley Atwell, Matthew Macfadyen, Jim Broadbent and Ed Stoppard. 1|2

  • A trailer for Murder on the Orient Express is here, and it will be broadcast on PBS 11 July (via bbccostumedrama). The cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Toby Jones, David Morrissey and Samuel West.

  • Screencaps of Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Bill Nighy, Helen McCrory and Toby Jones from the Doctor Who "The Eleventh Hour" coming soon trailer (click thumbnails for full size):
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Friday, 2 April 2010

Lucy Prebble - Theatre - Enron - Broadway. Samuel West - Theatre - Enron. Television - Women in Love. Andrea Riseborough - The Pride. Radio - EM Forster short stories. Radio - Goldfinger. BBC Radio.

  • Lucy is in the April 2010 issue of Vogue (US) [link]

  • A picture from Sam's appearance on the Andrew Marr Show - he was promoting Enron [link]

  • Rory Kinnear, Rachael Stirling and Joseph Mawle have joined Rosamund Pike in the BBC4 adaptation of Women in Love [link]

  • Andrea Riseborough has received a Lucille Lortel nomination (featured actress) for The Pride [link]

  • BBC Radio
    • Kenneth Branagh, Jodhi May and Tom Hiddleston star in the Drama on 3 Cyrano de Bergerac [link]
    • Dan Stevens, Ruth Wilson and Andrew Sachs are the readers for the Afternoon Reading EM Forster Short Stories [link]
    • The Complete Smiley continues with the Classic Serial Smiley's People, starring Simon Russell Beale (as George Smiley) and Alex Jennings [link]
    • Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Ian McKellen, Tom Hollander, Lisa Dillon and Tim Pigott-Smith star in the Saturday Play Goldfinger [link]

Sunday, 28 March 2010

Theatre - The Real Thing. Samuel West - Cultural Capital. Theatre - Enron - Broadhurst. Rosamund Pike - Television - Women in Love. Hayley Atwell. Theatre - Born Yesterday. Television - Any Human Heart. BBC Radio.

[updated 30 March]
  • The Real Thing
    • Rehearsal photos [link]
    • Hattie Morahan "Cultural Life" interview from the Independent [link]

  • Sam attended the Cultural Capital: A Manifesto for the Future launch on Thursday.
  • Enron (Broadway)
    • Pictures of the cast, writer Lucy Prebble and director Rupert Goold at Friday's photocall 1|2|3|4
    • Lucy Prebble, Rupert Goold and cast members Norbert Leo Butz and Stephen Kunken will take part in a discussion with Tom Santopietro at the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble on Thursday 22 April at 5pm (via Theatermania) [link]

  • From Baz Bamigboye's Daily Mail column:

    Rosamund Pike will play Gudrun Brangwen in a BBC4 adaptation of Women in Love.

    Hayley Atwell may star in a Broadway production of Born Yesterday - confirmation is dependent on co-star Chris Noth's availability.
    Hayley will play Freya in Channel 4's miniseries adaptation of Any Human Heart by William Boyd.

  • BBC Radio
    • Tamsin Greig and Neil Pearson are the readers for Words and Music "The South Country" [link]
    • David Suchet and Anna Francolini star in the Woman's Hour Drama David Golder [link]
    • Emma Thompson will be on Desert Island Discs [link]
    • Maggie Steed, Justine Waddell and Julian Rhind-Tutt star in Mrs Warren's Profession [link]

Sunday, 7 March 2010

Rosamund Pike. Laura Wade - Theatre - Posh. Ruth Wilson. Lucy Prebble - Theatre - Enron. BBC Radio.

  • Rosamund Pike visited the Redland Children's Centre in Chippenham this week on behalf of Barnardo's - she is an ambassador for the charity [link]
  • The cast for Posh has been announced [link]
  • A short Ruth Wilson interview from Broadway World [link]
  • Lucy Prebble video interview about Enron from Frost over the World [link]
  • BBC Radio
    • Jonathan Pryce, Kenneth Cranham and Romola Garai star in the Drama on 3 These Are the Times: A Life of Thomas Paine, which was originally a Saturday Play [link]
    • Gareth David-Lloyd narrates the Afternoon Reading "Getting Up" [link]
    • Jude Akuwudike, Liam Brennan and David Tennant star in the Classic Serial Of Mice and Men [link]
    • Milton Jones and Tom Goodman-Hill star in series 4 of Another Case of Milton Jones [link]
    • Michael Sheen is a reader for Kenneth Tynan's Theatre Writings [link]

Tuesday, 2 March 2010

Theatre - Enron

[updated 4 March]

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  • Sam West was on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday (via Sam's Twitter, exitthelemming). The show is available on iPlayer until 7 March (UK only - interview starts at approximately 34:45). A clip from the interview is here.
  • A mention from the BBC Music Magazine (Morrison, R. 2010, 'Why opera directors have taken contemporary references a step too far', January 2010, p. 17):
    "... I don't say that theatre and opera should never tackle contemporary subjects. Two productions currently in the West End - Lucy Prebble's Enron and David Hare's The Power of Yes - make brilliant black comedy out of the recent financial crisis..."
  • Production photos by Helen Maybanks [link]

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Theatre - The Pride. Lucy Prebble. Theatre - The Real Thing. Samuel West - Radio - Bomber. Dan Stevens - Audio - War Horse. BBC Radio.

  • Andrea Riseborough, Ben Whishaw and Hugh Dancy were on the Leonard Lopate Show discussing The Pride (via mcctheater) [link]
  • Lucy Prebble profile from the Telegraph [link]
  • Toby Stephens, Hattie Morahan and Fenella Woolgar will star in The Real Thing at the Old Vic, 21 April-5 June 2010 (previews from 10 April) [link]
  • Bomber and War Horse are featured in this article from the Guardian. Here are excerpts:
    "...I came across this classic [Bomber] and can report that it's just as riveting second time round...
    ...ever since I heard him read AL Kennedy's Day, I have become a loyal follower of Dan Stevens, he of the chameleon voice that makes you laugh or cry at a stroke. No need to ask what Stevens reading this heart-rending story [War Horse] did to me..."
  • BBC Radio
    • Andrew Scott and Dave Fishley star in The Wire Look Closer [link]
    • Lorcan Cranitch and Alex Jennings star in the Afternoon Play Shakespeare's Vortigern and Rowena (via the AJ Diaries) [link]
    • Timothy Spall and Cheryl Campbell star in Jagged Prayer [link]
    • Damian Lewis narrates Agent Zig Zag [link]

Thursday, 25 February 2010

Theatre - Enron

A video about Enron from the Guardian featuring Lucy Prebble, Sam West and Rupert Goold (via The Corner Shop PR) [link]

Tuesday, 9 February 2010

Theatre - Enron

[updated 9 February]

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  • Enron's Olivier Award nominations are:
    Best Actor (Samuel West)
    Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Tim Pigott-Smith)
    Best New Play (Lucy Prebble)
    Best Director (Rupert Goold)
    Best Lighting Design (Mark Henderson)
    Best Set Design (Anthony Ward)
  • Tim Pigott-Smith was interviewed on The World at One (interview starts at approximately 25:00, via The Corner Shop PR) [link]

Sunday, 7 February 2010

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

Theatre - The Pride. Lucy Prebble - Theatre - Enron. Samuel West - Narration - Murder on the Lake. Film - Oscar nominations.

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Theatre - Enron

[updated 31 January]



Reviews

Telegraph
"...There is superb clarity in Prebble's story-telling as well as high drama, and terrific bravura about Rupert Goold's often dazzling production that brings the mysterious world of high finance to vivid, comprehensible life...
The production is is also blessed with some terrific performances. Samuel West grippingly charts the transformation of Enron's chief executive Jeffrey Skilling from gauche nerd to ruthless financial master of the universe..."


The Times
"...It's now as much a phenomenon as a play... Good for Lucy Prebble. Good for her Enron.
...a potentially dry subject is actually packed with juice is also due to the actors: Tim Pigott-Smith's Kenneth Lay, Enron's founder and a man whose folksy bonhomie conceals ruthlessness; Tom Goodman-Hill as the obsequious nerd who devises and then disowns the fiscal trickery; and, above all, Samuel West as the CEO..."


Bloomberg
"...Lucy Prebble's razor-sharp play...
Samuel West is superb as the aggressive and devious character depicting Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Skilling, and his physical and mental disintegration now strikes an even deeper note of horror..."


Londonist
"...Samuel West is wonderful as Skilling, managing to bring a touch of humanity to a brainy, unrepentantly greedy bastard. Tim Pigott-Smith is utterly convincing as Enron chairman Ken Lay, creepily concealing his greed behind touchy-feely company jargon and religion. And Amanda Drew is great as what seems to be the one woman in the room, losing out to the macho of markets..."

whatsonstage.com
"...The great Samuel West leads the same cast as that which first appeared at the Chichester Minerva Theatre in July last year, then at the Royal Court in the autumn, and the company crackle with energy and wit now just as they did in each of the previous incarnations of the show..."

Guardian
"...company president Jeffrey Skilling (played by Sam West, who is remarkable in what is a remarkable cast)... The audience doesn't have to do the maths because Prebble has done it for us, bringing clarity to a complex story, and cleverly blurring the line between fact and fiction to considerable dramatic effect..."
[another review] "...Enron has arrived in the West End. Lucy Prebble's play is one of the most grown-up political dramas of the last decade. The raptor puppets, the fluorescent dazzle, the great Mammon danse macabre of Rupert Goold's production put flesh on the ideas, make the virtual look real, give life to the illusions of finance. Last year saw a string of unmissable plays. This is one of them."

Music OMH
"...West's superb performance gives the production its pulse. In his hands Skilling is an enigmatic and intriguing figure, highly intelligent, ruthless and manipulative when needs be, and utterly convinced of his own brilliance, but also undoubtedly passionate about what he does... Physically, West transforms himself repeatedly as the play progresses. From a portly outsider with unfortunate hair at the start he morphs into the epitome of the slick executive and then, as the full reality of the situation comes to light, he subtly conveys Skilling’s unravelling... Goodman-Hill is also impressive as the smart but socially awkward and rather repellent Fastow..."

The Sunday Times
"...Sam West is superb in the role [Jeffrey Skilling]. Initially, he is a boffin with a weird, slicked-down hairstyle, thick specs and trousers too short... He possesses a quite breathtaking arrogance. Gradually, his image gets slicker, his suits sharper; he even has his eyes lasered...
Prebble’s play is a magnificently ambitious and original piece"


The Financial Times
"...The acting was compelling and believable, especially from Sam West, who as Jeff Skilling managed to make a seamless transition from maths nerd to master of the universe..."

Articles

Sky News - Lucy Prebble and Samuel West are interviewed [link]
Telegraph - Rupert Goold interview [link]
ITN - Tom Goodman-Hill is interviewed [link]
Critics' Circle Theatre Awards - Rupert Goold won best director [link]
Official London Theatre Guide [link]
CNBC - producer Matthew Byam Shaw interview (via Enron- West End Run) [link]
The Times - Lucy Prebble interview [link]

Pictures

Press night:
wooller.com - after party (guests included Imelda Staunton, Lindsay Duncan, John Simm, Guy Henry, Benedict Cumberbatch, Dominic West, Rebecca Hall, Laura Wade, Maxine Peake and Andrew Scott) and curtain call [link]
Getty - after party [link]

Production:
Photo by Elliott Franks [link]
Photos by Helen Maybanks 1|2
Corbis (photo: Robbie Jack) [link]

Video

Press night - video by elizabethtoni (via FilmographySam) [link]