Samuel West - Shift Happens, Bath Mozartfest, Shakespeare Beyond English, Philip Pullman's Grimm tales

[updated 11 February 2014]

An excerpt from the Independent's review of Money:

"So where did it go right? There was the cast... a gaggle of trusted names, among them Celia Imrie, Roger Allam and Ian McDiarmid. There was the top-notch director (Samuel West), the expertly judged music (courtesy of the Endellion String Quartet) and the setting [it was recorded at Knebworth House]."

Money was repeated last Sunday on BBC Radio 3.

On Tuesday, Sam and Frank Partnoy discussed procrastination on Night Waves. Presenter Samira Ahmed shared a picture of the show's guests in the studio.

A tweet from Sam about Shift Happens, which took place on Friday:

"What a good afternoon at #ShiftHappens. Filling and useful. Thank you @MarcusRomer et al for the chance to speak."

He was a speaker at the event; he will post the text of the speech at a later date (his Twitter, @exitthelemming).
Some links to several positive tweets about his speech: @classygenes, @earthfall, @LakesideArts, @AestheticaMag, @estherichardson, @TanjaGeier, @TallgirlonaBike, @joannaridout, @janefinnis, @sharontelfer, @creativeyork, @jon_pratty, @ThomFeeney, @FlanCol, @Kathrynalina, @honorharger, @MediaHelen, @jojoharper, @Jen_ntw, @lizipatch.

The Uncle Vanya website is now available.

The Nash Ensemble will perform works by Saint-Saens, Chabrier, Mozart and Ravel at the Bath Mozartfest on 11 November. Sam will narrate Carnival of the Animals (subject to availability).

Earlier this week, Sam started a new block of filming for Mr Selfridge (@exitthelemming).

A few weeks ago, he mentioned that his post about Richard II for the Shakespeare's Globe blog was an excerpt of a longer piece for a book. Shakespeare Beyond English, a volume of essays, will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2013 (Royal Holloway University of London).

This week, he recorded an audiobook of Philip Pullman's Grimm tales. The books will be published in September, but a release date for the audiobook has not been confirmed yet (@exitthelemming 1|2|3 and the Guardian).

Evening Standard Theatre Awards, BBC Radio

Nominees for the Evening Standard Theatre Awards include Benedict Cumberbatch (Frankenstein) and Charles Edwards (Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe) for Best Actor; Kristin Scott Thomas (Betrayal) for Best Actress; and Rob Ashford (Anna Christie) for Best Director.

The Drama on 3 Cock, an adaptation of the Royal Court theatre production, premieres next week. Andrew Scott, Ben Whishaw and Katherine Parkinson star. The following are currently available on iPlayer: The Tales of Max Carrados read by Arthur Darvill and The Wire The Thank You Present, starring Roger Allam and Reece Dinsdale.

Scene & Heard, BBC Radio

Patrons Hugh Bonneville and Sam West attended a performance of the Scene & Heard production Twist and Turn. Tweets:

@hughbon: "Fabulous eve with @exitthelemming & other proud patrons at http://t.co/8hJGUpU - 11 yr olds writing astonishing short plays."

@exitthelemming: "Beautiful evening at @SceneandHeardUK. Simon Scardifield played 10 parts. Countess of Wessex, @hughbon & other supporters v pleased & proud."

BBC Radio

• Claudie Blakley and Tony Haygarth are the readers for Words and Music "Idleness"
• Dan Stevens, Malcolm Sinclair and Tom Goodman-Hill star in the Drama on 3 A Thousand Kisses
• Sean Gallagher and Fenella Woolgar star in the Afternoon Play My Life Is a Series of People Saying Goodbye
• Toby Jones reads the Book of the Week Ken Campbell: The Great Caper
• Matt Smith, Tamsin Greig and Alan Bennett will be guests on The 4 O'Clock Show
• Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch, Stephanie Cole and John Finnemore star in series 2 of Cabin Pressure {repeat}
• Alex Jennings and Imogen Stubbs star in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Samuel West. Radio. Narration - The Soldier's Tale.

The cast for Sam's radio directorial debut includes Ian McDiarmid, Celia Imrie, Roger Allam, Bertie Carvel, Blake Ritson and Tom Goodman-Hill (via Sam's Twitter, @exitthelemming). Previous tweets from Sam about the play have hinted at recording on location and research.

He will narrate The Soldier's Tale by Stravinsky at the Kew Music Festival on 26 June (via sheengate.co.uk).

Reminders:

• Sam, Janet Suzman and Timothy West will read from Shakespeare's First Folio at a Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass at the V&A, this Friday, 25 March at 7pm.
• He will open the Berry Theatre at a gala on 7 April.

British Independent Film Awards, Merlin UK, La Soiree, BBC Radio.

MAC Cosmetics has issued a press release regarding sponsorship of the British Independent Film Awards, which will take place on 5 December. Andrea Riseborough (nominee for Best Actress) and Ruth Wilson will have their make up for the event applied by MAC artists.

Hugh Bonneville, a patron of the medical aid agency Merlin, recently went to Liberia as part of the Times Christmas Appeal. He has written an article in the Times about his trip. 

Guests at the Christmas soiree at La Soiree included Hayley Atwell, Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Berkoff.

Rosamund Pike interview from the LA Times in which she discusses Barney's Version and Made in Dagenham.

Andrea Riseborough and Hayley Atwell have been profiled in an article from Indie Wire, "On the Rise: 15 Actresses We Expect Great Things From".

BBC Radio

• Alex Jennings and Julian Rhind-Tutt star in the Afternoon Play The People's Princess {repeat}
• Roger Allam, Elliot Cowan and Elizabeth McGovern star in the Drama on 3 Gilead
• Simon Russell Beale reads De Profundis by Oscar Wilde {repeat}

Theatre - Evening Standard Theatre Awards

Nancy Carroll, Rory Kinnear and Peter Hall respectively won awards for Best Actress, Best Actor and the Moscow Theatre's Golden Seagull at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards; whatsonstage has a complete list of the winners.

Guests included Andrea Riseborough, Tom Hollander, Laura Wade, Sam West, Rebecca Hall, Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam. Pictures: Getty Images and WireImage.

Rebecca Hall, Ruth Wilson, Laura Wade. British Academy Television Awards. BBC Radio.

• Interviews with Rebecca Hall (via Momentary Bursts of Enthusiasm) and Ruth Wilson from the Guardian rebecca|ruth
  
  
• Laura Wade interview from the Sheffield Telegraph about Alice [link]
  
  
• British Academy Television Awards
• Selected winners: Julie Walters (leading actress, Mo), Matthew Macfadyen (leading actor, Criminal Justice), and Rebecca Hall (supporting actress, Red Riding 1974). The Thick of It received three awards - female performance in a comedy role (Rebecca Front), male performance in a comedy role (Peter Capaldi), and situation comedy.
• Pictures 1|2|3|4|5|6
• Article from Instyle [link]
• Videos from BAFTA, including a red carpet interview with Ruth Wilson, and an interview with the cast and crew of The Thick of It [link]
• Press release from MAC. Their artists did make up for Romola Garai, Ashley Jensen, and Ruth Wilson. [link]
  
  
• BBC Radio
• Roger Allam and Alex Jennings star in The Idiot (via the AJ Diaries) [link]
• Stephen Mangan reads The Dream Travellers for Big Toe Books [link]
• Juliet Stevenson was interviewed on Loose Ends [link]