367 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Jan 2, 2018 13:42:39 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 14:01:23 GMT
Yaaaaay! Matthew Needham. I love him. Hel- lo Seb Carrington.  It's Tennessee Williams so there's got to be a sweaty vest in it somewhere. If it turns out Patsy Ferran is the one wearing it, I may riot. |
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1,064 posts
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Post by bellboard27 on Jan 2, 2018 14:07:15 GMT
Yaaaaay! Matthew Needham. I love him. Well, I only hope James Norton does not get too upset. |
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367 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Jan 2, 2018 14:12:51 GMT
Do you think that Matthew Needham lives in the cellar of the Almeida? Three plays there is one year (The treatment, The twilight zone, Summer and smoke) sounds slightly suspicious…
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 14:18:34 GMT
What does Matthew Needham have on the Almeida's casting department, and is he always the best choice for the roles...?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 14:22:42 GMT
What does Matthew Needham have on the Almeida's casting department, and is he always the best choice for the roles...? We'll never know. It's probably on a Needham to know basis. I thank you. |
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985 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jan 2, 2018 14:53:36 GMT
What does Matthew Needham have on the Almeida's casting department, and is he always the best choice for the roles...? He's good, but it's lazy ass casting from the casting director. |
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Post by profquatermass on Jan 2, 2018 15:18:15 GMT
What does Matthew Needham have on the Almeida's casting department, and is he always the best choice for the roles...? He's good, but it's lazy ass casting from the casting director. Really? The National used to do this all the time - Hytner had a core of actors he used again and again and I'm sure all casting directors do this |
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985 posts
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Post by nash16 on Jan 2, 2018 15:24:44 GMT
He's good, but it's lazy ass casting from the casting director. Really? The National used to do this all the time - Hytner had a core of actors he used again and again and I'm sure all casting directors do this Yep, you're right, they're both being lazy. |
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Jan 2, 2018 16:03:35 GMT
He's good, but it's lazy ass casting from the casting director. Really? The National used to do this all the time - Hytner had a core of actors he used again and again and I'm sure all casting directors do this Agreed - in effect it is a like having a long term repertory company. The National championed Alex Jennings, Simon Russell Beale, Rory Kinnear etc. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with working with the same actors. They have hopefully earned their place initially and still need to perform up to standard on subsequent productions - it's not as if they are just going along for the ride. If anything, they might need to prove themselves even more, even though they have their "foot in the door" already. It could be seen as a "normal" job - once you have proved yourself on one project, surely the casting director doesn't then need to start from scratch with each production/project. Of course, this might then be perceived as being less favourable to new talent.. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 16:08:21 GMT
Really? The National used to do this all the time - Hytner had a core of actors he used again and again and I'm sure all casting directors do this Agreed - in effect it is a like having a long term repertory company. The National championed Alex Jennings, Simon Russell Beale, Rory Kinnear etc. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with working with the same actors. They have hopefully earned their place initially and still need to perform up to standard on subsequent productions - it's not as if they are just going along for the ride. It could be seen as a "normal" job - once you have proved yourself on one project, surely the casting director doesn't then need to start from scratch with each production/project. Of course, this might then be perceived as being less favourable to new talent.. That's all true, I don't mind it a jot. And Matthew Needham is a smashing little actor too so I don't begrudge him a single role. And don't forget, dear old Kenny Branagh does it all the time, working with the same people. Always has done, still does. |
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382 posts
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Post by stevemar on Jan 2, 2018 16:19:22 GMT
That's all true, I don't mind it a jot. And Matthew Needham is a smashing little actor too so I don't begrudge him a single role. And don't forget, dear old Kenny Branagh does it all the time, working with the same people. Always has done, still does. I suppose it is one less job for Tom Bateman though, Ryan... |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2018 16:26:16 GMT
That's all true, I don't mind it a jot. And Matthew Needham is a smashing little actor too so I don't begrudge him a single role. And don't forget, dear old Kenny Branagh does it all the time, working with the same people. Always has done, still does. *gasp* Oh no you don't.  |
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2,389 posts
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Post by peggs on Jan 2, 2018 19:18:52 GMT
I rather like the consistency of casting, if they're actors I like it means i'm more likely to go again as I know i'm probably going to be assured quality of acting, if they're actors I don't like, well it saves me money! I've seen Mathew Needham twice at the Globe in the last year or so, so he must escape out of the Almeida cellar now and again  |
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 3, 2018 10:48:58 GMT
A joint project as a one off is fine. However when it becomes a joint career, it is quite another matter.
Particularly when you are using public money to fund it.
If director/actor couples want to work together on a frequent basis, then it should be away from the subsidized sector.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 11:56:03 GMT
A joint project as a one off is fine. However when it becomes a joint career, it is quite another matter. Particularly when you are using public money to fund it. If director/actor couples want to work together on a frequent basis, then it should be away from the subsidized sector. For me, the main prob from an audience point of view is that it gets repetitive to see the same actor in the big roles (however good he/she is); if partners were working together as director/designer or whatever it would be less noticeable. But playing devil's advocate, the pitch to the RSC (and maybe a selling point for them) could have been that by appointing one as AD you get the other as a key company actor. It's hard to believe that it wasn't stated up front that Sher would be a big part of the package. |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 12:15:56 GMT
To be honest I don't really give a fig so long as it's an actor I like getting all the roles.
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2,706 posts
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Post by Cardinal Pirelli on Jan 3, 2018 12:19:08 GMT
But what if they work together as a team and then get hitched later, or if they keep their relationship secret so that they aren’t accused of nepotism?
Do people think that Cheek by Jowl should split because Donellan and Ormerod keep working together? They get a lot of arts council cash.
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Post by oxfordsimon on Jan 3, 2018 13:07:25 GMT
A joint project as a one off is fine. However when it becomes a joint career, it is quite another matter. Particularly when you are using public money to fund it. If director/actor couples want to work together on a frequent basis, then it should be away from the subsidized sector. For me, the main prob from an audience point of view is that it gets repetitive to see the same actor in the big roles (however good he/she is); if partners were working together as director/designer or whatever it would be less noticeable. But playing devil's advocate, the pitch to the RSC (and maybe a selling point for them) could have been that by appointing one as AD you get the other as a key company actor. It's hard to believe that it wasn't stated up front that Sher would be a big part of the package. It was reported that Doran didn't get the job first time around because of the Sher issue and the appointment board didn't want to create the Royal Sher Company. Whether that is true or not is a matter of some conjecture. But I think there should be transparency about all of this. No casting process is ever fully open. Directors will always have people they enjoy working with and develop projects with certain castings in mind. But we should be striving to keep nepotism to a bare minimum in our publicly funded companies. In the private sector, people can make whatever choices they like. And that, as can be seen with certain careers, can lead to mixed results. |
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Post by carfax on Jan 5, 2018 10:07:49 GMT
I've heard that too. Can't imagine that Doran would've cast Sher any more frequently than Boyd cast Slinger, however (and the phrase 'Royal Slinger Company' was certainly doing the rounds for a time).
Going back to the Almeida casting, I'm more than happy to see Matthew Needham - seen him on a number of occasions with various companies and always found him impressive.
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5 posts
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Post by carfax on Jan 5, 2018 10:09:51 GMT
Sorry - couldn't preview post for some reason - I'd attempted to quote oxfordsimon's comment about Doran and Sher.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2018 14:32:07 GMT
Just to let everyone know they are doing almeida for free with this where if you are 25 or under you can see the show for free and there are workshops and other things going on from the 3rd to the 5th of April. I went the to hamlet one last year which was great but have tried to book for this and lots of it has sold out but they are doing waiting lists so if you aren't interred make sure you sign up. almeida.co.uk/almeida-for-free |
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367 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 27, 2018 12:49:00 GMT
Does anyone know how long the show is?
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184 posts
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Post by argon on Feb 27, 2018 21:34:44 GMT
Does anyone know how long the show is? 2hrs 35 min including 15 min interval |
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2,962 posts
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Post by crowblack on Feb 27, 2018 23:00:28 GMT
Phew - I heard it was long and was thinking I might not make my train! Looking forward to this, though not getting to see it till the final matinee (West Coast trackworks or something on some weekends in March). I thought Patsy Ferran was super in My Mum's a Tw*t and booked on the strength of that. |
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371 posts
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Post by popcultureboy on Feb 28, 2018 0:07:38 GMT
I'm seeing this at the end of March, I can't wait. The production shots look VERY ATMOSPHERIC and I would crawl over broken glass for Patsy Ferran any day before we even start. |
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367 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Feb 28, 2018 10:18:41 GMT
I saw it last night. The set is very original (although I am not sure what is the actual meaning) and the two leads are very good. Alma's part seems to be written for Patsy Ferran who is great as always. "Summer and smoke" is one of my favourite plays and I had seen Frecknall's previous production at the Southwark Playhouse: however, I must admit that this new production did not convince me as much as the previous one. I think it is just down to director's choices. The final scene is less dramatic than I remembered (a friend of mine did not understand what was going on), the doubling of roles for some actors can be confusing, and the play is only loosely set in a specific period of time, which for me takes something away from the trajectory that Alma makes within a small-minded community.
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Post by alexandra on Mar 1, 2018 11:34:09 GMT
Has anyone else seen the play, please?
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367 posts
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Post by MrBunbury on Mar 1, 2018 11:36:26 GMT
Has anyone else seen the play, please? I commented on it at page 2. Did you like it? |
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Post by alexandra on Mar 1, 2018 11:37:59 GMT
I know, hence "else" - I haven't seen it yet but have tickets, so I'm interested in views. Thank you very much for yours.
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