Park Theatre has announced the full line up of almost 40 celebrities who will take to the Park200 stage this February and March – completely unrehearsed – to play the Inspector in a farcical whodunnit. Each night will see a different actor, presenter, musician or comedian having their lines fed to them via earpiece as they attempt to crack the case of a stolen diamond. First announced in November, the initial line up has been expanded to include Simon Callow, Ian McKellen, Mark Gatiss and Emma Thompson amongst others. Who will perform in Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 2 on any given night is a closely guarded secret and will only be revealed when the curtain goes up. Continue reading “News: Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 2 guest performers revealed”
74th British Academy Film Awards nominations
Best Film
The Father – Philippe Carcassonne, Jean-Louis Livi and David Parfitt
The Mauritanian – Adam Ackland, Leah Clarke, Beatriz Levin and Lloyd Levin
Nomadland – Mollye Asher, Dan Janvey, Frances McDormand, Peter Spears and Chloé Zhao
Promising Young Woman – Ben Browning, Emerald Fennell, Ashley Fox and Josey McNamara
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Stuart M. Besser and Marc Platt
Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
Sarah Gavron – Rocks
Shannon Murphy – Babyteeth
Thomas Vinterberg – Another Round
Jasmila Žbanić – Quo Vadis, Aida?
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Continue reading “74th British Academy Film Awards nominations”
26th Critics’ Choice Awards nominees
Best Picture
Da 5 Bloods
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Mank
Minari
News of the World
Nomadland
One Night in Miami
Promising Young Woman
Sound of Metal
The Trial of the Chicago 7
Best Director
Lee Isaac Chung – Minari
Emerald Fennell – Promising Young Woman
David Fincher – Mank
Regina King – One Night in Miami
Spike Lee – Da 5 Bloods
Aaron Sorkin – The Trial of the Chicago 7
Chloé Zhao – Nomadland Continue reading “26th Critics’ Choice Awards nominees”
27th Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees
Film
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Riz Ahmed – Sound of Metal as Ruben Stone
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as Levee Green (posthumous nomination)
Anthony Hopkins – The Father as Anthony
Gary Oldman – Mank as Herman J. Mankiewicz
Steven Yeun – Minari as Jacob Yi
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Amy Adams – Hillbilly Elegy as Beverly “Bev” Vance
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom as Ma Rainey
Vanessa Kirby – Pieces of a Woman as Martha Weiss
Frances McDormand – Nomadland as Fern
Carey Mulligan – Promising Young Woman as Cassandra “Cassie” Thomas Continue reading “27th Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees”
News: Tristram Kenton’s stage archive – the musicals edition
Since it is the season of goodwill to all men, I’m not going to belabour the point that it is a shame that ‘musicals’ have been lumped together as a category here, whereas the likes of Pinter and Kane got their own specials, whither Sondheim, Herman and Tesori. Still, it’s lovely as ever to stretch back over years of musical theatre productions to see some of Tristram Kenton’s most iconic shots for the Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2020/dec/02/musicals-on-stage-in-pictures-tristram-kenton
Photos: Tristram Kenton
News: Tristram Kenton’s stage archive – the before-they-were-famous edition #2
Clearly, the first before-they-were-famous photo montage was a click-winner for the Guardian as they’ve gone back into Tristram Kenton’s archive for a second dip of notable actors earlier in their careers:
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2020/nov/13/stars-before-they-were-famous-in-pictures-rachel-weisz-damian-lewis-daniel-kaluuya
Photos: Tristram Kenton
TV Review: Jonathan Creek, Series 2
The second series of Jonathan Creek continues the good form of the first, even if the writing starts to verge on the misogynistic
“There’s always an explanation”
After the success of its first season, Series 2 of Jonathan Creek followed in short order in early 1998. And having firmly established its modus operandi of impossible crimes and simmering but awkward sexual chemistry between Akan Davies’ Jonathan and Caroline Quentin’s Maddy, it carries on ploughing that same furrow.
This series sees Stuart Milligan added to the mix as Adam Klein, replacing Anthony Head who got the job as Giles on Buffy and whilst he is a vividly entertaining character, his presence seems to allow writer David Renwick to indulge in some misogynistic touches over and above what might be ‘forgiven’ for being 20 years old, just look at the way Adam and indeed Jonathan treat the majority of the women in their life… Continue reading “TV Review: Jonathan Creek, Series 2”
News: Tristram Kenton’s stage archive in pictures
Not really news, more a heads-up to this brilliant piece in the Guardian which covers the 30-odd years that Tristram Kenton has been taking pics for the Guardian’s theatre coverage. Highly recommended: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/gallery/2020/jul/30/caesar-cilla-and-a-superstar-cast-tristram-kentons-stage-archive-in-pictures
Photos: Tristram Kenton
News: an all-star ‘Make Them Hear You’ in support of #BLM
150 musical performers from across the West End and Broadway have come together to perform a stellar version of “Make Them Here You” from Ragtime in support of Black Lives Matter and the Stopwatch campaign.
The video is raising funds for the StopWatch campaign, which combats the racist and disproportionate use of stop and search since 2010. You can donate here.
Review: Hello Harry! A Celebration of 40 Years at Stage Door
Just a quickie for the infusion of pure joy that was Hello Harry! A Celebration of 40 Years at Stage Door
Amid the constant shower of shit that passes for news about theatre at the moment, this online concert to celebrate the incredible 40 year career of Harry Gabriel, the Shaftesbury Theatre’s Stage Door Keeper, was an absolute ray of sunshine.
Put together by Giles Terera, the guest list was truly astonishing, featuring a veritable who’s who of the theatre world, all connected one way or another with Harry through the 40 years of shows he has seen pass through the Shaftesbury Theatre. Continue reading “Review: Hello Harry! A Celebration of 40 Years at Stage Door”