A Family Affair with Samuel West

I went to see charity show called A Family Affair last night starring Timothy West, Prunella Scales and their son Samuel West, at the Oxford Playhouse. It was the first time I had seen them all together and it was truly spectacular. They each read from black folders, excerpts from plays etc. But the highlight of the evening personally for me was to see Sam performing a scene from Hamlet with his parents. I've always regretted not seeing Sam do Hamlet when he did the original show back in 2001. And now I have made my peace. From what I saw last night has convinced me more than ever that Sam could quite easily do Hamlet again. I mean if Mark Rylance and David Tennant can do it...then so could Sam! lol ;)

It was such a wonderful evening which raised lots of money for a good cause and I was really sad to see it end.

Here's another more detailed review...
A Family Affair

∗ wants to start a "Sam please do Hamlet again" petition ∗

A Tribute to Harold Pinter at Marxism 2009

© image of Sam West taken by m4sure

I went along last Sunday to the Marxism 2009 event here in London, that took place over a period of 5 days from 2-6 July. And attended the Harold Pinter talk at the Brunei Gallery. The speakers there were Samuel West and the Guardian theatre critic Michael Billington who has also written a few books on Pinter himself. The talk was fascinating for many reasons. To begin with for me personally, to discover that Pinter actually grew up a few streets away from where you live has always been most intriguing. The amount inner strength it took to break away from his meagre beginnings and to become one of the worlds greatest Playwrights is nothing short of amazing. It also meant that he understood real people. The inspiration he produced gave hope to many, that with enough faith in yourself anything is possible.

Both Sam and Michael discussed some of their personal experiences with Pinter, a few were moving and others were hilarious. Sam read from his own written speech that he did in response to Pinter's passing, and he also read from some of Pinter's plays and poems. With one of my favourites being Robert from BETRAYAL. Michael told us some of his very interesting interactions with Pinter as well. The evening ended with a short Q&A type discussion with the audience which at times was pretty amusing. It was a lovely and quite an emotional evening for everyone. Very informative, and great fun too. With the only person missing being Pinter himself, who I'm sure was there in spirit laughing at the lot of us!

Happy Birthday Sam

Waste rehearsals 2008

I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating...even if in rehearsals!!

(((Will be my turn in 10 days time))) lol :)

Harold Pinter A Celebration...(Review)

Images from the programme

On Sunday 7 June 2009 at the National Theatre, I attended the memorial event for the legendary playwright, Harold Pinter who sadly passed away on Christmas Eve 2008. The stage was set as black with two rows of silver chairs which ran along two sides of a black square performance area. All the actors who took part in the show were seated on the chairs throughout, and took turns to deliver their pieces. Samuel West was on in the the second half. It was lovely to see him again, although from where us mere mortals were seated it would of taken the use of binoculars to see any of the actors faces properly! There was sadness as well as a lot of comedy and my favourite being "Mac" The evening finished after 2.5hrs with a big b&w picture of Harold Pinter appearing on the back of the stage area and the actors slowly leaving. Walking away with their heads bowed. That was very moving.

The evenings performances were...

Death, 1997.....Stephen Rea

Voices in the Tunnel.....Henry Woolf

From Celebration, 1999

Waiter.....................Jude Law

Lambert.................Henry Goodman

Julie........................Susan Wooldridge

Matt.......................Andy De La Tour

Prue........................Lindsay Duncan

Poems to A, Part 1

Paris, 1975.............Colin Firth

I Know the Place...Penelope Wilton

To Antonia, 1987...Kenneth Cranham

Apart from That, 2006

Gene........................Jeremy Irons

Lake.........................Indira Varma

From the Caretaker, 1959....David Bradley

The Black and White, 1959

First Old Woman....Eileen Atkins

Second Old Woman..Sheila Hancock

From Mac, 1966.....Douglas Hodge

From Old Times, 1970

Deeley......................Alan Rickman

Anna.........................Lindsay Duncan

Kate..........................Gina McKee

From The Homecoming, 1964.....Kenneth Cranham

From The Lover, 1962

Richard......................Jude Law

Sarah..........................Indira Varma

Arthur Wellard, 1981........Samuel West

Tess, 2000.........................Penelope Wilton

From The Birthday Party, 1957

Stanley.......................Kenneth Cranham

Goldberg....................Henry Goodman

McCann......................Lloyd Hutchinson

From Mac, 1966.................Douglas Hodge

From The Homecoming, 1964.....Lia Williams

From No Mans Land, 1974..........Andy De La Tour

Political Poems

The Bombs, 2003...........................................Roger Lloyd Pack

The Disappeared, 1998..................................Janie Dee

I shall Tear Off My Terrible Cap, 1951.......Harry Burton

Cricket at Night, 1995....................................Jeremy Irons

After Lunch, 2002..........................................Lindsay Duncan

Weather Forecast, 2003................................David Bradley

Meeting, 2002.................................................Gina McKee

From Betrayal, 1978

Emma...............................Janie Dee

Robert..............................Michael Sheen

From The Caretaker, 1959....Colin Firth

Poems to A, Part 2

It is here, 1990..................Jude Law

To My Wife, 2004.............Lia Williams
Poem (To A), 2007...........Jeremy Irons

From his Nobel Prize address, 2005...........Students From LAMDA

From Celebration..............Stephen Rea

Samuel West on Acting, Directing and Family Heritage

© theatreland.tv


Sam West

A great video and very amusing...

..Sam West talks to his old mate Clemency Burton-Hill..

And nice to see Sam interested in Family History too! :)

Tennant’s Hamlet to air on BBC2

© The Stage



..David Tennant is to be reunited with the cast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s acclaimed production of Hamlet in a screen version of the play for BBC2..

I'm so excited by this news... :)

Harold Pinter: A Celebration

.."A celebration of the work of Harold Pinter will be held on Sunday 7 June in the National's Olivier Theatre at 7.00pm.

Ian Rickson will direct excerpts and readings from Pinter's work. The performers will include Eileen Atkins, David Bradley, Kenneth Cranham, Janie Dee, Andy de la Tour, Lindsay Duncan, Colin Firth, Henry Goodman, Sheila Hancock, Douglas Hodge, Lloyd Hutchinson, Jude Law, Gina McKee, Sophie Okonedo, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Indira Varma, Samuel West, Lia Williams, Penelope Wilton, Henry Woolf, and students from LAMDA"..

(And I have a ticket...lol)

Two Plays for Gaza

Tony Benn introduces Two Plays for Gaza

Hackney Empire 291 Mare Street London, E8 1EJ
Thursday 21 May 2009 at 7.30 pm

Performed by Tim Pigott-Smith, Corin Redgrave, Janie Dee, Jana Zeineddine, Kika Markham, Roger Lloyd Pack (subject to availability) and others. Plus music by Reem Kelani and Eugene Skeef

More info...
Seven Jewish Children/The Trainer

Time is Out of Joint ~ Hamlet

Ethan Hawke as Hamlet (2000)

Let us go in together,
And still your fingers on your lips, I pray.
The time is out of joint—O cursèd spite,
That ever I was born to set it right!
Nay, come, let's go together.

Tennant's Hamlet to be made into film

© WENN

.."David Tennant is planning to give fans another chance to see his short-lived stage performance of Shakespeare's Hamlet - a film version of the acclaimed play is in the making"..

Come on Sam...your turn next...

∗ HINT-HINT!!! ∗ ;P

Don't Know Why I Bother Sometimes

I really hate it when tickets to shows sell out almost before they even go on sale to the public. I really wanted to see the one off production of Freshwater at the Charleston Festival starring the West family, but instead I ended up wasting my time and phone bill by being put on hold for over 30 mins, only to be told that the tickets had already sold out ages ago. Simply wonderful...not. :(

Equal Roles Survey

© The Stage

.."Recent research by the International Federation of Actors revealed that female performers earn less and have shorter careers than their male counterparts, and do not feel that TV or theatre represents them in a realistic way"..

A Family Reunion Video

∗ it could of done with some more Harry pix but it's still very good ∗

The Scene and Heard Project

Scene and heard is an inner city project in London set up 10 years ago to help children (9-14) on a one-2-one basis, to write and produce their own plays.

And Samuel West is one of their patrons...
Scene and Heard

*so pleased to hear this* :)

Critics hail Tennant for part-time Hamlet

.."David Tennant was honoured today for the best Shakespearean performance of the year despite his limited London run"..

I know that David is a good actor, but would he of got this award if he hadn't been the current Dr Who? :\

Theatre pecking order

Producer:

• Leaps Tall Buildings In A Single Bound
• Is More Powerful Than A Locomotive
• Is Faster Than A Speeding Bullet
• Walks On Water
• Gives Policy To God
  

Director:

• Leaps Short Buildings In A Single Bound
• Is More Powerful Than A Switch Engine
• Is Just As Fast As A Speeding Bullet
• Walks On Water If The Sea Is Calm
• Talks With God
  

Playwright:

• Leaps Short Buildings With A Running Start
• Is Almost As Powerful As A Switch Engine
• Is Faster Than A Speeding BB
• Swims Well
• Is Occasionally Addressed By God
  

Actor:

• Makes High Marks On The Wall When Trying To Leap Buildings
• Is Run Over By Locomotives
• Can Sometimes Handle A Gun Without Inflicting Self-Injury
• Dog Paddles
• Talks To Animals
  

Technicians:

• Runs Into Buildings
• Recognizes Locomotives Two Out Of Three Times
• Is Not Issued Ammunition
• Can Stay Afloat With A Life Preserver
• Talks To Walls
  

Chorus member:

• Falls Over Doorsteps When Trying To Enter Buildings
• Says, "Look At The Choo-Choo!"
• Wets Self With A Water Pistol
• Plays In Mud Puddles
• Mumbles To Self
  

Stage Manager:

• Lifts Buildings And Walks Under Them
• Kicks Locomotives Off The Track
• Catches Speeding Bullets In Teeth And Eats Them
• Freezes Water With A Single Glance
• IS God!

Theatre Mayhem

~A random online joke~

A man was sprawled across three entire seats in a theatre. When the usher came by and noticed this, he whispered to the man, "Sorry sir, but you're only allowed one seat." The man groaned but didn't budge. The usher became impatient. "Sir," the usher said, "if you don't get up from there, I'm going to have to call the manager." Again, the man just groaned, which infuriated the usher who turned and marched briskly back up the aisle in search of his manager. In a few moments, both the usher and the manager returned and stood over the man. Together the two of them tried repeatedly to move him, but with no success. Finally, they summoned the police. The cop surveyed the situation briefly. "All right, buddy. What's your name?" "Sam," the man moaned. "Where ya from, Sam?" the cop asked. "The balconnnnyyyyy."

Stand up for Shakespeare Campaign

Stand up for Shakespeare campaign video...

.."The video clip above gives examples of children and young people living out the principles of the manifesto and interviews with actors who are key supporters of Stand up for Shakespeare, including David Tennant, Patrick Steward, Ian McKellen and Judi Dench. We hope it will inspire you and your students to support the manifesto!"..

Random facts about Art, Literature and Music

• Picasso could draw before he could walk and his first word was the Spanish word for pencil.
• The first history book, the Great Universal History, was published by Rashid-Eddin of Persia in 1311.
• A grand piano can be played faster than an upright (spinet) piano.
• Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote Meteorologica in 350 BC - it remained the standard textbook on weather for 2,000 years.
• The first illustrated book for children was published in Germany in 1658.
• The word "novel" originally derived from the Latin novus, meaning "new."
• It is said that if a statue of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, like the Zizkov Monument, the person died of natural causes.
• Music was sent down a telephone line for the first time in 1876, the year the phone was invented.
• To save costs, the body of Shakespeare's friend and fellow dramatist, Ben Jonson, was buried standing up in Westminister Abbey, London in 1637.
• Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French journalist suffering from "locked-in" syndrome, wrote the book "The Driving Bell and the Butterfly" by blinking his left eyelid - the only part of his body that could move.
• The only guy without a beard in ZZTOP surname (last name) is Beard.
• The shortest stage play is Samuel Beckett's "Breath" - 35 seconds of screams and heavy breathing.
• The first colour photograph was made in 1861 by James Maxwell. He photographed a tartan ribbon.
• In 1952, John Cage composed and presented ' 4'33" ', a composition consisting of 4 minutes and 33 seconds of silence.
• Beethoven was the first composer who never had an official court position, thus the first known freelance musician. Born in 1770, he grew up poor, but published his first work at age 12. By age 20 he was famous. He often sold the same score to six or seven different publishers simultaneously, and demanded unreasonably large fees for the simplest work. He was short, stocky, dressed badly, didn't like to bath, lived in squalor, used crude language, openly conducted affairs with married women, and had syphilis. Beethoven was deaf when he composed his Ninth Symphony.

Family Reunion time is now over

"Why I have this election I do not understand.
It must have been preparing always, and I see
what I always wanted. Strength demanded that
seems too much, is just strength enough.
I must follow the bright angels."

I went to last nights final performance of TS Eliot's play Family Reunion at the Donmar Theatre. My 5th time. But it so nearly didn't happen. Had to drag myself out of my sick bed to attend. I decided to go along to support Samuel West like I promised one last time, even if it finished me off in the process. I tried so hard not to have a coughing fit during the play. A difficult task I can tell you from way up in the rafters, better known as the notorious circle area. A place where the phantom birds like to hide, and secrets are kept. A world few seldom see...unless you happen to like heights and confined places. The show itself was excellent as ever, and I felt sad that it was all coming to an end. So much had happened during its run. Christmas had been and gone, the conflict in Gaza dominated the news, Harold Pinter's subsequent death, and the beginnings of a new year. All this, yet here in the Donmar time stood still for just over 2 hours. Some would say a perfect escape from the harsh realities of the outside world. When the play had uttered its last word and cheer, I made the lonely walk down the many flights of stairs, past the auto hunters, before I snuck out into the cold dark night to become just a memory again.

I hope the bird brought you luck Sam. It was meant too. All the best for your next project, whatever that may be.