745 posts
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Post by horton on Jul 11, 2016 22:21:06 GMT
Phantom- don't you even pay attention to your own posts? Make up your mind: either you used the term "sub standard" or you didn't.
You're just digging a bigger hole for yourself when you claim those exceptionally talented performers are desperate. Not to mention insulting a range of great artists who believe that great theatre shouldn't just be the right of those who live in London. Next you'll be claiming Daniel Evans chose to run the Crucible in Sheffield because he wasn't good enough for London!
Inexcusable snobbery!
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258 posts
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Post by notmymuse on Jul 11, 2016 22:41:21 GMT
Emma Williams had to resort to stripping to the buff to get a role. [ Without wanting to take this thread off topic I think that's a highly disrespectful remark. Mrs Henderson tackled nudity tasteful, in a way that it was empowering. The fact that Emma stated many women were moved by her performance shows the quality of her acting alone, and why she deserves more prominence in the West End, and I'm sure she would have had she more name recognition, and shows why regional theatre (Sixpence in Chichester and White Christmas at WYP) as well as touring productions such as Annie Get Your Gun are lucky to have her. On ability and merit I think she has the credibility to snub such shows on the basis that the quality of the production may be less than that of West End theatre, but as a woman who champions regional theatre as well as London theatre, it is the actors like Emma Williams who, in my opinion, are not on the way down but are responsible for the continuing rise in quality of touring theatre. Emma Williams had virtually disappeared from the scene and had to accept a touring role and WYP (both of which I saw her in and she was very good, as always) to get back into the WE and back in people's minds, which I think she did following changing her agent. And she may well have got Mrs Henderson as she was willing to take a risk and do something outside her comfort zone, namely appearing naked (which she carried off very well and with dignity). That she had always chosen WE work in earlier years and Annie Get Your Gun was her first ever tour after a long dry period has to say something. In fact, her series of blog posts about touring are well worth a read. She talks a lot about digs and touring life. They are probably still on her website. I only have three or four actor friends, but they are all clear you chose WE over touring in general (obviously depending on what's going - sometimes you have to take what you can get, like one of my friends who toured Japan playing a fart for months). As someone who lives in the provinces, it's not usually the cast that are the problem, but the flimsy sets, pared back orchestra and cast, poorer sound due to get-ins being rushed etc. Some touring shows are great but when I compare the tour of Priscilla or Sound of Music, they weren't a patch on the WE versions. and that's little to do with the audience or cast. Audiences are very different in the WE and provinces, but then again they differ hugely around the country between the provinces. I would rather sit in Sheffield or Leicester than the WE any day, for a polite and informed theatre audience. |
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396 posts
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Post by djp on Jul 12, 2016 3:40:24 GMT
There are plenty of West End regulars (and a smattering of the original cast) in this tour. Given the precarious state of the business, people take the work where they can get it. The idea that tour casts are "sub standard" is ridiculously dated. Indeed its downright nonsense . Some tours are packed with names, often from soaps. Some regional tours pick some regional leads. Most tours are full of people who just move between the Westend and touring. Some westend shows moved in from tour, or the provinces, others head in the reverse direction. Some big tours - like Les Mis, were manned by taking half the top talent from the Westend cast . Some tours went out with the best possible cast, and the London show hasn't seen one as good since. Other tours have been better than the same show has been in London, and better than some of the poor shows that litter some London theatres. You don't get Glenn Close on tour, or Sheridan, given her other commitments but the rest of the Westend would be pretty empty if no one who toured was there. Just looking at whats on ,now, along the Strand, the theatres would be shuttered if you excluded all their leads who tour. |
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Post by danb on Jul 12, 2016 5:27:24 GMT
Great talent is great talent wherever it plays. An actors working life is always going to have peaks and troughs, they are going to want to challenge themself to stay motivated and alert. Surely touring is a good way of actors breaking up the London-centric grind of 8 shows a week? If it's good enough for Sir Ian etc then surely one of Hear'say should be just as happy to do it.
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