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Post by wickedgrin on Jun 23, 2017 16:24:03 GMT
It's an utter disgrace and totally disrespectful to trained professional actors. I wonder how he would feel if actors turned up on his team to play cricket! Julian Clary batting for the other team.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2017 16:37:23 GMT
This is Fat friends the musical, its not like he is the next phantom or javart. And Jodie is hardly an outstanding talent, she basically plays herself in everything.
The weird thing is he is very blokey and i cant imagine his fanbase being drawn to see fat friends the musical just because he is in it.Does he have a huge female fanbase?
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Post by alece10 on Jun 23, 2017 18:36:05 GMT
She's also missing the point that Daniel Boys didn't 'start out' in Any Dream Will Do - he was already a professional performer, with training and experience under his belt when he auditioned for ADWD. Yes, absolutely! A point Daniel Boys even tried to make to Jodie himself on twitter, but to no avail. As for We do know that Freddie Flintoff can sing and is pretty good at it. Well, from the clip Burly posted earlier in this thread and from the Elvis clip I've seen, in my opinion, that is a gross, gross overstatement. What I would say is that "Freddie Flintoff can hold a tune and is pretty good at singing an Elvis song....for Freddie Flintoff". Not "Wow, what a voice that Freddie Flintoff has, better than any trained voice I've ever heard, let's get him as the lead in our brand new musical because he's so bloody brilliant definitely not because he's Freddie Flintoff". The level of expectation for Freddie Flintoff being a good singer is 0%, right? So when he sings, and is pretty mediocre to OK, certainly much worse than anyone who actually would claim to be a singer, it actually makes him seem far better than he really is, because the expectation is so low. This is the problem. He'll appear to be "good" because everyone expects him to be bad and he may slightly exceed those expectations, when in fact he's still actually pretty bad. Of course I'm not in any way suggesting that's what you were saying, alece10, I just think we have to be realistic about it. I'll say again, even if he turns out to be OK to good, that's still not good enough for me, because then it'll be a case of "Wow we weren't expecting that" and then the creative team can say "See, this is why we cast him!", when really they just got bloody lucky. Why, when you already have 'names' in a cast, could they not simply have just cast someone who would have reliably played the role with no question marks surrounding their ability. This will probably be the understudy. Putting Freddie Flintoff in a musical when you already have Jodie Prenger & Sam Bailey just seems like you're putting together a cast for a Panto to me, and totally screams that the creative team & producers have absolutely no faith what-so-ever in the quality of this new musical. Whilst I'm sure Fat Friends the Musical will be no piece of high-art, it really does make a laughing stock of the industry. No that's not what I was saying and you only half quoted me. I actually said he could sing, at least an Elvis song. Doesn't mean he could now go on and do Sondheim but I am sure he will be perfectly fine in the role he has been given.
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Post by djp on Jun 23, 2017 19:29:30 GMT
I can see the Flintoff casting working, I mean Chicago seemed to have some very odd casting decisions in its West End Run but by that time it was a known and popular show. I can see Flintoff working in a show like Jackie - The Musical where a lot of the audience are there for a sing a long to the hits of the 70s/80s/90s. I struggle to see Flintoff working in a show with an unknown score based on a TV show from 15 years ago that a lot of people have forgotten about. They are essentially selling the show on "Andrew Flintoff" rather than the music, lyrics, book, direction, design, name of the show, etc etc etc. Its just a bad concept . poor Jodie has now gone the complete circle from winning a weight loss show to starring in Fat Friends. She's targetted at whoever voted for her in I'Do Anything. Flintoff is targetted at someone who wants blokey bloke, and he won I'm a Celebrity so there must be some fanbase. The bigger problem isn't can he warble , its can he act. But if the story is optional too... Meanwhile, more than usual of the top west end talent either seems to be doing so well its been exported where i can't see it , or its been unused , and the West End seems full of fallen pound tourists willing to pay £ 95 for my £67 seat of a couple of years ago- to often watch stuff thats often not actually much good - because its got nothing much to sing, not much story , clones soemthing else, or got name casting that can't act or sing it.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 23, 2017 20:04:55 GMT
Its called show BUSINESS. Its about making money. If you dont like him in it, then dont go. It makes good business sense to have a familar name. Ok, so he's not an actor but he will certainly get people there, including men who might not normally go.
Good luck to him.
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Post by theatremadness on Jun 23, 2017 20:20:44 GMT
I know that's not what you said alece10, I went off on a tangent only semi-related to what you were saying and I know I only half-quoted you - I had hoped to make that clear when I said "I'm not in any way suggesting that's what you were saying" but apologies if that didn't come across properly, as I know what you were saying, I was, as I said, just going off on a tangent!
And yes it absolutely is a business @tbfl, but when that business is also your livelihood, or even if it's not, I believe you have every right to express your contempt for that decision, as much as those who think it's a good idea! OK fine, he gets some people to the theatre who've never been before. But now you have to get them back, so what, have a minor celebrity from any profession in *every* show from now on? That's a gross exaggeration of course, but for me his casting is less about which show he's been cast in but more about the fact he was cast in the first place. And yes I'm being dramatic!!!
Soz all, this casting has just really grinded my gears. Nothing personal, of course!!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Jun 24, 2017 7:48:19 GMT
This is Fat friends the musical, its not like he is the next phantom or javart. And Jodie is hardly an outstanding talent, she basically plays herself in everything. The weird thing is he is very blokey and i cant imagine his fanbase being drawn to see fat friends the musical just because he is in it.Does he have a huge female fanbase? That "League Of Their Own" panel game is prime time comedy on Sky 1 isn't it? That sort of blokey-wokey stuff does attract women, I gather. I'm picturing Wayne and Waynetta Slob types slumped on their "settee", one hand in a giant bag of Lidl crisps and the other in their respective trackie bottoms. Waynetta fancies Freddie summat rotten and will be the one to see him in Fat Friends along with her real life fat friends, with whom she'll get bladdered in the pub beforehand. She also likes "that Sam Bailey off the X Factor". Wayne will stay in and watch footy or some dodgy porn. Goodness! Look at me stereotyping people. Naughty naughty. Speaking of Sam Bailey who said she could act either? One tour as Mama Morton in Chicago doth not an actress make! She's as under qualified as Freddie is she not? Anyway I said at the top of this thread that I could imagine what it will be like and so far it's playing out to be exactly what I thought.
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Post by sirdaniel on Jun 24, 2017 11:03:54 GMT
and he won I'm a Celebrity so there must be some fanbase. He won the Australian I'm a Celeb...long way to travel to see Fat Friends the Musical hahahah
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 11, 2017 22:24:38 GMT
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Post by WireHangers on Aug 12, 2017 15:57:33 GMT
Please take it from me when I say that trained professional actors don't care about stunt casting. The only people who seem to care are actors who trained at a University and have never had a professional job, acting like celebrities have taken a role off them, and the general public.
We know how this business works. We know the world doesn't owe us anything. Most of us are just grateful to be involved in a touring show. If any professional actor is against star casting then they can easily step aside and let the 100's of us that couldn't give a fig more of a chance of getting cast.
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Post by danb on Aug 12, 2017 16:07:33 GMT
Please take it from me when I say that trained professional actors don't care about stunt casting. The only people who seem to care are actors who trained at a University and have never had a professional job, acting like celebrities have taken a role off them, and the general public. We know how this business works. We know the world doesn't owe us anything. Most of us are just grateful to be involved in a touring show. If any professional actor is against star casting then they can easily step aside and let the 100's of us that couldn't give a fig more of a chance of getting cast. Oh I like this guy, he can stay 😀 Well said sir!
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 12, 2017 16:27:58 GMT
Please take it from me when I say that trained professional actors don't care about stunt casting. The only people who seem to care are actors who trained at a University and have never had a professional job, acting like celebrities have taken a role off them, and the general public. We know how this business works. We know the world doesn't owe us anything. Most of us are just grateful to be involved in a touring show. If any professional actor is against star casting then they can easily step aside and let the 100's of us that couldn't give a fig more of a chance of getting cast. Well the reaction from many well-known actors (in musical theatre) suggests the exact opposite! Acting isn't brain surgery or some other sort of life-saving vocation, but for those who do it (and do it well), it's their livelihood, so they have every right to stand up and confront decisions that they believe makes a mockery of their career. I totally get the argument that it helps get a show put on and, as a result, actually allows more people to be cast therefore providing more jobs, but surely there's got to be a line? It doesn't affect you now, great, but the way we're going, it very may well affect you at some point down the line in your career. Don't you care? Aren't you passionate enough about what you do to believe that whilst you work in a cut-throat business, your industry should also be treated with respect? I dunno, and of course I don't know you from Adam so I'm not making these assumptions about you at all, just making general statements, but I just feel that rolling over and taking it seems a very wrong and submissive way to treat questionable decisions an industry you hope to make a life and career from.
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Post by danb on Aug 12, 2017 16:58:59 GMT
Please take it from me when I say that trained professional actors don't care about stunt casting. The only people who seem to care are actors who trained at a University and have never had a professional job, acting like celebrities have taken a role off them, and the general public. We know how this business works. We know the world doesn't owe us anything. Most of us are just grateful to be involved in a touring show. If any professional actor is against star casting then they can easily step aside and let the 100's of us that couldn't give a fig more of a chance of getting cast. Well the reaction from many well-known actors (in musical theatre) suggests the exact opposite! Acting isn't brain surgery or some other sort of life-saving vocation, but for those who do it (and do it well), it's their livelihood, so they have every right to stand up and confront decisions that they believe makes a mockery of their career. I totally get the argument that it helps get a show put on and, as a result, actually allows more people to be cast therefore providing more jobs, but surely there's got to be a line? It doesn't affect you now, great, but the way we're going, it very may well affect you at some point down the line in your career. Don't you care? Aren't you passionate enough about what you do to believe that whilst you work in a cut-throat business, your industry should also be treated with respect? I dunno, and of course I don't know you from Adam so I'm not making these assumptions about you at all, just making general statements, but I just feel that rolling over and taking it seems a very wrong and submissive way to treat questionable decisions an industry you hope to make a life and career from. I didn't read it as 'rolling over' more as an acceptance of this is the situation we are in, let's make the most of it. How many questionable productions would never have even got off the ground without her off of the X Factor or him off of Emmerdale, therefore how many jobs would never have existed?
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 12, 2017 17:21:04 GMT
Well the reaction from many well-known actors (in musical theatre) suggests the exact opposite! Acting isn't brain surgery or some other sort of life-saving vocation, but for those who do it (and do it well), it's their livelihood, so they have every right to stand up and confront decisions that they believe makes a mockery of their career. I totally get the argument that it helps get a show put on and, as a result, actually allows more people to be cast therefore providing more jobs, but surely there's got to be a line? It doesn't affect you now, great, but the way we're going, it very may well affect you at some point down the line in your career. Don't you care? Aren't you passionate enough about what you do to believe that whilst you work in a cut-throat business, your industry should also be treated with respect? I dunno, and of course I don't know you from Adam so I'm not making these assumptions about you at all, just making general statements, but I just feel that rolling over and taking it seems a very wrong and submissive way to treat questionable decisions an industry you hope to make a life and career from. I didn't read it as 'rolling over' more as an acceptance of this is the situation we are in, let's make the most of it. How many questionable productions would never have even got off the ground without her off of the X Factor or him off of Emmerdale, therefore how many jobs would never have existed? OK sure, but why can't you accept the situation and make the most of it, whilst *also* expressing your unhappiness/anger/disdain? Obviously nothing is going to reverse the decision which means of course you're right, you have to make the most of it, but I (and seemingly others) feel it's also very important to make people (who have power) aware that we believe the industry should be treated with respect, not a playground for some to dip their toes into. And I recognise your second point - in fact I made it myself in my own post - but was the only way this musical was going to succeed was by hiring an ex-cricketer? At least with X Factor, you stand a chance of them being able to hold a tune and, if you're lucky, act through it as well. At least with Emmerdale you stand a chance of them being able to act and possibly sing which may have been included in their training as an actor. Those are the types of occasions where a more relaxed attitude may possibly be the way forward. But an ex-cricketer? Who cameo-ed as himself in an episode of something on Sky? Who has sung, rather averagely (to be polite), as part of a game show? You gotta speak out against some things! (Where's my barricade....is that people singing?)
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 12, 2017 18:49:30 GMT
I bet Freddie barely sings in it anyway.
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Post by WireHangers on Aug 13, 2017 10:34:37 GMT
Please take it from me when I say that trained professional actors don't care about stunt casting. The only people who seem to care are actors who trained at a University and have never had a professional job, acting like celebrities have taken a role off them, and the general public. We know how this business works. We know the world doesn't owe us anything. Most of us are just grateful to be involved in a touring show. If any professional actor is against star casting then they can easily step aside and let the 100's of us that couldn't give a fig more of a chance of getting cast. Well the reaction from many well-known actors (in musical theatre) suggests the exact opposite! Acting isn't brain surgery or some other sort of life-saving vocation, but for those who do it (and do it well), it's their livelihood, so they have every right to stand up and confront decisions that they believe makes a mockery of their career. I totally get the argument that it helps get a show put on and, as a result, actually allows more people to be cast therefore providing more jobs, but surely there's got to be a line? It doesn't affect you now, great, but the way we're going, it very may well affect you at some point down the line in your career. Don't you care? Aren't you passionate enough about what you do to believe that whilst you work in a cut-throat business, your industry should also be treated with respect? I dunno, and of course I don't know you from Adam so I'm not making these assumptions about you at all, just making general statements, but I just feel that rolling over and taking it seems a very wrong and submissive way to treat questionable decisions an industry you hope to make a life and career from. I completely agree with you for most points and I get what you're saying but in the same way I don't judge the state of Hollywood over the release of the Sharknado film series because this show and Freddie Flintoff is a tiny, minuscule part of a huge machine with more going on that you could ever even begin to know. Touring as the ensemble in any show whether is be a huge production or a small production is an absolute joy when you're my age and like I mentioned earlier, most people I know are absolutely chuffed to be involved in any capacity. The latest example of what I'm saying is a very good friend of mine from drama school has been cast as a featured role in Gary Barlow's THE BAND. She certainly isn't going to pipe up and say how much she hates the fact the leads were cast via a reality show because she knows that biting that hand that feeds her would be honourable yet detrimental to a career in a famously flippant industry. As well as having a friend cast in THE BAND the two of us also have friends who have just premiered a new musical at The Other Palace. So, no I'm not rolling over and taking it. We always have so many different things going on that being involved in ONE production that has a celebrity lead doesn't affect our passion, talent or drive and it certainly doesn't define the entire industry. Not to make this about me personally but when I'm not employed, like many other actors who CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY DO and are PASSIONATE ENOUGH, I take part in multiple readings, workshops and varying development stages of new work, plays, musicals, etc. I can't be sure but I'm sure I've taken part in about 50+ readings/workshops since I started drama school and I've never seen a single celebrity near of any those productions. THAT'S where actors put their passion and their craft. THAT'S where our love of theatre lies. THAT'S what our training prepared us for - not some second rate show that we all know is a pile of pish but sign up for anyway because bills gotta get paid. I recently moved back to Scotland after a few years performing in France, Germany and Australia (and a lot of karaoke in South East Asia). I've just finished a well received show at the Edinburgh Fringe. Two weeks ago I auditioned did my second call back for a new drama on ITV and I'm in the process of setting up a Glasgow based theatre group exclusively LGBTQI+ performer so I reiterate to you, yes I am very passionate and I care about what I do more than you'd ever know. This industry pays my bills (as does Ted Baker but that's another conversation to be had). If the producers of FAT FRIENDS want to hire a minor celebrity to star in a show that's based on a series that's been off the air for over a decade, written by a woman who has some alright credits to her name and composed by someone who just happens to be related to the world's most famous theatre composer then LET THEM. It's their money and their head on the board if it flops. Whatever happens the actors still have the pay check, the credit on their CV and they'll move onto the next job. Please don't think me, or anyone else, is being submissive and disrespectful just because we're not rioting at the thought of Freddie Flintoff being in a musical, we have just more important sh*t to be worrying about. Sorry for the rant. This would have been easier to say if we were in the pub with a pint.
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 13, 2017 11:00:40 GMT
Ok, but how do you feel about Sam Bailey?
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 13, 2017 11:52:18 GMT
Don't apologise for the rant at all WireHangers - really enjoyed reading it and your views! And reading it, I think we're very much the same in that I completely agree with most of your points, too. You are obviously very passionate and active within the industry (as am I) - which is why I feel it should treat those like us (the colloquial us) better than it sometimes does! And I don't just mean casting 'celebs', a whole multitude of things. It doesn't ever diminish my love for what I do - but that is very much a conversation for another day in another place! I think maybe the Freddie Flintoff thing was more of a 'tip of the iceberg' rather than an isolated case, but I can't speak for anyone! But you're 100% right that this is absolutely pub talk!!
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 19, 2017 12:59:40 GMT
Jodie Prenger has just revealed on Radio 2 that the final piece of the jigsaw is a HE from Coronation Street. It will be nice for Bill Roache to play a different character after all these years!
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Aug 19, 2017 13:21:11 GMT
I don't think that would work u less they're putting Ken Barlow into the plot, because there's no evidence to suggest Bill Roache can play anything else.
I bet it's the dreadful Anthony Cotton
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Post by TallPaul on Aug 19, 2017 13:27:57 GMT
After 70 years, does anyone know where Bill Roache ends and Ken Barlow begins?
Are you not a fan? You must see them all out and about of an evening, reveling in their (minor) celebrity status.
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Post by alicechallice on Aug 19, 2017 13:35:46 GMT
I bet it's the funny ginger one from the chip shop playing the James Corden part.
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Post by grannyjx6 on Aug 19, 2017 18:40:43 GMT
I bet it's the funny ginger one from the chip shop playing the James Corden part.
Do you mean Chesney? He's not overweight, or funny and I don't think he can sing. Bound to be him then.
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Post by alicechallice on Aug 20, 2017 0:56:26 GMT
I bet it's the funny ginger one from the chip shop playing the James Corden part.
Do you mean Chesney? He's not overweight, or funny and I don't think he can sing. Bound to be him then.
No, not Chesney. Maybe he isn't ginger, he's definitely got the right figure though. Sort of bumbling, comedic character. I think I said chip shop because he was there when Kylie got stabbed.
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Post by theatremadness on Aug 20, 2017 9:51:58 GMT
Do you mean Chesney? He's not overweight, or funny and I don't think he can sing. Bound to be him then.
No, not Chesney. Maybe he isn't ginger, he's definitely got the right figure though. Sort of bumbling, comedic character. I think I said chip shop because he was there when Kylie got stabbed. Oh I know who you mean - Craig! Who used to have the pet rat and is now a young policeman who helped Bethany with that grooming case. Yes definitely the right figure but his acting is pretty apalling and who knows if he can sing. As above, yeah it'll probably be him! On a side-note, I'm not 100% if the James Corden character is in the show. But we'll see!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2017 10:24:56 GMT
Chloe Hart and Rachael Wooding both in the show according to the website now
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Post by sirdaniel on Sept 8, 2017 12:10:36 GMT
More casting announced for this - Natasha Hamilton off of Atomic Kitten and Curly Watts himself, Kevin Kennedy, have joined. Joel Montague (currently School of Rock) is sharing Flintoff's role.
Kelly - Jodie Prenger Kevin - Freddie Flintoff (In Leeds, Southampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Blackpool) Kevin - Joel Montague (In Bromley, Newcastle, Hull, Southend, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Norwich, Dartford, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow & Aberdeen.) Betty - Sam Bailey (In England & Wales) Betty - Elaine C Smith (In Scotland) Joanne - Rachel Wooding Fergus - Kevin Kennedy (Not 27 November – 2 December in Leeds) Lauren - Natalie Anderson Paul - Jonathan Halliwell Julia - Natasha Hamilton (In Leeds, Southampton, Sheffield, Manchester, Bromley, Newcastle, Hull, Southend, Milton Keynes, Nottingham & Norwich) Alan - Neil Hurst Val - Chloe Hart Pippa- TBA
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Sept 8, 2017 12:33:02 GMT
Curly Watts was in The Committments tour recently. Another one who has no discernible talent moving into MT (I'm looking at you Phil Jupitus, Chris Moyles et al)
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Post by princeton on Sept 8, 2017 15:24:26 GMT
And two separate stints in Chitty - one as Potts, the other as the Childcatcher,
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Post by adambloodworth on Oct 25, 2017 12:03:42 GMT
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