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My blog has quite a lot of posts about Samuel West (Julius Caesar, On Chesil Beach and Darkest Hour) and Charles Edwards (My Fair Lady Australian tour and Henry IX).

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Samuel West. Theatre - A Number. Audio - Faust. Narration - Horizon.

Recent press for A Number includes reviews and interviews. Some quotes from reviews:

Times Live
"A change of clothing, gait, accent and nuance is all that is required as West fully inhabits each one [clone]."

Bizcommunity
"Samuel West has a magical way of transforming into characters, leaving you feeling a little disturbed and fascinated all at once. Dad and son had the full house literally at the edge of our seats."

Cape Times
"This production is first-class theatre: an outstanding real-life father-and-son cast are supported by Jonathan Munby, a supremely talented director."

Die Burger
"In A Number is hy eweneens indrukwekkend, veral gegewe sy veeleisende taak om drie karakters te speel wat identies lyk (twee is gekloon), maar met drie uiteenlopende persoonlikhede. Die leidende hand van die regisseur, Jonathan Munby, is hier te bespeur. Die drie mans se fisieke eendersheid, eerder as hul andersheid, word beklemtoon; die verskille word subtiel verbloem in stemtoon en gebare sodat jy as gehoorlid self soms wonder watter een dit eintlik is."

The Writing Studio
"Timothy West is solid as the stern father who is torn between loyalty and guilt, with Samuel West delivering a passionate performance as his three sons Bernard (B1), Bernard (B2) and Michael Black, two of whom are clones of the original."


Sam and Timothy have been interviewed in City Press, the Weekend Argus (Vivien Horler, "Keeping it all in the family," 9 October 2011) and the Cape Times (Terri Dunbar-Curran, "Clone ranger," 7 October 2011).


Faust is now available on CD and for download (Naxos Audiobooks). It was originally broadcast on BBC Radio 3.


Clive James has said positive things about Sam's voice-over abilities:
"Sam West’s voice was the convincing thing about an episode of Horizon (BBC Four) ["Is Everything We Know About the Universe Wrong?"] concerned with Dark Flow... Soothed by Sam’s voice and the voices of various scientists of exotic origin, I was ready to take it on trust that the Standard Model explains too much to be let go of at this late stage... Sam’s quiet eloquence held everything together."

Monday 17 October 2011

Charles Edwards. Television - Holy Flying Circus. Theatre - Happy Days in the Art World. Theatre - The King's Speech.

Holy Flying Circus will be broadcast on BBC Four on Wednesday 19 October. Screencaps from clips released by the BBC (click thumbnails for full size):

The Pythons in Barry Atkins' Office
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Palin and Cleese Arrive at the BBC
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Michael Palin and Jones the Wife
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Charles, Joseph Fiennes and Kim Criswell will star in Happy Days in the Art World by Elmgreen & Dragset. It will preview at Tramway in Glasgow 21-22 October and premiere at the Skirball Center in New York 1-3 November (via the Independent).

Charles will play King George VI in a touring stage production of The King's Speech. It will premiere in Guildford and tour to Nottingham, Bath, Brighton, Richmond and Newcastle from February next year (Official London Theatre). Baz Bamigboye has further comments about the production:
As he [Matthew Byam Shaw, producer] so rightly put it, Edwards is ‘utterly charming, and a complete stage actor with an extraordinary range’.
Interestingly, he played Edward VIII in a TV drama [Bertie and Elizabeth] ten years ago. I’ve seen him in several productions and he always grabs your attention.


Saturday 8 October 2011

Samuel West. Theatre - A Number. Radio - All That I Am.

The Next 48hours and the Mail & Guardian have articles about A Number.
Here's a selection of recent tweets, beginning with some thoughts from Sam:
"Here we go then. Press night on a new continent. Feels good that some of my second Sheffield season is still going, five years on. #anumber." (@exitthelemming)
"@TheFugard tonight 4 A Number - wonderful play w great acting. See it if you can..." (@UKinCapeTown)
"A Number production last night was moving and also leaves a lot of 'What If' thoughts to ponder..." (@NickiLinde)
"Loved it, great night out... @exitthelemming congrats on a brilliant show..." (@lucymayhinde 1|2)
"@exitthelemming outstanding work tonight..." (@untheatre)


The readers for the Book at Bedtime All That I Am are Sam, Hattie Morahan and Sara Kestelman. It starts on BBC Radio 4 on 24 October (BBC Press Office).

Thursday 6 October 2011

Samuel West - Theatre - A Number

A Number began previewing on Tuesday, and the final preview is tonight. A couple of tweets about the first preview:

"...check out the amazing acting of @exitthelemming [Sam] at the Fugard in A Number" (@yesreallyangel)

"Thanks brother @iamSivN for taking us to see @exitthelemming show #numbers [sic] this eve! great to meet u #sam gd luck with the birding& ur show!" (@johnmcinroy)

Jesse Kate Kramer's website has some lovely stills from the play and its rehearsals.

IOL has an article about the production, "Acting combo keeps it in family".

And a nice mention of Sam and Timothy from an interview with director Jonathan Munby:
"This play is truly one of the great works for theatre and already a modern classic. Also, having father and son play father and son is a truly unique and powerful experience."

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Charles Edwards. Television - Holy Flying Circus. Sue Terry Voices.

The BBC Press Office has issued a press pack for Holy Flying Circus which contains an interview with Charles.

Samples of Charles' voice work can be downloaded from Sue Terry Voices.

Monday 3 October 2011

Samuel West. Theatre - A Number. Narration - The Maharajas' Motor Car. Radio - Life and Fate. Narration - All That I Am. From the Ridiculous to the Sublime. Film - Hyde Park on Hudson.

Sam has shared excerpts (1|2) from the script of A Number, which has its South African premiere at the Fugard Theatre on 4 October.

He narrates The Maharajas' Motor Car: The Story of Rolls-Royce in India. It will be available on iPlayer for 6 more days (via his Twitter, @exitthelemming).
Life and Fate "Journey" in which Sam plays Liss, will be available to download as a podcast for 18 more days.

Sam has recorded All That I Am, an upcoming Book at Bedtime for BBC Radio 4 (via @exitthelemming).

A tweet about rehearsals for From the Ridiculous to the Sublime, a concert which took place on 15 September:
"Watching Lara Melda rehearse for Mozart piano concerto. She's AMAZING. And about twelve. Not quite sold out at @kingsplace tonight. Come."

A couple of tweets about finishing filming Hyde Park on Hudson:
"V satisfying to end with studio scenes in a limo. Green screen (for crowds to be added later) is 21st c. version of the old roller-backdrop."
"Saying goodbye to Hyde Park on Hudson today, on the George Lucas Stage at Elstree (oo-er). As ever, shooting the part's first scene last."

Sue Arnold has made a positive mention of Sam's reading abilities in an audiobook round-up in the Guardian:
"... Here's Sam the man himself justifying his credentials to read what sound like difficult books so lucidly and wittily, you simply don't taste the medicine. Yes, I know I reviewed this clever, funny, entertaining ersatz self-help guide [How Proust Can Change Your Life] eight years ago, but it's well worth a second go."