So, this week I headed downtown to the National Shakespeare Theater to see a play. Sort of. The National Theatre in London has a program where they broadcast their plays to theaters all over the world. It's great! The filmwork is wonderful and they show them on a huge screen, so there's not a bad seat in the house.
I saw Frankenstein, adapted into a play by Nick Dear and directed by Danny Boyle (the mastermind behind the awesome London Olympic Opening Ceremonies). But I must confess the main draw for me was Benedict Cumberbatch (Yes, Sherlock. Got your attention now, Lex, right?). He and Jonny Lee Miller (who interestingly enough will also be playing a modern day Sherlock in the new American show Elementary--I shall reserve judgement until viewing) have the roles of Victor and the Creature. But, and here's where it gets interesting, they both play both roles, and switch off with different performances.
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| Clever, huh? |
I got tickets to two showings so I could see them in both roles and compare. On Tuesday I saw Mr. Cumberbatch as the Creature and Mr. Miller as Victor, and on Sunday they'll reverse. Tuesday's show was insanely great and I don't know that I'll like the reversal as much, but I'm eager to see it. Nick Dear's script makes the Creature far more sympathetic than Victor (who is just kind of a jerk, quite frankly--I wonder what Mary Shelley would say to it), and I'm wondering if my memory of that will bleed over and I'll like Cumberbatch's Victor more and Miller's Creature less. I can't wait to find out.
In other news, the National Shakespeare Theater is very cool and I anticipate taking full advantage of my proximity to it. They have some of their costumes on display in the lobby and they're completely magnificent.
They also have a small gift shop and one of the items they sell are purses and pouches made from leftover material used in the costume shop. I picked up this lovely little coin purse, and the material is so pretty and rich.
I was deciding between this one and another one, when I looked inside and found they write on the tag which show the material came from. Clearly I had to choose this one. I love just Twelfth Night. Viola rules!
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| Check the jeweled collar. Yeah. |
They also have a small gift shop and one of the items they sell are purses and pouches made from leftover material used in the costume shop. I picked up this lovely little coin purse, and the material is so pretty and rich.
I was deciding between this one and another one, when I looked inside and found they write on the tag which show the material came from. Clearly I had to choose this one. I love just Twelfth Night. Viola rules!
5 comments:
I am so jealous of you right now. I should have been visiting you in Virginia and not Cliff... You found all the fun things to do :)
I guess this means Cliff found nothing n Virginia.
From what show was the other purse?
And what did you think of the role reversal?
I hope Cliff never reads this, you guys.
I can't remember what the other purse was from, but it wasn't Much Ado About Nothing, because then I'd have had to buy them both.
The role reversal was very interesting. They both played each character very differently. For the Creature, Jonny Lee Miller played him very childlike. In interviews he said he put a lot of his two-year-old child into the role, and you could really see it. Benedict Cumberbatch said he studied stroke victims and people who had had major injuries and were learning to speak again. For the Creature, both were great and I think it was just a matter of preference. I preferred Benedict Cumberbatch's Creature.
As for Victor, I think Benedict Cumberbatch was way better. Victor is written in the play as rather cold and unfeeling, quite different than how Shelley wrote him. And I think Jonny Lee Miller took that to the extreme and didn't show emotion in parts where it was needed. Victor's little brother is murdered by the Creature and Jonny Lee Miller barely reacts, whereas Benedict Cumberbatch felt all the grief and guilt and terror and showed it all to you. He was so fantastic. I wish I could have seen him in both roles at once.
It's probably the best play I've ever seen. I wish I could have seen it in person, but this will do in a pinch.
Oh, I doubt he will. And can I say I'm still so insanely jealous.
I can't imagine how difficult that would be as an actor. Trying to be totally different from the other actor portraying the same role. But at the same time, it'd be such a rewarding challenge. To have to push yourself in new ways all the time. Growing even more as an actor. It's an awesome idea. Like really, totally awesome.
Yes, so difficult, especially when you're rehearsing and performing with the other actor the whole time, and interacting with his performance. To not let his portrayal bleed into yours would be so hard, and they were both brilliant.
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