I knew Nick as a colleague on the local stage in Colchester (most recently in Pass the Butler below), but I confess to a boyish tingle of admiration whenever I'm involved with a colleague who is also a cricketer. A genuine hero.
Rest in peace Nick.
Tuesday, 27 October 2015
N.H.O. Clough (1943-2015)
That was his name as far as the cricket scorecards were concerned (and he makes it into the 1962 Wisden for the match between Clifton College and Tonbridge School at Lord's), for a man who was an utter gent (with an additional cheeky side), both on and off the field.
I knew Nick as a colleague on the local stage in Colchester (most recently in Pass the Butler below), but I confess to a boyish tingle of admiration whenever I'm involved with a colleague who is also a cricketer. A genuine hero.
Rest in peace Nick.
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I knew Nick as a colleague on the local stage in Colchester (most recently in Pass the Butler below), but I confess to a boyish tingle of admiration whenever I'm involved with a colleague who is also a cricketer. A genuine hero.
Rest in peace Nick.
Wednesday, 30 September 2015
The Smallest Show on Earth
Sept 25th-Oct 10th 2015
Mercury Theatre/Brian Eastman/Christabel Albery.
"The smallest show with the biggest heart.", thus tweeted Robert Lindsay, who mingled among the admirers at this evening's Press night for an Irving Berlin-themed musical adaptation of Basil Dearden's "classic" nostalgic comedy about a run-down old cinema.
Romanticised in many respects, with Old Tom the Commissioner turned into young Tom the son of Mrs. Fazackerly (Liza Goddard instead of Margaret Rutherford, on formidable form). Plot devices such as this and the young couple being driven apart by his screenwriting chores for a B-Movie Western seem hackneyed, as well as obvious black-and-white villains and heroes, but these are mostly incidentals in between the musical numbers, which are vibrantly staged and choreographed particularly by the younger performers.
This is most certainly intended to be a shameless crowd-pleaser, turning an endearing piece of cinema into a glossy piece of theatre. It therefore only has any partial resemblance to the original Smallest Show on Earth.
w: Thom Southerland, Paul Alexander.
d: Thom Southerland.
s: Liza Goddard, Brian Capron, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Haydn Oakley, Matthew Crowe, Sam O'Rourke, Christina Bennington, Philip Rham, Ricky Butt, Leo Andrew.
Lighting: Howard Hudson.
Musical Supervision: Gareth Valentine.
Thursday, 9 April 2015
Angel's Advocate: Original Theatrical Versions
With the latest release of yet another, optimistically titled, "Final Cut" of Blade Runner coming out, it's worth noting that none of the versions of Ridley Scott's landmark science fiction film from 1982 have ever really made any sense, except perhaps the much derided first version with Harrison Ford's clunky narration and a happy ending thrown in, both of which were approved at the time by Scott, ever with an eye to the film's box office chances.
Similarly, Don Siegel reluctantly shot a prologue and epilogue to Invasion of the Body Snatchers at the instruction of Allied Artists, in order to give Kevin McCarthy (and the audience) hope rather than letting the aliens win, which (*SPOILER ALERT*) they do however in the scary but largely inferior 1978 remake with Donald Sutherland.
The Day of the Triffids also has a horrendously clunky framing device of a husband and wife (Kieron Moore and Janette Scott) marooned on a lighthouse when the world is attacked by triffids, whilst throughout the rest of the film Howard Keel and company are battling through a very uncertain future in Steve Sekely's stark fantasy horror drama. The framing device that came up with a ludicrously simple solution to the alien menace was shot was a new director in the making, Freddie Francis, and the lighthouse scenes had their own element of refreshing entertainment about them.
Through all these slightly dubiously revised films, the one factor that executives considered at the back of their minds was the audience feeling of Hope - much derided, but also rather underestimated, and not just because the fact that studios are out to make a fast buck. Sometimes not just Hollywood, but also the audience, wants a happy ending.
Similarly, Don Siegel reluctantly shot a prologue and epilogue to Invasion of the Body Snatchers at the instruction of Allied Artists, in order to give Kevin McCarthy (and the audience) hope rather than letting the aliens win, which (*SPOILER ALERT*) they do however in the scary but largely inferior 1978 remake with Donald Sutherland.
The Day of the Triffids also has a horrendously clunky framing device of a husband and wife (Kieron Moore and Janette Scott) marooned on a lighthouse when the world is attacked by triffids, whilst throughout the rest of the film Howard Keel and company are battling through a very uncertain future in Steve Sekely's stark fantasy horror drama. The framing device that came up with a ludicrously simple solution to the alien menace was shot was a new director in the making, Freddie Francis, and the lighthouse scenes had their own element of refreshing entertainment about them.
Through all these slightly dubiously revised films, the one factor that executives considered at the back of their minds was the audience feeling of Hope - much derided, but also rather underestimated, and not just because the fact that studios are out to make a fast buck. Sometimes not just Hollywood, but also the audience, wants a happy ending.
Monday, 22 December 2014
Can you believe it?
1. The Mayor of London is Boris Johnson.
2. Men are legally allowed to marry men.
3. The biggest political force in Britain is led by Nigel Farage of UKIP.
4. The biggest vocal opponent to Nigel Farage is Russell Brand.
5. There are women bishops in the Church of England.
6. The Pope is not very Catholic (towards his Cardinals).
7. Blue Peter and many other children's programmes are no longer on BBC1.
8. The most powerful football clubs in England are Manchester City and Chelsea.
9. More people watch films on phones and video screens than in cinemas (according to the Orange "2-for-1" deal, soon to be scrapped.).
10.There are next to no phone boxes, only mobiles.
2. Men are legally allowed to marry men.
3. The biggest political force in Britain is led by Nigel Farage of UKIP.
4. The biggest vocal opponent to Nigel Farage is Russell Brand.
5. There are women bishops in the Church of England.
6. The Pope is not very Catholic (towards his Cardinals).
7. Blue Peter and many other children's programmes are no longer on BBC1.
8. The most powerful football clubs in England are Manchester City and Chelsea.
9. More people watch films on phones and video screens than in cinemas (according to the Orange "2-for-1" deal, soon to be scrapped.).
10.There are next to no phone boxes, only mobiles.
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Good Things: 28
Cinema coffee bars
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Such a brilliant idea, and high time cinema chains thought of it, a throwback to the old days of cinema cafes/restaurants for shoppers. Also useful in that many of these town centre cinema coffee bars are open later hours to make town centres more people-friendly in the evenings.
Wednesday, 15 October 2014
"It's not what you say but how you say it."
A mantra much adopted by many people, including my mother.
Take two key examples this last week. First, the Vatican's sympathetic but at the same time considered words about the role of gays in the Catholic church, and then later, on a different topic, Tony Blair's latest polemic on teaching religious tolerance to potential extremists. Two messages which both espouse tolerance, but in rather different fashion; the latter statement hints at further echoes of Blair's holy crusade to liberate the Middle East, so misguidedly started by the second Iraq war.
The two statements and the way they read, are a fair indication of why Pope Francis is considered one of the most popular Popes for some while, and why Tony Blair is still considered - rightly or wrongly - to be one of the most unpopular of Prime Ministers.
Take two key examples this last week. First, the Vatican's sympathetic but at the same time considered words about the role of gays in the Catholic church, and then later, on a different topic, Tony Blair's latest polemic on teaching religious tolerance to potential extremists. Two messages which both espouse tolerance, but in rather different fashion; the latter statement hints at further echoes of Blair's holy crusade to liberate the Middle East, so misguidedly started by the second Iraq war.
The two statements and the way they read, are a fair indication of why Pope Francis is considered one of the most popular Popes for some while, and why Tony Blair is still considered - rightly or wrongly - to be one of the most unpopular of Prime Ministers.
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