Any dream will do
There's an interview in the Observer magazine this morning with Andrew Lloyd Webber who had found new, or rather, more fame on two television programmes which I'm happy to say I've missed, being out of the UK. The first, 'How do you solve a problem like Maria', was basically a televised talent competition for young girls, the prize being a contract to play Maria Von Trapp in 'The Sound of Music' at the Palladium. It was an enormous success and has been succeeded by another version of the same, but this time to find a Joseph for Lloyd W's 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat'.
I grew up in the 80's and as a stagestruck child have to admit to knowing most of the music and lyrics to most LW songs. Set me off and I could probably still sing my way through most of Phantom, Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar etc. Very shameful.
Or maybe less so now as it seems everyone has decided that it's ok to like him again now he's on TV with Graham Norton and giving out jobs in the west end. There was of course lots of kerfuffle with equity, the British actor's union about this, and I think Trevor Nunn refused to direct the first one. (Tragic loss). But actually auditions are already a circus and as LW points out he'd probably have never have met the winner of Maria without this.
What's interesting as well is that it highlights, and is some ways proves, the public suspicions that acting is not a difficult job and that they could do just as well given the chance. And here they are doing just as well for Norton and LW and then getting a nice job in the west end - that was easy, wasn't it!
But there you are. They did and have and so to some respects it is true. There are so many actors and so many talented non actors out there and everyone quite fancies having a go.
So what then do we have to offer that is different and special?
I'm thinking of this especially in relation to our cabaret autocours. Lots of us did cabaret things badly. At one point Paola asked us if we were acrobats, singers, contortionists etc. No? No. We're actors even though there are people in the class who can do some of those things as well. Is it enough? I don't know.
The arts council is particularly keen to fund street theatre and circus or acrobat type things. And I do understand why. Their physicality is amazing, the effects they can create.
But I do still believe that when we get it right, when our imaginations and our skills as actors are at their best, they are amazing. I don't think we should get angry about these programmes, I think we should just do better and never, ever produce crap theatre. Every crap show kills theatre a little more.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2081836,00.html
I grew up in the 80's and as a stagestruck child have to admit to knowing most of the music and lyrics to most LW songs. Set me off and I could probably still sing my way through most of Phantom, Joseph, Jesus Christ Superstar etc. Very shameful.
Or maybe less so now as it seems everyone has decided that it's ok to like him again now he's on TV with Graham Norton and giving out jobs in the west end. There was of course lots of kerfuffle with equity, the British actor's union about this, and I think Trevor Nunn refused to direct the first one. (Tragic loss). But actually auditions are already a circus and as LW points out he'd probably have never have met the winner of Maria without this.
What's interesting as well is that it highlights, and is some ways proves, the public suspicions that acting is not a difficult job and that they could do just as well given the chance. And here they are doing just as well for Norton and LW and then getting a nice job in the west end - that was easy, wasn't it!
But there you are. They did and have and so to some respects it is true. There are so many actors and so many talented non actors out there and everyone quite fancies having a go.
So what then do we have to offer that is different and special?
I'm thinking of this especially in relation to our cabaret autocours. Lots of us did cabaret things badly. At one point Paola asked us if we were acrobats, singers, contortionists etc. No? No. We're actors even though there are people in the class who can do some of those things as well. Is it enough? I don't know.
The arts council is particularly keen to fund street theatre and circus or acrobat type things. And I do understand why. Their physicality is amazing, the effects they can create.
But I do still believe that when we get it right, when our imaginations and our skills as actors are at their best, they are amazing. I don't think we should get angry about these programmes, I think we should just do better and never, ever produce crap theatre. Every crap show kills theatre a little more.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/magazine/story/0,,2081836,00.html
posted by lecoqblogger at 10:46 am
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