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WhereYouLeftIt · 02/06/2024 11:24

Bellevilles · 29/05/2024 08:26

He’s a really talented comedian. I think playing all the roles in Hamlet would be a stretch for anyone.

Apparently not. Cumming got a 4-star review for his.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jun/17/macbeth-glasgow-tramway-alan-cumming1

Macbeth | Theatre review

Alan Cumming plays every part in Shakespeare's tragedy set inside a mental asylum, writes Mark Fisher

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2012/jun/17/macbeth-glasgow-tramway-alan-cumming1

Waitingfordoggo · 02/06/2024 10:43

There is such a strong whiff of narcissism about Izzard. Most of his projects are solo things. He doesn’t really give the impression he is someone who could work well as part of a team.

I suppose if a project goes well, he gets to have all the credit for himself. But if it doesn’t go well (as seems to be the case currently in both his political and entertainment careers), it must be quite crushing for him, as there is no one else to blame. He could possibly try and pin in on transphobia, but that might not wash as it almost certainly wasn’t transphobia that meant he wasn’t chosen to represent Labour in Brighton

I wonder if there is a point at which he’ll conclude that what he is doing currently isn’t really what the public want, and perhaps it’s time to try some different types of project.

OpusGiemuJavlo · 02/06/2024 10:25

Sounds awful. Glad I don't have to see it.
Regardless of the trans status of the actor, this is not a good play to make into a solo production. For any of the individual roles in a full-cast production, an immense amount of work would go into depicting the unspoken emotional journey of each character during the times they are on stage but not currently speaking. That acting when it's not currently your line is hugely important. Cutting all that in favour of just getting the lines delivered would be unlikely to work well even with an actor of 10 times Izzard's talent level.

MrsOvertonsWindow · 02/06/2024 10:14

The reviews are savage - and extremely funny

MagpiePi · 29/05/2024 10:28

So when he is playing the male characters is he a man pretending to be men, or is he a man pretending to be a woman pretending to be men? How much disbelief is the audience supposed to suspend?

Sue152 · 29/05/2024 10:24

BackToLurk · 29/05/2024 10:00

There is a wider point illustrated by this individual though. There is an issue with gender parity in theatre, particularly relating to older women & female-led drama. This show being recorded as a one woman show performed by a 62-year-old distorts reality.

Show quote history

Yes, we don't have to worry that women aged 60+ don't get roles in theatre because 'she's' proving they do.

StickItInTheFamilyAlbum · 29/05/2024 10:12

Other matters aside, I've no difficulty believing Tennant could deliver a memorable, legend of a one-man Hamlet. He was outstanding when he mimicked other characters in his RSC performance.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/06/theatre.rsc

From Time Lord to antic prince: David Tennant is the best Hamlet in years

Courtyard, Stratford-upon-AvonA Hamlet of quicksilver wit, mimetic vigour and wild humour, says Michael Billington

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2008/aug/06/theatre.rsc

FrancescaContini · 29/05/2024 10:10

menopausalmare · 29/05/2024 08:28

One woman. Where is she?

Yes, I can only see a man in the photo.

Datun · 29/05/2024 10:08

BackToLurk · 29/05/2024 10:00

There is a wider point illustrated by this individual though. There is an issue with gender parity in theatre, particularly relating to older women & female-led drama. This show being recorded as a one woman show performed by a 62-year-old distorts reality.

Show quote history

Totally. It is a 'one woman' show, referred to as she throughout the article, but treated like a privileged bloke from beginning to end.

Grammarnut · 29/05/2024 10:01

What woman? It's Eddie Izzard in drag. Article is all about how poor the show is.

BackToLurk · 29/05/2024 10:00

ValueAddedTaxonomy · 29/05/2024 08:19

Of course it is massively annoying, but I increasingly think that it is not a good look to keep having threads that point at trans individuals, even if they are celebrities.

In any case, what was more interesting about the article was nothing to do with his trans status - it was more interesting to learn just how poor the show evidently was: a celebrity promoted above his abilities it would seem.

There is a wider point illustrated by this individual though. There is an issue with gender parity in theatre, particularly relating to older women & female-led drama. This show being recorded as a one woman show performed by a 62-year-old distorts reality.

Screamingabdabz · 29/05/2024 09:55

Let’s face it, if an actual woman looked like that she’d never get near a casting line up.

FlirtsWithRhinos · 29/05/2024 09:52

I read that this morning, before it was posted here (so pre reading the FWR commentary.)

This stood out to me:

Hamlet’s women are hardly prominent figures but here they feel especially shadowy. We gain no insight into the queen and her “too hasty” marriage, nor feel Ophelia’s tragedy as she unravels.

I wondered if the journalist was inviting us to connect the dots or failing to connect them themself.

illinivich · 29/05/2024 09:47

Women can't generalise when talking about trans issues, or highlight individuals.

I'd have thought calling it a solo show would have been the most obvious way to discribe it, regardless of eddies gender identity. 'One woman show' goes against the trend to gender neutralise everything.

Maaate · 29/05/2024 09:31

One girl show, surely?

WarriorN · 29/05/2024 09:27

Non woman show

BruceAndNosh · 29/05/2024 09:26

Surely it's a 2 person show - Eddie and Suzy?

RoyalCorgi · 29/05/2024 09:24

The Guardian are simply making fools of themselves by referring to this as a one-woman show. I hope the time is coming when they feel deeply embarrassed that they ever published this kind of rot.

Though the review is funny - I'll give them that.

Original poster
theDudesmummy · 29/05/2024 08:53

I don't think he is a poor actor at all. I have seen him be terrific on stage, in the play Lenny. But this sounds like a terrible show and not the right project for him at all. But my main point was the Guardian's trademark total disingenuous ridiculousness on this issue.

OP posts:
Imustgoforarun · 29/05/2024 08:35

Oh OP please don’t be mean. It’s not nice and girly. I had to turn them off when they were being interviewed on virgin radio. I thought they were brilliant running the marathons. But not now. You can’t just change your gender when you feel like it. Glad it gets one star just shows what a poor actor they are.

DialSquare · 29/05/2024 08:33

Wrong thread

AlisonDonut · 29/05/2024 08:30

They relentlessly push all this on us and when women get fed up and say mean things all you get is 'we shouldn't be focusing on individuals, it's mean'.

That's the point of them pushing individuals at us. And not the overall strategy.

menopausalmare · 29/05/2024 08:28

One woman. Where is she?