STARS EARN THEIR STRIPES
Stars are the big thing in the West End (and other ends of theatrical London). Critics are wildly lavish with their five and four star reviews. For instance, Death of a Salesman’s posters are lit up like a Christmas tree with rows of 5s. It’s also starry in casting: Anthony Sher and Harriet Walter in the lead roles of Mr and Mrs Loman. And, of course, it’s on at the old Albery Theatre - now the Noel Coward, and it doesn’t come starrier than that.
Also on now, at the Aldwych, and starry in a different way, is American Buffalo. It’s David Mamet’s play from 1975 and if you’re wondering why it’s been trotted out again, it becomes clear when you realise the audience is on tenterhooks until the late arrival on stage of Damian Lewis. He’s a bona fide Oooh-er star post-Homeland and Wolf Hall. And he’s powerful as Teach – he of the unforgettable lines, “Do not fuck with me, I am not other people” and “According to me is what it is when it is me who is speaking”.
What’s interesting is how starry is the coming northern autumn season. (London pretty much reverts to coach party musicals and The Mousetrap for the summer.) Biggest announcement has to be of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company at the Garrick, in October-November 2015. Proof that he can get the best to take part in his adventure is the opening production: Judi Dench in A Winter’s Tale. The adored Dame will be followed by Ken himself. He’s taking on Archie Rice in The Entertainer.
And if our very own (well, shared, but definitely “Our” these days) Miriam Margolyes is still concerned about the cheek of starring in her own autobiographical show, she must know that Dawn French is doing the very same. 30 Million Minutes is due in at the Vaudeville Theatre, 11 November-5 December after months of spit and polishing in the provinces.
The other hilarious and rotund star says of the show whose title reflects how long she’s been alive, give or take a few, “I shall be buying new pants in honour of this exciting opportunity to bring my show into London’s glittery West End, so every audience member can relax in the knowledge that I will be fully contained and utterly fragrant at all times. Look, it's not a play, it's not stand up, it's not a monologue, it's not a slide show, but it's something a bit like all of those with some alarming extreme striptease thrown in.”
Michael Grandage is directing French (good luck) and also recently directed Ken (see above) in Chekhov’s Ivanov. And if all that’s not starry enough, he’s going to be responsible for hauling Nicole Kidman out of her post-Grace Kelly slump. The Michael Grandage Company is mounting a new play with Our Nic in the lead and it sounds more than promising.
Titled Photograph 51, it’s by Anna Ziegler and will be on at the busy Noel Coward Theatre, 5 September-21 November 2015. In case you’re wondering about the odd title, “Photograph 51” was the x-ray image that first revealed the double-helix shape of DNA. So you’ll probably work out that Nicole will be playing Rosalind Franklin – the scientist who first figured it out and whose work was snitched and ignored because she was a woman, so Watson and Crick got the Nobel Prize and she did not.
And they’re advertising “over 20,000 tickets at £10” – which is amazing as Our Girl doesn’t come cheap. It does say a lot about prices – Sydney v London. More of that later.
Tickets are on sale now and each of the seasons is limited. And that’s how to get bums on seats and the money in the bank before you open.
