Imelda Staunton to Star as Sally in West End Follies - Page 2

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:10am

imeldasturn said: "It's not West End"

 

Yup- not West End, it's the National. But nobody here knows the difference.

 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:20am

Sweeney Todd was a master class in acting, she was an unstoppable force, so sad I missed Gypsy and if it does come to New York i'll be there.This will be worth a trip from Australia to see her in Follies. i'll be there in Feb for Who's Afaird.

[Kad]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 9:41am

I love Staunton and would love to someday see her in something. She's a phenomenal actress and performer, with a rich history of musical theatre on London stages.

I'm more excited about the prospect of her Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf than her Sally in Follies, though.

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 11:02am

aaaaaa15 said: "Her Gypsy performance just shouldn't have been filmed. It was a performance to experience live and not have close ups etc. I don't think there were any complaints about her acting before the video was released."

Me. I thought she was overthetop nutso when I saw her live in the Savoy Theatre. And I LOVED her in Sweeney and just about every other thing I've seen her in.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 11:32am

Fair enough, but you were an anomaly I think. I saw her from the upper circle and loved her but maybe that was from being far away. I was less impressed watching the filmed version.

Updated On: 9/30/16 at 11:32 AM

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 11:43am

 

The only thing worse than a one-note lunatic Mama Rose is a one-note lunatic Sally Durant.

 

Updated On: 9/30/16 at 11:43 AM

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:19pm

I was in the rear of the stalls and kept going..."this??" I was also distracted because I admittedly missed Boyd and Laura's incredible performances and moments from that production. It seemed like this cast was taught it all had to be played on red bull and has to end at 9:45 on the dot! (I made up that time, I've no idea when we let out). Part of me wonders if audience reaction in the UK was a bit joyous only because Gypsy isn't done as much so maybe we Americans are just pickier with it? 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 9/30/16 at 12:29pm

If she's going to choose something to come over in, I wish it would be SWEENEY. Her Lovett was inspired.

[Scripps2]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 2:00pm

We're going to get Follies at the National vis-a-vis the Royal Court. It certainly won't be what many of the regulars here might like and raises mixed feelings within me.

Janie Dee is good casting but I agree with QueenAlice that Jo Riding would complement her better as Sally.

The great drum revolve under the Olivier stage will be fantastic for Loveland transformations. But we're in the Weismann Theatre, an early c20th auditorium with a traditional proscenium arch; not the comfort and superb sight-lines of the timeless Olivier auditorium with it's thrust stage. 

[Hest882]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 2:15pm

Hm. I love Staunton under most circumstances, but I really can't imagine her being able to pull over the vocals necessary for Sally. And, as someone else said, I also can't imagine her as an ex-chorus girl like Sally. Hattie, yes.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/1/16 at 5:11pm

Hest-  that thought occurred to me to; the national is in an usual stage for the show, but hopefully they will take advantage of that and create a more surreal design. My biggest complaint with the recent Broadway revival was that it was too literal. 

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 10:47am

Announced today that Philip Quast will be playing Ben Stone. He's played the role in a couple of concert productions in the UK and Australia. He of course has a long history with Sondheim in London, creating the role of George in the RNT production of SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE.

[somechrysanthemumtea]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 11:05am

Scripps2 said: "We're going to get Follies at the National vis-a-vis the Royal Court. It certainly won't be what many of the regulars here might like and raises mixed feelings within me.

Janie Dee is good casting but I agree with QueenAlice that Jo Riding would complement her better as Sally.

The great drum revolve under the Olivier stage will be fantastic for Loveland transformations. But we're in the Weismann Theatre, an early c20th auditorium with a traditional proscenium arch; not the comfort and superb sight-lines of the timeless Olivier auditorium with it's thrust stage. 

 

"

Scripps - you are absolutely right. All the possibilities of the Loveland transformation are making me giddy with excitement. I have no doubt the National will be able to give Follies the opulent sets and costumes it deserves! 

[Harriet Craig]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 11:10am

I was a little surprised to see no mention of an NT Live screening of Follies in the National's announcement of its plans for 2017. The announcement says:

 

"The following four productions will be broadcast by NT Live this year and in 2017:

15 December sees NT Live broadcast the acclaimed No Man’s Land live from the stage of the Wyndham’s Theatre, with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Harold Pinter’s classic play, produced by Playful Productions.

On 2 February 2017 Lucian Msamati takes on the role of Salieri in Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, featuring live orchestral accompaniment by Southbank Sinfonia, broadcast direct from the NT.

Josie Rourke directs Gemma Arterton as Joan of Arc in Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, broadcast live from the Donmar Warehouse on 16 February 2017.

Ruth Wilson plays the titular role in a new version of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, directed by Ivo van Hove, broadcast live from the NT on 9 March 2017.

NT Live will also broadcast Twelfth Night, Salomé and Angels in America. Dates to follow."

 

I would have thought Follies was a sure bet for an NT Live screening. Hopefully it still will be, and they just haven't announced it yet.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 11:26am

Well they haven't even announced the dates for FOLLIES yet, so they can't announce a screening broadcast.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 11:28am

They haven't given us dates for Angels yet either.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 11:45am

I thought I read (or maybe just heard anecdotally) that FOLLIES was starting winter 2017. So if that ends up being the case, the broadcast might night happen until early 2018. At any rate, I would think for certain it would be a title that would have have strong interest in being filmed.

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 10/11/16 at 12:15pm

qolbinau said: "They can't seem to put her Gypsy to rest. But I'm thankful they're talking about that and not Sweeney. I think I will literally turn into Sally from FOLLIES if there is a major NY revival without Bernadette Peters. 

 

"

This