Kevin Spacey to Star in Richard III at BAM; Sam Mendes to Direct

Can't believe no one has posted this yet. Very exciting news, in my opinion. Kevin Spacey will be starring in RICHARD III at BAM in Spring 2012 as part of The Bridge Project. Amazing casting. Spacey is one of my absolute favorite actors and RICHARD III is one of my favorite Shakespeare's. Can't wait to grab my ticket when they eventually go on sale.
Playbill article

Yeah, I think it's just London that changed.

Does anyone else's brain automatically fill in "-ad -ss -otherf***er" when they see the acronym BAM?

---

"No" is the short answer. Last year was supposed to be a Shakespeare and Three Sisters, but Three Sisters got put on hold (probably because of an impending production starring Gwyneth Paltrow that was rumoured for, I think, the Theatre Royal Haymarket but has yet to materialise) so they went with the two Shakespeares. Also I don't know why they're only doing one play this year, unless my suspicion that Spacey is planning on leaving the Old Vic soon and wants to go out with a bunch-back'd bang is correct.

While it doesn't explain why the focus was always on non-US playwrights, there was originally meant to be far less of a Shakespeare bias.

And you're giving my fellow countrymen FAR too much credit if you genuinely believe English people find Shakespeare inherently easier to get to grips with than Americans do.

---

Updated On: 12/8/10 at 07:27 AM

Which ones did you see? I've seen all of 'em to date and found that while some of the US members were occasionally out-acted by some of the UK members (which is easily done when you're acting with the likes of Simon Russell Beale), I've seen FAR worse Shakespearean performances by other UK actors than by the US members of the Bridge Project. And I'm not talking minor fringey productions either. Also, iirc, most of the criticism levelled at the performances for the As You Like It/The Tempest season (on this side of the Atlantic anyway, can't speak for the BAM performances) was pretty much "what the hell is Stephen Dillane doing? Can anyone even hear him? I thought he was supposed to be good?!".

---

Will Diane be there?

---

This was indeed music to my ears. I LOATHE Kevin Spacey and DESPISE BAM, which translates into I don't have to go to that out-of-way barn of a theatre to see that half-*ssed conceited would-be actor.

---