Sigourney Weaver to make West End debut in THE TEMPEST; Tom Hiddleston & Hayley Atwell to lead MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Posted: 7/30/24 at 9:22am
There were rumors that Tom Hanks may be involved in some way. The Tempest was a given to be one of the Lloyd shows.
Then there is this from the Deadline article:
Working on The Tempest at Drury Lane will sort of complete a circle of coincidence for Weaver.
She’ll be taking on a role last performed there by Gielgud.
Her first Broadway credit in 1975 was to work on a revival of W. Somerset Maugham’s The Constant Wife, starring Ingrid Bergman.
Weaver worked as an assistant stage manager and understudy.
The production was directed by John Gielgud.
https://deadline.com/2024/07/sigourney-weaver-west-end-tempest-1236026153/
Posted: 12/11/24 at 10:06pm
Posted: 12/12/24 at 6:04am
For those always complaining/joking that Jamie Lloyd productions are all black with no sets or costumes, here is a pic of the curtain call for Tempest.
Posted: 12/12/24 at 6:01pm
I’ve been looking for this thread lol!
Saw Tempest on Monday and I can say that Jamie Lloyd should just stop doing Shakespeare! Plain and simple! Weaver was ok but I think she was miscast. If there is any star studded performance it’s Mason Alexander Park as Ariel! Truly iconic!
As for the production, the pacing of it was so slow that if they picked it up, they could’ve shaved at least 40 minutes from the runtime. So many of these scenes felt too prolonged and needed to be trimmed down. Also, I’m glad Jamie Lloyd put a little bit of structure in the staging, but to be honest, the set is literally Waiting for Godot just without the tree. I’m hoping changes are being made at lightning speed before the press opening, but if not, I really wouldn’t recommend this unless you really want to be bored out of your mind. Let’s hope Much Ado is better. Probably the highlight of the night was meeting and chatting with Joe Locke and Tobie Donavan from Heartstopper who were in the row ahead of us. Lovely individuals!
Posted: 12/13/24 at 11:55am
FANtomFollies said: "For those always complaining/joking that Jamie Lloyd productions are all black with no sets or costumes, here is a pic of the curtain call for Tempest."
I mean... it's still extremely minimal with a very limited (nearly monochrome) and cold color palette. Not exactly a huge stretch and still very recognizably a Lloyd production.
Updated On: 12/13/24 at 11:55 AM
Posted: 12/13/24 at 1:41pm
Dylan Smith4 said: "I’ve been looking for this thread lol!
Saw Tempest on Monday and I can say that Jamie Lloyd should just stop doing Shakespeare! Plain and simple! Weaver was ok but I think she was miscast. If there is any star studded performance it’s Mason Alexander Park as Ariel! Truly iconic!
T
As for the production, the pacing of it was so slow that if they picked it up, they could’ve shaved at least 40 minutes from the runtime. So many of these scenes felt too prolonged and needed to be trimmed down. Also, I’m glad Jamie Lloyd put a little bit of structure in the staging, but to be honest, the set is literally Waiting for Godot just without the tree. I’m hoping changes are being made at lightning speed before the press opening, but if not, I really wouldn’t recommend this unless you really want to be bored out of your mind. Let’s hope Much Ado is better. Probably the highlight of the night was meeting and chatting with Joe Locke and Tobie Donavan from Heartstopper who were in the row ahead of us. Lovely individuals!"
Thanks for this. I love this play and was considering planning a trip around this. Going to stick with my memories of Plummer doing this in Stratford. Hopefully his Much Ado will be a better casting fit.
Posted: 12/14/24 at 5:50am
Play Esq. said: "Thanks for this. I love this play and wasconsidering planning a trip around this. Going to stick with my memories of Plummer doing this in Stratford. Hopefully, his Much Ado will be a better casting fit."
You're welcome! Yeah, it really was not that good, and I just don't think Sigourney Weaver is as big a name here as she is in the States. So many empty seats the night I went. I wish the entire cast the very best as it is a very limited run. Hope Much Ado is somewhat better. I would try to see Producers if you can. I was lucky to snag a rush ticket last night and wow was it incredible!
Posted: 12/14/24 at 5:54am
Unless he can make up with it for "much ado about nothing" I wonder if this will be the end of the line for Jamie Lloyd doing Shakespeare with celebrities. After the Tom Holland R&J reviews and the upcoming bloodbath that is likely to be "The Tempest" would any celebrity want to take this risk again?
Posted: 12/14/24 at 8:07am
binau said: "Unless he can make up with it for "much ado about nothing" I wonder if this will be the end of the line for Jamie Lloyd doing Shakespeare with celebrities. After the Tom Holland R&J reviews and the upcoming bloodbath that is likely to be "The Tempest" would any celebrity want to take this risk again?"
He needs to stop working with Shakespeare. This whole season at Drury Lane was basically ALW proving to the late John Gielgud that Shakespeare can be back at that venue again. It’s funny as this season is only two plays and then go right back to musicals with Hercules.
Posted: 12/20/24 at 7:13am
Whew. Just reading reviews for The Tempest and while Sigourney Weaver gets some praise in a couple, she comes in for quite a bit of criticism in most, some of it quite biting. A few examples:
- "There’s no staff for this self-made wizard to wield, though much woodenness in her delivery."
- “The Tempest: Shakespeare’s language seems alien to Sigourney Weaver
- Making her West End debut as Prospero, the much-loved film star sadly fails to weave the requisite magic”
- “The household robot Alexa could have breathed more life into the lines”
Jamie Lloyd also is taken to task a fair amount.
https://www.westendtheatre.com/268349/news/reviews/reviews-of-the-tempest-starring-sigourney-weaver-at-the-theatre-royal-drury-lane-in-london/
Updated On: 12/20/24 at 07:13 AM
Posted: 12/20/24 at 12:51pm
I had really wanted to see this just for Sigourney but opted for something else tonight because life is just too short to sit through more of Lloyd's same old...nothingness - even for her.
Posted: 12/20/24 at 1:25pm
"…. alien to Sigourney Weaver"
”… fails to weave the requisite island"
If those reviewers think that wordplay is funny or clever, well then I question their judgement anyway.
Posted: 12/20/24 at 10:21pm
Jay Lerner-Z said: ""…. aliento Sigourney Weaver"
”… fails toweavethe requisite island"
If those reviewers think that wordplay is funny or clever, well then I question their judgement anyway."
“You’d have to take a Quest through the Galaxy to find any depth in Weaver’s performance!”
“She’s more lost than a Gorilla in the Mist!”
Joking aside, I adore Sigourney.
Posted: 12/21/24 at 8:37pm
‘The Tempest’ Review: A Weak Wind Blows for Sigourney Weaver
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/20/theater/the-tempest-sigourney-weaver-jamie-lloyd.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jU4.7RSC.Tw3D8vlvTpjz
Posted: 12/21/24 at 9:21pm
I love me some Sigourney Weaver, but she always plays herself in everything if you know what I mean.
Her best performance is in the Snow White movie she did for HBO in the 90s
Posted: 12/21/24 at 10:13pm
WldKingdomHM said: "I love me someSigourney Weaver, but she always plays herself in everything if you know what I mean.
Her best performance is in the Snow White movie she did for HBO in the 90s"
Posted: 12/23/24 at 6:55am
WldKingdomHM said: "I love me someSigourney Weaver, but she always plays herself in everything if you know what I mean.
Her best performance is in the Snow White movie she did for HBO in the 90s"
I am so weary with the "They always play themselves" comment about any actor. It's such a consumerist way of looking at acting.
Posted: 12/23/24 at 11:04am
verywellthensigh said: "WldKingdomHM said: "I love me someSigourney Weaver, but she always plays herself in everything if you know what I mean.
Her best performance is in the Snow White movie she did for HBO in the 90s"
I am so weary with the "They always play themselves" comment about any actor. It's such a consumerist way of looking at acting."
I think there's grey areas here. I like to play a game called "actor or movie star" that is a kind of oversimplified version of this trope, because it's a truth: some actors (Meryl Streep, Daniel Day Lewis, Viola Davis, Peter Sellars) are chameleons. They build a character from the ground up and they disappear into the role. And some actors have strong screen personas (Jimmy Stewart, Tina Fey, Denzel Washington, Steve Martin) that their roles form around - they tend to ground the character in their own experience. That is not to say they don't emote well on screen, or act well, but it's a different method of performing. Are you creating a different person, or are you reacting as you would if you were in this situation? I haven't seen enough of Sigourney Weaver's career to judge whether she can "transform into the character" or not, but she strikes me more as the later.
Posted: 1/4/25 at 5:56pm
Ticket prices for Sigourney Weaver's West End debut in Shakespeare's The Tempest are slashed after a string of bad reviews put theatregoers off
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14244793/ticket-prices-sigourney-weaver-west-end-debut-shakespeare-tempest-slashed-bad-reviews.html
Posted: 1/4/25 at 10:44pm
I am really curious to see how Jamie Lloyd will do "Much Ado" which is my favorite Shakespeare play. It is so joyful. Has Jamie Lloyd ever done anything that was "joyful" . Having seen his "Seagull", "Evita", Cyrano" "Dolls House"and "Sunset" I don't see it as a good fit.. Quite frankly, while I loved "Sunset" and "Evita" the others were so depressing.
Updated On: 1/4/25 at 10:44 PM
Posted: 1/7/25 at 10:07am
George in DC said: "I am really curious to see how Jamie Lloyd will do "Much Ado" which is my favorite Shakespeare play. It is so joyful. Has Jamie Lloyd ever done anything that was "joyful" . Having seen his "Seagull", "Evita", Cyrano" "Dolls House"and "Sunset" I don't see it as a good fit.. Quite frankly, while I loved "Sunset" and "Evita" the others were so depressing."
The supporting cast has just been announced: Mara Huf (Hero), Forbes Masson (Leonato), Phillip Olagoke (Friar Francis), Mason Alexander Park (Margaret), James Phoon (Claudio) and Tim Steed (Don John), Mika Onyx Johnson (Borachio) and Gerald Kyd (Don Pedro).
Updated On: 1/7/25 at 10:07 AM
Posted: 1/28/25 at 12:13am
Just Stop Oil
Updated On: 1/28/25 at 12:13 AM
Posted: 1/28/25 at 12:34am
Finally something interesting happened during a Jamie Lloyd play.
Posted: 1/28/25 at 12:43am
Where was security to haul them out?? It looks like they were politely asked to leave the stage lol
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