Be honest, actors have it SO CUSHY! On Monday morning of last week, thanks to the generosity of a friend in the props department I was privileged to sit in on the final dress rehearsal at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, of Elijah Moshinsky’s production of Verdi’s “Simon Boccanegra”.
The cast is led by the distinguished American baritone, Thomas Hampson. Eleven a.m., if you don’t mind, and there’s Hampson, the amazing tenor Russell Thomas and other world-class soloists giving it the full welly, voices soaring over the surging sound of a hundred-strong orchestra – what time did they start warming up? It’s not often I get to the opera, or for that matter to the ballet, but every time I do I reflect on the different mind-sets the performers in these fields must have to those of us whose onstage tasks amount to learning and delivering text. I get similar feelings when I watch full-on performances in musical theatre. Not to denigrate for a minute the demands made on actors, I can’t help feeling that the physical and mental challenges faced by someone delivering full-volume Verdi in a massive theatre-space have parallels with those faced by Mr Murray on the Centre Court last Saturday!
But then… you go to see a grand barn-storming actor like Barrie Rutter, and you think well, hang on, here’s a performer not afraid to move storms, to make all split – let the audience look to their eyes. Last week I made my first visit to the St James’s Theatre, the newly-restorted former Westminster Theatre down on Palace St near Victoria station, to see the excellent Northern Broadsides production of Gita Sowerby’s “Rutherford and Son”. Cracking direction by Jonathan Miller and a fine cast led by Rutter delivered a play out of the same drawer as “Hobson’s Choice” and “Hindle Wakes”, but with strong echoes of Ibsen at his best – serious drama making serious points.
If anyone deserves a gong it’s Barrie Rutter. Staying true to his Yorkshire roots – he’s yet another talent from Hull – his work with Broadsides and elsewhere has brought fantastic, fresh energy to the UK’s classic theatre. It was he who directed Lenny Henry’s “Othello”, signalling the unexpected arrival of a towering dramatic talent, now receiving ecstatic reviews in August Wilson’s”Fences”at the Duchess Theatre. 
Rutter has a formidable eye for talent. The young E15 graduate Catherine Kinsella was terrific at the St James’s. A Mancunian by birth, she gave a lovely performance in a wondrously consistent London accent – despite being surrounded by actors working in strong north-country dialect!
Alas, you’ve missed “Rutherford and Son” but if you’re in London near Victoria Station, do check out St James’s Theatre – a welcoming venue, with a nice bar and restaurant, and at least two attractive pubs nearby. Also, wherever you happen to be, look out for productions by the Halifax-based Northern Broadsides – the work is always different, always exciting.
On June 28th, to an interesting Drama UK forum at Birkbeck College, to hear Jane Deitch report on an in-depth survey she’s done on patterns of “work destinations” achieved by recent graduates of UK acting degree courses. On balance, the majority of grads still work first in “live” performance of some sort, but let’s face it, these days digital dominates every breath we take, every move we make and most actors will find themselves earning their crusts via a camera, a microphone, and/or some curious new digital device. As one of the first actors in Britain to grapple extensively with the then new “blue-screen” technology (DVDs of “Pardon my Genie” now available, folks, on Amazon) I was always striving at RADA to enhance the acting course “media” training, and struggling with very limited resources. Now more than ever the schools need to supplement the essential theatrical skills required by the next generation of Barrie Rutters with courses in motion-capture, small-scale production techniques, video-game voice-overs, etc etc One of the most adventurous programmes in this field appears to be at the Arts Educational London school. I chatted with the Principal Jane Harrison at the forum, and she’s kindly invited me to visit there in the autumn – so watch this space.
And, of course, actors who make it big on screen are often desperate to return to the theatre, and for that they need to draw on traditional training. Take “Sex and the City” star Kim Cattrall, whom I saw Friday last at the Old VIc giving a high-octane performance in “Sweet Bird of Youth”, with another fine American actor, Seth Numrich. Cattrall has terrific stage presence, with great physical and vocal control, giving us a warts-and-all portrait of a once dominant Hollywood sex-goddess approaching her sell-by date. Great stuff. The production carries a bonus in the form of an edgy, slightly scary performance as a redneck thug by our own Charles Aitken. Since giving a definitive Stanhope in my final-year RADA production of “Journey’s End” Charlie has turned in some outstanding performances, including a fine Edgar in “King Lear” for the RSC, and an Iago for Frantic Assembly noted by Lyn Gardner in “The Guardian” as “superb”. Charlie took part in the “Appetite” presentation I produced in January, playing opposite Oona Chaplin.
Connoisseurs of the acting trade I know often like to collect one-person shows, so here’s a heads-up for two due in London THIS WEEK. One of London’s finest actors, Alison Skilbeck is at the Club Theatre, RADA on July10th,11th and 12th, with “Mrs Roosevelt flies to London” – you can find out more at mrsrooseveltfliestolondon.wordpress.com/ . 
And next Sunday at 5.30 at the Lord Stanley theatre in Camden, as part of the Camden Solo Festival, there is a rare opportunity to see the indefatigable Martin Wimbush as “Wellington”. It’s a smashing performance, and far be it from me to comment on the direction and the writing, but, well – just look at the reviews, and then at the credits…..www.wellingtontheplay.com
And finally this week, another Glory in the Garden.
Although the website is increasingly attracting overseas students via our Internet service, an encouraging number of aspiring London actors are coming to the teaching team at www.teachyourselfacting.com for “live” coaching. Today our brilliant voice teacher Rebecca Cuthbertson hosted a one-to-one class – and what better class-room than my garden by the reservoir, in the heat of the noonday sun…..
If you disagree with any of the above, or would like to add a comment or two, I’d love to hear from you – you can do so anonymously, if you like – and I’ll happily publish your views. Just click on the word “comments” in the little panel below, and follow the instructions.
